IT Support & Systems Administration
Dylan Dahal

Case study · Systems administration

Fresh n' Lean: building the IT department from the ground up

Started and ran IT: server room and local network, Microsoft 365 stand-up, and a company-wide Dropbox to SharePoint Online migration, plus Jira/Confluence administration and PMO support.

Founded and ran the IT department, from server room to a company-wide M365 migration

Role

Sr. IT Operations Analyst and SharePoint/Jira Administrator

Team context

Sole IT lead and PMO support inside a growing operations team, building the function from scratch.

Responsibility scope

  • Started and ran the IT department: server room and local network (switches, Wi-Fi, security and surveillance) plus end-user support on Windows and macOS.
  • Led the company-wide Dropbox to SharePoint Online migration and stood up Microsoft 365.
  • Administered Jira and Confluence (workflows, dashboards, JQL) and ticketing, and automated work with Power Automate across SharePoint and Teams.

Stakeholders

  • End users across the company who relied on Windows, macOS, and M365
  • Project managers and operations leaders tracking delivery and budget
  • Content owners who needed reliable, governed shared storage

Decision points

  • Stand up Microsoft 365 and move the company off Dropbox to SharePoint Online for governance and access.
  • Provision users and licenses consistently through M365, Active Directory, and Google Workspace consoles.
  • Automate repetitive SharePoint and Teams work with Power Automate as an early Microsoft Copilot adopter.

Problem and constraints

Build an IT function from scratch for a growing company, from physical infrastructure to collaboration platforms and project reporting.

Architecture approach

  • Server room and local network: switches, Wi-Fi, and security and surveillance, with end-user support on Windows and macOS.
  • Microsoft 365 stand-up and a company-wide Dropbox to SharePoint Online migration, with user and license provisioning through M365, Active Directory, and Google Workspace.
  • Jira and Confluence administration plus Power Automate workflows and advanced Excel models (pivot tables, SAP data) for PMO forecasting and budgeting.

Outcomes

  • Stood up the IT department, from server room and network to Microsoft 365.
  • Moved the company off Dropbox onto governed SharePoint Online storage.
  • Automated recurring SharePoint and Teams work with Power Automate and gave the PMO clearer reporting through advanced Excel models.

Next iteration

Standardize reusable automation and onboarding templates so the function scales as the company grows.

    Fresh n' Lean: building the IT department from the ground up | Dylan Dahal | Dossier