There is no doubt that people (and departments) have a habit of finding a system or program that works for them, and sticking with it. Familiarity is comforting while change is difficult. With new programs and technologies being developed almost every day, it is unwise to stay "stuck in a groove" rather than adopting programs that are best for the organization.
We see this discrepancy between different systems within our schools. Teaching and learning systems, administrative systems, back office systems and supplemental systems may all be using different softwares and programs to accomplish their goals. By utilizing so many different applications, this can work against the school (fiscally,organizationally, and with data shareability).
As a school/district leader, it is my responsibility to unify these systems to make them more efficient, effective, and financially smart. In order to unify these systems I would have to conduct an evaluation of the current state of the organization. I would create a data table or survey to be filled out by members of each system. The steps I would take are:
The survey/data table would require each department to:
1. Create an inventory of all the programs and software applications in place
2.Determine their needs (essentially, what outcomes they need to be able to achieve).
3. Determine the desired outcomes of each specific application and software utilized within their system.
4. Offer any additional programs/applications that they would be willing to use or believe would achieve these same goals.
5. Determine any additional functionalities of each program/application that may not be utilized by that department currently.
I would then put an evaluation team together to analyze this data and look for any trends or overlaps. If it appears that particular applications could be utilized by more than one system, that application would be adopted universally and the application that duplicated that function would be eliminated. Essentially the programs that have the most potential to reach different systems would be the best programs to put into place within the organization. I would then of course support my staff in learning how to use the new applications put into place.
At my current organization, we hired a new business manager. She is currently working to consolidate the several different programs that the school currently has in place. For example, she wants to eliminate FACTS management system because she learned that Gradelink (which is another application already in place) has many of the same capabilities as FACTS. This would make registration, tuition, and grades all in the same place. This is easier on parents and easier on personnel utilizing these programs. We can then eliminate an entire program which is beneficial financially and organizationally!
We see this discrepancy between different systems within our schools. Teaching and learning systems, administrative systems, back office systems and supplemental systems may all be using different softwares and programs to accomplish their goals. By utilizing so many different applications, this can work against the school (fiscally,organizationally, and with data shareability).
As a school/district leader, it is my responsibility to unify these systems to make them more efficient, effective, and financially smart. In order to unify these systems I would have to conduct an evaluation of the current state of the organization. I would create a data table or survey to be filled out by members of each system. The steps I would take are:
The survey/data table would require each department to:
1. Create an inventory of all the programs and software applications in place
2.Determine their needs (essentially, what outcomes they need to be able to achieve).
3. Determine the desired outcomes of each specific application and software utilized within their system.
4. Offer any additional programs/applications that they would be willing to use or believe would achieve these same goals.
5. Determine any additional functionalities of each program/application that may not be utilized by that department currently.
I would then put an evaluation team together to analyze this data and look for any trends or overlaps. If it appears that particular applications could be utilized by more than one system, that application would be adopted universally and the application that duplicated that function would be eliminated. Essentially the programs that have the most potential to reach different systems would be the best programs to put into place within the organization. I would then of course support my staff in learning how to use the new applications put into place.
At my current organization, we hired a new business manager. She is currently working to consolidate the several different programs that the school currently has in place. For example, she wants to eliminate FACTS management system because she learned that Gradelink (which is another application already in place) has many of the same capabilities as FACTS. This would make registration, tuition, and grades all in the same place. This is easier on parents and easier on personnel utilizing these programs. We can then eliminate an entire program which is beneficial financially and organizationally!