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Case Study

From Manual Asset Tracking to Real-time Efficiency

How Frontline Asset Management led to streamlined processes, greater accountability, and enhanced data accuracy in Northside ISD.

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Northside Independent School District (NISD) Hero Image

District Background

Northside Independent School District (NISD) is the fourth-largest school district in Texas, located in San Antonio and serving over 101,000 students and 13,000 employees. Managing such an extensive inventory of assets, from classroom technology to athletic equipment, across dozens of campuses, brings a unique set of challenges. Sarah Walker, NISD’s Property Management Officer, has been overseeing the district’s assets since 2018, supporting needs like efficient tracking, reporting, and compliance. In 2016, the district took their first steps with Frontline Asset Management to improve their asset tracking processes, reduce inefficiencies, and increase accountability at the campus level.

Before and After Frontline Asset Management

Before

Inaccurate Tracking: Homegrown system led to manual data entry and inaccuracies.

Lack of Accountability: Difficulty determining asset status or ownership.

Inefficient Audits: Manual audits using spreadsheets were prone to errors and lacked transparency.

After

Accurate Tracking: Real-time asset tracking and efficient, centralized documentation.

Enhanced Accountability: Granular user access, campus-level control, and clear workflows improved oversight.

Streamlined Audits: Digitized audit tools increased accuracy, simplified compliance, and reduced manual workload.

Northside ISD’s Asset Management Needs

Northside ISD’s inventory includes approximately 300,000 active assets. That includes anything with a value of greater than $1,000 such as vehicles, kitchen and athletic equipment, as well as technology like Chromebooks and iPads regardless of price tag. Sarah and her team coordinate across campuses and departments to ensure that asset data is accurate and accessible across the district.

Challenges Before Frontline Asset Management

Before implementing Frontline, NISD relied on a homegrown system for tracking assets. The system lacked flexibility and functionality, and the district used Excel spreadsheets and carbonless forms to manage asset audits. These manual methods were inefficient and led to inaccuracies. “People would pretend they found everything and send those spreadsheets back,” Sarah noted, highlighting the lack of accountability and control. This created issues with data accuracy and made it hard to keep track of devices.

Monitoring the status of each device was difficult as well, whether it was in use, in repair, or missing. “We would miss out on which student has which device, which staff member has which device, the current status of the device, whether it’s available for distribution or in repair or lost,” Sarah explained. NISD needed a solution that could provide a real-time view of their assets and reduce the time spent on manual data entry and reconciliation.

Implementing Frontline Asset Management

NISD started using Frontline Asset Management in 2016, initially at the campus level to issue and collect staff devices. By 2018, Sarah transitioned to her current role and began fully implementing Frontline as the district-wide solution for audits, student devices, and surplus asset removal requests. This shift enabled NISD to streamline its asset tracking processes and abandon the previous legacy system. The move to a fully digital platform significantly reduced the administrative burden on district staff, allowing them to focus more on strategic asset management and less on manual data entry.

Key Benefits and Use Cases of Frontline Asset Management

Integration and Process Efficiency:

Asset Management’s integration with NISD’s ERP system provided a seamless experience for staff. It enabled real-time updates, giving campus administrators more control over asset documentation. “Once those assets are uploaded into Asset Management, it gives a lot of control back to the campuses to be able to document what’s happening in real time,” Sarah explained. This setup allowed campus-level staff to track assets efficiently, while Sarah’s team could monitor and intervene as needed.

Sarah Walker Photo

“It gives a lot of control back to the campuses to be able to document what’s happening in real time.”

Sarah Walker
– Property Management Officer

Granular User Access and Security:

Frontline’s user access settings allowed Sarah to assign different roles to various staff members, each with specific permissions. For example, campus administrators could approve asset disposals, while district-level supervisors oversaw final approvals. “I like the ability to give users very granular access, based on the user types and the user roles. That has been helpful,” she noted. This feature improved accountability and allowed NISD to create workflows tailored to their organizational structure.

