Web - Native Software Helps Private Schools Achieve Long - Term Operations Management Success
By: Erin Tucker

You've known for years that technology can help you streamline operations processes, increase efficiency and improve accountability. But despite these benefits, traditional business and operations management technology offerings can sometimes be too expensive and cumbersome to meet the unique needs of many private schools.

Today, more than ever, private school operations professionals are facing unprecedented challenges to keep pace with increasing demands for best-in-class, competitive facilities and IT infrastructure.

Though the importance of these vital assets may be underestimated by some private school stakeholders, you understand that the facility and IT infrastructure represents much more than just required operation expenses. It is a significant investment in the financial well-being and ongoing success of the educational institution itself.

Maintaining a quality infrastructure not only protects your capital investments, but also makes your school's campus a competitive asset that improves student enrollment, retention and learning. Additionally, properly maintained facilities and an innovative IT infrastructure can help you recruit and retain excellent faculty and staff, while appealing to alumni, parents and other stakeholders vital to ongoing fundraising efforts.

In an effort to meet the goal of providing a quality environment for learning, some private school operations professionals have been using desktop, client/server and in-house software systems to manage facilities and IT assets, and these tools have been documented to improve efficiency, accountability and service levels.

As an alternative, however, Web-native operations management solutions can dramatically simplify and improve the software toolset for private school professionals because they offer high ease of implementation. In fact, all you need to start streamlining technology, business and facility operations with Web-native software is a Web browser and access to the Internet. Since Internet technology is already available on your computer, you can typically begin taking advantage of next-generation Web-native applications in less than a day.

Initially, Bob Meals, director of physical plant at The Shipley School in Pennsylvania, was surprised at how little set-up time was required for his Web-native work order system.

"Within four hours, I had all of my buildings, locations, crafts and personnel up and running," he said. "I could not believe how easy it was. And I could access the system from any computer with Internet access."

For Jeff Jacot, director of facilities at Western Reserve Academy in Ohio, implementation of his Web-native field trip management software was a breeze.

Web-native solutions are an increasingly attractive option, especially in these times of budget shortfalls, because they have the proven ability to help you maximize limited resources and tightened budgets. The technology is highly cost-effective because it typically generates productivity and efficiency gains of 15 percent or more by streamlining operations processes, which, in turn, helps you extend the life of your facility and technology infrastructures, improve customer satisfaction, reduce operations costs and relieve capital budgets.

According to George Skeeters, director of facilities at Christian Academy in Kentucky, replacing the school's paper work-order process with a Web-native solution has proven to be the key to improving efficiency.

"Our department has become more efficient as the use of a paper work-order system has been eliminated," he said. "The technicians can now look at work well in advance, check equipment history and schedule the next week's work by priority, assured that the parts and materials needed are in stock and ready to go."

Skeeters added, "Web-native technology has become a valuable tool in centralizing our maintenance operations in the district. The ease of operation allows us to organize, schedule and assign our workflow with maximum efficiency."

And the benefits of Web-native software don't stop there for Skeeters.

"We have also eliminated missed work orders and can track our efficiency through comparative analysis," he said. "Using this information, we are able to identify repetitive problems and issues as we become more proactive, reducing overall maintenance costs and elevating service."

Pat Viens, a receptionist at Cape Cod Academy in Massachusetts, echoes the advantages of improved service within her department and the many benefits of using a Web-native facility scheduling system.

"Now people are able to send requests from a computer in a classroom or office," she explained. "Eliminating the paperwork gets ride of a real burden. Because the system is Internet-based, it eliminates the lines of requesters, phone calls and Post-it notes."

In addition to improving customer service, Web-native operations management applications can also help enhance accountability by tracking and managing the valuable data required to justify budgets, staffing requirements and other operations needs. The information needed for decision making is readily available when you need it, which helps reduce risk and justify resources. And this data makes the operations team look great by showcasing their accomplishments and efficiency.

Jacot said, "Raising the productivity of the department is yet another advantage of using a Web-native system. Before, all we had was a paper trail But now, I can manage costs, see at any point and time which resources are available and which are tied up, and get cost and usage reports. Now, there's a lot of information available that I didn't have in the past unless I paid someone to do hours of research on the paper trail."

Additionally, Web-native technology can also help you improve communication with both internal customers and within your operations team. Your internal clients-such as teachers, headmasters and custodians-can submit requests from a Web browser and receive status updates via e-mail. Your operations staff can then receive these requests online-anytime, anywhere from any computer via the Web. By routing requests and work online, Web-native technology enables an operations team to respond more quickly to the needs of their internal customers. This helps improve service levels and increase customer satisfaction, while also improving efficiency and productivity.

"People think much more highly of us now because we are responding to their problems and requests," Jacot said. "Now people tell us their problems, and we are able to get on it right away."

Making the facilities and IT infrastructure essential elements of your private school's strategic plan allows you to place a high priority on your operational needs, which will ensure long-term success for your organization. Utilizing Web-native tools not only provides a high tech method to integrate and efficiently manage these critical components of your school's campus, but also helps you extend facility and IT asset life, improve service, reduce operating costs and relieve capital budgets, and achieve operations management success.

Erin Tucker is a marketing communications specialist for SchoolDude.com.