Rock Hill Schools

The Challenge:

When it came to asset management, there were many pieces of the puzzle to uncover.”

As the Executive Director of Technology & Innovation, Tennille Woodward arrived at the district with a strong background in finance, asset management, teaching, and school administration. She soon realized the department didn’t have a strong handle on asset management and they looked to third party solutions for help. Records of student assets like laptops were tracked on spreadsheets and stored in different places all over the district. When she asked for information about the equipment, finding the exact count and location proved difficult.

The recent pandemic highlighted the need for an accurate inventory of student devices and hotspots to ensure that every student had access to the technology they needed. Assets had a way of moving around and were difficult to track.

When a requisition was sent to the finance office for more equipment, the first question Tennille asked was, “How do you know if you need that? Let’s look at the data. What do we already have? Which schools have the devices?” Getting answers to those questions meant searching multiple sources and took hours of work.

Gaining control of inventory had to be a priority. It was clear that the tech department needed a way to keep precise records that could be integrated with a practical system for tracking and addressing tech support requests.

The Results:

Why does asset management matter? A quality system provides accountability for funds allocated to schools, especially the recent COVID relief funds that helped schools meet the technology needs of their students. Tennille and Sabella took the time to explain the inventory tracking process and the correct procedures to move or reallocate laptops to all building leaders.

Advice for a smooth implementation

• Make inventory a priority; involve leadership and stakeholders
• Gain buy-in; promote time saved, efficiency, confidence, satisfaction
• Set benchmarks; monitor improvement
• Communicate; keep stakeholders informed, revise goals as needed
• Be consistent; provide support

Getting Buy-in

Every school district tries to maximize its limited financial resources. Conscientious stewardship of assets can free up more funds for supporting students. But how can you get the buy-in from all employees for a significant shift in procedures?

Save time and money so some of that limited funding can be redirected to impact the classroom.”

Tennille and her team promoted the benefits of streamlining processes as a way for everyone to save time and money. Conversations with district leaders helped them understand why the investment in an asset management system would save the district money in the long run.

Before Rock Hill implemented the new system, the old help desk could be confusing for teachers and staff. Figuring out the best way to create a help ticket for a particular issue wasn’t always clear.

As a result, the same request often went to multiple people who worked independently to resolve the issue. Implementing Frontline Asset Management would streamline processes, resolve problems efficiently, and allow the techs to devote more time to other priorities.

One step at a time

The implementation was successful because the team chunked the project into phases. With day-to-day targets in place, the initial phase was devoted to tracking down and accounting for all student devices. When that objective was completed, the team split into groups and went into each building to locate every piece of tech equipment they could.

What might have been a tedious task became a team project. Contests promising incentives and prizes inspired participants to help each other. Clear communication, explicit objectives, and an overall goal helped keep the process flowing smoothly. Sabella Greeley, a talented project manager, was assigned to continually monitor and check data for accuracy. Nobody wanted to be the one with errors found in their work.

Communication and collaboration

The technology team intentionally built relationships with school staff during the implementation process. They worked to remove hurdles, communicate clearly, and provide support. Given the magnitude of the project, they were open to different ideas and willing to adjust. As a result, they accomplished what they set out to do:

1. Manage assets in a consistent way to eliminate guesswork.
2. Use data to clearly show whether to purchase more devices or just move equipment around.
3. Route all purchase orders for devices and other electronic tools through the technology department.
4. Track every PO and its funding sources when needed.

We are able to pull up information with just a couple of clicks. Before, we would have had to go to a file cabinet and start digging through folders of purchase orders.”

With the transition to Frontline Asset Management behind them, Tennille and Sabella are looking toward future goals. Working with HR to onboard new hires and create a checkout report to make sure all assets are checked out and turned back in are at the top of the list.