Enhanced Auditing and Data Accuracy:

Frontline’s audit tools transformed NISD’s auditing processes. Previously tedious and prone to errors, in-system tools made audits more reliable and efficient. “Our inventory is a lot more accurate than it used to be, and we can attribute that a lot to Frontline,” said Sarah. By digitizing audits, NISD not only improved data accuracy but also increased buy-in from campus staff, who found the new system more straightforward and transparent. Sarah explained that the goal is to gather asset information, not take punitive action: “People are now a little less wary of the word ‘audit.’”

In addition to the Technology Services group, NISD is now equipping other departments to track their own assets with barcode scanners in Asset Management. “Now we’re bringing in our fine arts staff, our athletic staff, our cafeteria managers, our career and technical staff, to audit their own equipment,” said Sarah.

“Our inventory is a lot more accurate than it used to be, and we can attribute that a lot to Frontline.”

Sarah Walker
– Property Management Officer

Asset Distribution and Collection

Frontline also supported NISD’s processes for managing assets at the end of their lifecycle. For example, the district recently identified outdated iPads and coordinated a district-wide collection process. Frontline allowed each campus to document these devices, which were then picked up by Sarah’s team for disposal. The application’s reporting capabilities made it simple to track asset statuses, ensure proper disposal documentation, and also highlighted where their asset data needed further scrubbing.

“Pulling reports from Asset Management is faster than pulling them from our ERP. Being able to pull those reports quickly has been helpful,” Sarah shared. This reporting speed allowed the district to efficiently make purchasing decisions based on data and ensured they maintained compliance with inventory policies. “How many devices do we have at the campus compared to how many enrolled students do we have at that campus?” Sarah can access all of this information in Asset Management. “Are we over? Are we under? How do we true that up districtwide? Which models do we have?”

Comprehensive Reporting for Decision-Making

Frontline’s comprehensive reporting features have been invaluable for Sarah and her team. Monthly reporting allows NISD to review asset statuses, assess distribution metrics, and align resource allocation with actual needs. She described the benefit of quick access to reports: “Every month, I run a disposed devices report… our tech services team can then do what they need to do on their end.”

With accurate and up-to-date information, NISD’s decision-makers can prioritize spending on resources that directly support student success. This real-time data is essential in a district of NISD’s size, where managing assets effectively means ensuring that students and staff have access to the tools they need.

“When it comes to reporting, the ability to save common searches and automate the email frequency of those reports has been a game changer.”

Sarah Walker
– Property Management Officer

User Support and Collaboration

In addition to the software itself, Sarah has found value in Frontline’s responsive technical support. “When we do run into an issue or have an idea of something that we would like to see in the application, the support that we receive is very quick, friendly, and accurate,” she said. The district also benefits from the collaboration communities facilitated by Frontline, where staff can exchange ideas with peers from other districts.

The support from Frontline’s team and the collaborative environment with other districts have been instrumental in maximizing the software’s potential. “Having meetings with our customer success manager and being able to speak with other customers is really nice, too.”

Impact on Daily Operations

The positive impact of Frontline Asset Management on NISD’s operations is evident. By automating previously manual tasks, the district has saved time and minimized errors, allowing staff to focus on more critical, strategic activities. Compliance has also improved, as the software enables NISD to meet federal funding regulations by maintaining accurate and detailed records of assets.

Sarah explained, “There are a lot of rules and laws when it comes to grants and federal funding. If that federal entity says, ‘We need to see everything that you’ve purchased with your Perkins Grant,’ sure thing. Here it is, and it’ll be accurate, having that compliance built in.” With Frontline, NISD can confidently provide accurate data when needed, ensuring compliance with federal and state guidelines.

Conclusion

Through its implementation of Frontline Asset Management, Northside ISD has seen significant improvements in asset tracking, audit accuracy, and process efficiency. The district’s investment in a centralized, digital solution has streamlined asset management, reduced the administrative burden on staff, and enabled better decision-making across campuses.

With Frontline Asset Management, Northside ISD can manage assets with greater transparency and efficiency, setting a strong foundation for continued growth and success.


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