Q&A with Chris Thach
Role: Information Technology
Q: Tell me about your job and how it contributes to the overall goals of CIRAS to help companies prosper.
I help everyone who interacts with companies be more efficient and accurate when accomplishing the tasks they need to do.
Q: What skills or experiences have prepared you for this job?
My degree from college many decades ago has only a very basic level of relevance now. Keeping up with the rapid change in technology and software is an ongoing task. So, primarily, an enjoyment of problem-solving and working with computers is what keeps me interested in the work I do at CIRAS.
Q: How does the IT team ensure that CIRAS’s digital tools are aligned with the needs of Iowa manufacturers?
As CIRAS is housed at a university, we look more toward future trends and attempt to learn about new digital tools to help educate Iowa businesses on how they can benefit from adopting the right technology for their needs.
Q: How does IT enhance the collaboration between CIRAS teams and their clients across the state?
Video conferencing and cloud based file sharing allow quick interactions between CIRAS teams and their clients. Detailed records about clients and their history with CIRAS allows anyone at CIRAS to better understand the unique personal relationship we have with them.
Q: What areas of CIRAS’s operations benefit the most from the IT systems you manage?
Every aspect of CIRAS operations heavily relies on various IT systems to accomplish almost anything. Event and project management, client relationships, CAD and simulation programs, reporting to funders, interacting with multiple ISU systems, finance and grant management, marketing... the list could be endless. If I had to pick one, I would say reporting to funders has become significantly easier in the past few years thanks to improvements in both our processes and the tools we use.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
Finding or building solutions that make everyone’s work easier and more efficient.
For more information, contact Chris Thach at cthach@iastate.edu or 515-231-2851.