🖥️ 20,000 Laptops and One Human Conversation at a Time

What I’ve Learned Supporting a Windows 11 Rollout in Public Service 

By Patrycja, Remote Service Desk Analyst | TechSheThink

Menopause isn’t the only thing that makes systems freeze.

Try updating 20,000 laptops across a public trust — and you’ll discover a whole new kind of hot flash.

Since May, our Trust has been rolling out Windows 11 across thousands of devices.

My own update went smoothly.

But for many, it’s been anything but.

Just last week, our remote service desk handled over 400 calls in a single day — don’t ask how many were about Windows 11.

The stress was high.

Whole teams working in the community were instructed to update their laptops by August 29. They received an email.

That was it.

No context, no reassurance, no explanation of what would happen if they didn’t.

So when the deadline passed and their devices hadn’t updated, panic set in.

Ticket after ticket, call after call, we found ourselves repeating the same message:

But by then, the damage was done.

People felt blindsided.

They didn’t understand why no one had explained the process.

And in a sector already stretched thin, the stress factor wasn’t helping anyone.

💡 What This Rollout Has Taught Me:

• Digital transformation needs emotional intelligence. Tech changes don’t just affect systems — they affect people. And people need clarity, reassurance, and time to adapt.

• Communication is not optional. A single email without context can trigger hundreds of hours of confusion. Clear messaging isn’t a luxury — it’s infrastructure.

• Frontline support is strategic. We’re not just answering phones. We’re absorbing anxiety, translating tech, and keeping the rollout afloat.

• Women in tech bring invisible leadership. Empathy, patience, and the ability to calm chaos — these are the skills that make transformation possible.

🧠 The TechSheThink Takeaway:

In tech, we love dashboards and deadlines. But we need to value the human layer — the people who support, explain, and carry the weight of change. Especially in public service, where every laptop represents a frontline worker trying to make a difference.

So here’s to the quiet heroes of digital transformation. The ones who chase tickets, calm nerves, and make tech feel just a little more human.