Behind the scenes: The teams that keep ACS moving forward
I was presented with a unique opportunity to thank my team for their dedication and hard work. Whilst reflecting on this, I considered that most of the work my team does is behind the scenes and often goes unnoticed, the best sign we’re doing our job well is that no one has to think about us at all.
So, how can I highlight these professionals, their commitment and excellence, without showcasing how deeply interwoven they are in the fabric of ACS? Simple: I have to do both.
ACS is a large, intricate organisation with many moving parts. From our ACS Labs innovation programs and virtual hubs to our membership platform, mySFIA self-assessment tool, and the ACS Learning Accelerator.
Behind these services are the corporate staff infrastructure, commercial systems and portals, finance and governance platforms, as well as the marketing and communications tools, website, CRM, social media and digital engagement tools that connect ACS with members, partners and the broader tech community. None of these elements operate in isolation. They are tightly integrated, interdependent, and constantly evolving to meet the needs of members, industry and government.
My team must know them all.
When ACS platforms work seamlessly, programs scale, communications land, and members engage, it’s because the technology solution has been thoughtfully designed, maintained and supported behind the scenes.
IT doesn’t just “keep the lights on” at ACS, it enables the organisation to function as a connected, modern membership body and to deliver value across every part of the ecosystem.
The silent work that keeps everything running
Our Service & Operations team are the quiet stabiliser of ACS. They work in the background to keep systems reliable, networks healthy, and services available, and they often pre-empt issues before they become visible.
This translates to careful planning of scheduled maintenance to ensure minimal disruption to BAU. Carefully considering the impacts of planned disruptions, such as the Christmas break, to ensure the network, Wi-Fi, and systems are all ready to go for when people get back.
Another way the Service & Operations team regularly saves the day is by reacting instantly when something important fails. Recently, our UPS failed (thankfully not at a time when it was needed), but rather than waiting, one of the team members dropped everything and came in after hours to work with our vendor and fix the issue immediately. The result? Another non-event for everyone else… which is exactly the point.
With cyber threats constantly evolving, the team stays vigilant well beyond 9–5. There have been multiple attempted breaches recently, and the response has been fast and decisive: detecting, mitigating, and shutting down the risk before it becomes a disruption.
Building, improving, and delivering without shortcuts
On the other side of the engine room are our Engineering, QA, Architecture and Delivery teams who make sure ACS platforms don’t just “work” but continue to grow and improve.
These teams are deeply passionate about technology, which is exactly what you want at ACS, an organisation that stands for IT leadership and capability. They’re constantly thinking about how we can use the right tech in the right way to create better outcomes for members and staff.
Their work ethos is never “build it once and walk away,” but rather, “continuous improvement: it’s never done”. These incredibly talented professionals are constantly workshopping, analysing, and enhancing existing systems while building new capabilities that integrate seamlessly across ACS.
And it’s always done with care: secure, fit-for-purpose, robust, compliant, with the kind of discipline that’s easy to underestimate until you see what happens when it’s missing.
Shipping after hours so your day runs smoothly
If you’ve ever logged in one morning and noticed something has improved, a fix has landed, performance is better, a feature has been updated, there’s a good chance that change didn’t happen during normal business hours.
Deployments often happen after hours for a reason: to minimise disruption, reduce risk, and ensure business continuity. It takes planning, coordination, and real accountability, and it often means someone is online late at night making sure everything goes in cleanly, and more importantly, that it can be rolled back safely if needed.
That level of reliability doesn’t happen by accident. It’s engineered.
Quality Assurance (QA): protecting production from the bug nobody saw coming
If Service & Operations protect stability, QA protects trust.
Our QA team are always hunting for the one issue that isn’t in the test cases: the strange edge case, the unexpected interaction, the “it only happens when…” scenario that could become a serious headache if it slips into production.
That kind of thinking takes experience, intuition, and a mindset that never switches off.
It’s detail work. It’s often invisible. And it makes an enormous difference to the quality of what ACS delivers because when something breaks in production, it doesn’t just affect systems, it affects people’s time, confidence, and ability to do their jobs.
Delivery: translating urgency into outcomes
Strong delivery isn’t just about moving fast, it’s about moving with purpose.
Our delivery team keeps projects grounded in reality. They help us balance urgency with quality, coordinate across business units, and make sure we’re focusing effort where it creates the most value.
That also means working closely with Product, ePMO, Operations, and business teams advocating for the best solution for the real problem.
Because the goal isn’t “technology for the sake of it.”
It’s the right tech, applied in the right way, with the least risk and the greatest benefit.
A team culture that makes ACS better
What stands out most across Service & Operations, Engineering, and Delivery is the culture:
- People who are self-driven and proactive
- People who genuinely care about quality
- People who respond under pressure without drama
- People who collaborate across the organisation to get outcomes
- People who keep learning, improving, and lifting the standard
It’s a mix of calm reliability and quiet ambition and it’s exactly who you want shaping how ACS operates today and where it goes next.
A genuine thank you
So, this is simply a thank you to the people who do the work behind the scenes.
To Service & Operations for keeping the foundations stable, secure, and available.
To Engineering and Architecture for building and enhancing the platforms that ACS relies on.
To QA for protecting production and upholding quality when it matters most.
To Delivery for keeping us aligned, moving, and delivering real outcomes.
So much of this effort is invisible by design but it’s noticed, and it’s appreciated.
ACS runs better because of you.
And I’m proud to lead teams with this level of dedication.
- Adrian York, (acting) Chief Information Officer, ACS
I would like to challenge other CIOs, team leaders or managers to take the time to look beneath the surface, like I have done. Don’t just measure tickets resolved, evaluate the silent resilience your IT team weaves into the fabric of your company. This month ACS is celebrating the brilliance and resilience of IT teams across Australia, so take the time to thank your IT team, not just for the problems they solve, but for the countless disasters they prevent.
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