Surenthan
Rasaratnam
By day I build, operate and improve digital systems, from infrastructure to web applications. By night you'll find me behind the lighting desk or playing percussion.
About me
Who I am
I work as an IT System Engineer focusing on stable infrastructure, automation and sustainable IT processes. I am particularly interested in building systems that operate reliably and require as little manual intervention as possible.
My interest in technology started early in childhood. I upgraded computers, repaired devices and helped friends and neighbours solve technical problems. During my school years I built a weather station together with a colleague. The live data was analysed and published on a NAS server that we operated ourselves. These early projects eventually led me to pursue a career in IT.
During my professional development I quickly realised how many IT processes still rely on repetitive manual work. Such processes consume time and are prone to errors. For this reason I focus strongly on automation, scripting and structured IT processes in order to improve efficiency and reliability.
My experience in Service Desk and Field Service shaped the way I approach technical problems. Working closely with users helps identify patterns in recurring issues. Many incidents appear again and again. This creates the opportunity to analyse root causes and design systems that prevent problems in the long term.
Beyond IT
Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a musical family and started playing percussion at a young age. This led to my first experiences performing on stage.
Later I founded the band Swiss Rhythm's together with friends. We performed at numerous events in Switzerland and internationally and produced a music video for our song Maayai. Alongside the band I also worked as a freelance percussionist with other groups at concerts and cultural events.
My entry into lighting technology happened almost by coincidence. In April 2022 I found myself behind a lighting console for the first time, just one day before a major concert of the Tamil artist Sid Sriram. With very little time to prepare I spent the day studying the manual and learning the basic controls. After the first events I realised how much I enjoyed this work and have continued developing my skills through self study and practical experience ever since.
Today I regularly work on concerts and live productions and have had the opportunity to contribute to events featuring internationally recognised artists such as A. R. Rahman, Anirudh and Ilaiyaraaja.
- Working as IT System Engineer
- Web development for personal projects
- Lighting concerts and live events
- Playing percussion
Areas of Expertise
Where I have experience
Frontend Development
Modern, responsive user interfaces with a focus on user experience and multilingual support.
Backend Development
REST APIs, authentication, database integration and business logic on the server side.
Database Design
Modelling relational databases, ORM integration and performant query design.
Server & Infrastructure
Operating and configuring Linux servers, reverse proxies and containerised applications.
DevOps & Deployment
Version control, automated deployment and operation of own production systems.
IT Security
Secure authentication, encryption, access control and hardening of web applications.
Career
My professional journey
- Apr. 2024 – present
IT System Engineer
City of Winterthur · Zurich, Switzerland
- Operating and advancing the central IT infrastructure of the City of Winterthur.
- Administration of server, client and platform systems (Linux, Windows) as well as 2nd/3rd level support.
- Automation of operational and administrative processes to reduce manual intervention.
- Contributing to infrastructure and digitalisation projects for the city.
- Collaboration with internal specialist teams and external service providers.
- Nov. 2016 – Apr. 2024
Service Desk & Field Services
City of Winterthur · Zurich, Switzerland
- Incident Manager: Contributed to an ITIL-compliant solution, monitored and coordinated incidents for approximately 2,500 users, and drove process automation.
- Service Desk: Received and routed incident reports, resolved issues via remote analysis and on-site visits, 1st and 2nd level support.
- Field Services: Installed workplace infrastructure including city-wide rollout projects and provisioned hardware and software.
- Nov. 2021 – Nov. 2024
Dipl. Computer Scientist HF
WISS School for Business, IT and Real Estate
Diploma thesis: Real-time inventory management application for event companies.
- Sep. 2017 – Sep. 2021
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences
- Dec. 2007 – Sep. 2011
Matura
Kantonsschule im Lee
Portfolio
What I have built
Tamil Wedding Platforms
The problem
Tamil weddings often involve multiple ceremonies with different guest groups, something most wedding platforms do not support.
The solution
I built a fully customizable wedding platform designed for complex, multi-event weddings. Each website is tailored to the couple's needs, both visually and functionally.
Key features
- Multi-event support (e.g. engagement, wedding, reception)
- Separate guest groups per event
- Individual RSVP flows per event
- Menu preference tracking
- Guestbook and audio guestbook
- Wishlist with gift management
- QR code support for monetary gifts
- Secure login (account or access code)
- Custom domains or hosted subdomains
- Central dashboard for couples
- Fully customizable design and structure
Why this matters
Unlike standard wedding builders, this system adapts to the real structure of Tamil weddings, not the other way around.
- Less coordination overhead
- Clearer guest management
- More personalized experience
- Flexible handling of modern wedding needs
Status
- Three live projects since May 2025
- Continuously evolving with new features
- Demo available on request
Inventory Management System
The problem
Small event technology companies manage large amounts of equipment, but often face two major issues: existing solutions are too expensive or overly complex, and simpler alternatives like spreadsheets are inefficient and error-prone. This leads to unclear stock availability, manual coordination between teams, lack of transparency and inefficient workflows.
The solution
I developed a cost-efficient, web-based inventory management system tailored specifically for small businesses, with a focus on affordability, ease of use, practical real-world workflows and simple deployment.
Key features
- Real-time inventory tracking
- Asset and stock management
- Role-based access control
- Multi-user web interface
- Centralized data management
- Offer creation with live availability check
- Simple and intuitive UI
- Cloud-ready and self-hosted deployment
Why this matters
When creating offers, users can immediately see if equipment is available, preventing overbooking and planning errors.
- Fewer mistakes
- Faster planning
- Reduced coordination effort
- Better decision-making
Challenges
- Designing a system that stays simple while covering real workflows
- Balancing cost-efficiency with flexibility
- Mapping business processes into a usable interface
What I learned
- Affordability is a key factor for small businesses
- Usability directly impacts adoption
- Solving real problems is more valuable than adding features
Status
- Currently in early rollout with two companies
- Source code is private
- Screenshots and demos available on request
shugi.ch: Personal Tech Portfolio
The idea
This website is a personal project I built to showcase my work, share ideas and experiment with web technologies.
What it is
- A portfolio of my projects
- A place for technical experiments and blog posts
- A simple way to get in touch
How it's built
The platform runs on self-managed infrastructure and follows common best practices.
- Hosted on a Hetzner cloud server in Germany
- GDPR-compliant setup
- Containerized with Docker
- Reverse proxy via nginx
Why I built it
Mainly for learning and experimentation, but also to have a flexible platform that I fully control.
- Present my work in my own way
- Try out new ideas
- Continuously improve and extend the platform
Blog
Thoughts & Reports
Contact
Get in touch
Have a project, a question, or just want to say hello? I'd love to hear from you.