Name: Kevin Hand
Organization: J6XB Customer Experience/Project Management
Years of Service: 20
What is your job title, and what do you do, specifically?
I am an information technology site assessment manager. I develop and conduct Site Assessment Visits (SAVs) for a DLA location each month. Sites are selected for a variety of reasons, but most are recommended by DLA leadership when there are technology challenges that require more in-depth understanding and coordination than a standard IT service ask.
Coordinating a SAV each month is accomplished by working with the J6 Business Relationship Managers (BRM) from each Major Subordinate Command, the Enterprise Support Desk regional managers, the local site IT staff, and the site command staff. We identify an area of interest for the site, and work with subject matter experts across J6 and the business area to help work through problems and inquiries.
Our major goal of each assessment is to verify that IT services at the site are effective and efficient while supporting their specific mission, strengthen business relationships, and enhance customer satisfaction.
What is your background, including experience and credentials? How does your background help you be successful in your current role?
I joined DLA J6 when we were developing a mobile communications capability for Distribution’s deployable depot. In 2009, our contingency IT team consisted of two technicians, a box of technical documents in manilla folders, and two refurbished military trailers. From there, we built a solid team of 20 technicians and three modular equipment sets at three locations across the United States that could tackle just about any size expeditionary communications request for DLA.
I was very proud of the contingency capability that we created but recognized that it needed to evolve under new leadership. In 2017, I was offered an opportunity to become the J6 BRM to Distribution. Over the next three years, I was challenged with being the primary liaison between J6 leadership and Distribution leadership. We covered just about every technology topic and issue in today’s modern age of bots, Internet of Things, virtual networks, multi-media systems, artificial intelligence, and Big Data uses. It was a huge honor to represent J6 at the Distribution headquarters executive table. I’ll be forever grateful for the professional growth and mentorship I received from being around so many seasoned DLA leaders.
During my time as a BRM, J6 learned the value of forming a team of subject matter experts to travel to a site and assess the IT services and equipment that we were providing. They listened to our customers on what was working and what wasn’t. They addressed the issues with investigation, training, and sometimes changes in service delivery. The customer response was so appreciative, J6 decided to create a program that would pick a DLA site each month and perform an assessment specific to the IT business needs for their mission.
In late 2020, I transitioned out of the BRM position to establish a SAV program. My previous IT roles providing mobile and emergency communications and coordinating J6 services for Distribution as the BRM made me uniquely qualified to “hit the ground running” with site assessments.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, traveling to perform SAVs is an ever-changing challenge. In 2021, the majority of the SAVs we conducted were done virtually/remotely. SAVs are much more effective on location, however, we can remotely accomplish some of our program goals with a focus to improve our customer experience.
What aspect(s) of your current job gives you the most personal satisfaction? Why?
Bringing people together to clearly identify problems and find solutions creates stronger working relationships if done right. When we all walk away from a SAV with a common understanding of the problem and a solution that works for everyone, that is a huge win in my book. Building trust that we (business units and J6) are all on one team working to provide the best service for DLA’s customers is a key factor to my personal satisfaction as a customer experience manager.
What are some of your passions outside of work?
Outside of work I love to learn new skillsets and continue my education in anything and everything that strikes my interest. I have a never-ending list of home improvement projects as a self-proclaimed do-it-yourselfer. I’m a father of 2 teenagers (15 and 18 years old) and they keep me busy assisting with their activities. I love traveling, hiking, kayaking, volleyball, martial arts, escape rooms, wineries, musicals, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.
What advice do you have for DLA employees?
Be kind, be respectful, make choices with character and integrity and the rest will work itself out.
What other self-initiated efforts have you worked on?
Most self-initiated efforts that I’ve done were to enhance the services and expectations of what I was tasked to do by management, leadership, or customers. They were tiny efforts that lead to big results.
When I was the contingency IT chief, we saw potential to expand the contingency IT mission from Distribution Expeditionary to DLA enterprise support by helping to develop a Rapid Deployment Team (RDT) concept and providing services to DLA Energy Task Force Americas.
When I was a BRM, I moved my work location to a cubical in the middle of a Distribution directorate that was heavily involved with business and technical process development in effort to be more informed, accessible, and build trusted relationships.
COVID-19 travel restrictions paused the SAV program before we were even able to start it. We took the initiative to figure out conducting a site assessment virtually. It’s not a perfect alternative to an on-location assessment, but we’ll continue to reach out and assess what we are able to do remotely. I’m grateful to be part of a mission that cares about supporting our warfighter and continues to find ways of improving our services.