Friday, January 27, 2012

Why your technology sucks...

A close friend of mine has a favorite saying, which I hear far too often and goes like this… “It is what it is”. I think about those words on occasion when someone tells me the technology we manage really sucks. Happily those days are relatively few, and an occasional reality check about managing technology in a freestanding charter schools helps put things in perspective.

After all, it’s a Charter School… it is what it is!
The very essence of the Charter School movement is competition. And in the final analysis, that means producing more, with less; fewer resources across all departments, including technology. In a traditional school, with significantly more resources you will find that on some days, their technology also sucks.

Recently, our performance at a school came under criticism of this nature. My response is this post.
Two years ago we agreed to manage technology at a large K-12 Charter School. On staff was a full-time Network Engineer and regular student aids assisting with desktop management. We estimated that between 50-60 man hours were devoted each week to technology support. Our proposal, based primarily upon budgetary constraints, was a contract to provide the same level of support but doing so with only 8 hours of Network Engineer level work accompanied by 15 hours of desktop technician level work each week. If you do the math, that’s a 70% reduction in man hours.

We started our engagement by suggesting infrastructure improvements to both simplify administrative tasks and allocate some technical tasks to staff members. We made modest system improvements and implemented a help desk solution to track our progress.
Fast forward two years, and you will find that in most objective measures that technology is slightly better, but still lacking. In my opinion, that is a success story. Understandably, from the perspective of several users, the technology still “sucks”. And while this is a reasonable response and we understand occasional frustrations, “ It is what it is”.

Now, don’t mistake my message. There is no excuse for mediocre service and our intent is to always improve upon our processes.  And we continually adopt new management practices as we discover them. But if there is not a slight degree of discomfort with the level of service provided, I submit you are over budgeting for those resources. It would be nice to have sufficient resources to pay teachers what they are worth, buy whatever supplies we want, have gourmet lunches, and have an IT department – but that is not the world in which I live, nor is it the world in which most charter schools exist.
If you regularly have those “our technology sucks” days, here are a few immediate things you can do to make it better.

1.       Have regular technology meetings, or devote regular time in staff meetings to discuss technology support. Get specific details about problems your staff experience, evaluate the commonality of the problem, and decide upon an acceptable level of resolution.  An unresolved issue for a single user is very annoying, but compared to an entire system outage affecting a large portion of the staff, it can probably wait.

2.       Find an objective way of measuring and reporting on the performance of your technology support team. This is most easily measured by a case or service issue resolution report. How many service tickets are created vs. resolved is much more relevant than a list of things that did not get resolved. It is possible that your expectations are mathematically impossible, given your available resources.

3.       Conduct periodic surveys on the subject of technology. Invest sufficient time gathering a broad-based consensus about what works in your organization and what does not. Be willing to accept the fact that your processes and policies may be counterproductive and a barrier to technical innovation. Be open to change driven by well informed and reasoned consensus.

4.       Don’t be unduly swayed by a few vocal users to adopt systems or solutions that don’t align well with your mission and your methods. And be sure to consult with your technology support team about proposed changes to gain perspective about compatibility and ease of implementation. Ideas that work well in a single classroom may not scale to the entire school, but in fact may add unnecessarily to the level of complexity in your organization.

5.       Recognize the inherent challenges of an overbuilt infrastructure. This is a common challenge in charter schools who model infrastructure after traditional schools, only to find that large sized enterprise solutions are not only expensive to install, they are expensive to maintain. Technology scales up quite well (meaning expands), but scales down only with great difficulty. If you have sufficient infrastructure to run an entire district, you’ll be hard pressed to keep it running on a budget for technology that is sized correctly.

There is no “happily ever after” in this story. If you are struggling to keep the doors open, pay for teachers, and maintain or build facilities; chances are you will struggle to keep all of the computers working perfectly all of the time. But finding an acceptable level of support is possible.  
And the next time someone tells you that your technology sucks, just smile and agree with them. Then kindly quote one of my favorite sayings. It goes like this… “Nothing is so bad that it cannot be made worse by complaining about it.”


Friday, January 20, 2012

How much Technical Support do you need?

Many Charter School administrators have a background in traditional education and in the management practices found there. That can be both good and not so good. One area which doesn’t usually translate well is the size and complexity of technology, which often gets overbuilt.

Now it’s fine to overbuild the infrastructure if money is no object; and there is a certain level of infrastructure that needs to exist for current and future services. But we either see huge investment in infrastructure, followed by a wholly inadequate plan for managing it; or we see technology infrastructure as an afterthought.

If you are considering this subject in advance of build out, do your school a huge favor and enlist some professional help in the area of capacity planning. Many things affect the required capacity: student count, student demographics, campus layout, teaching methods, core curriculum, and business management practices. Doing the planning up front can not only simplify construction, but save tremendous amounts of money.

If you are an operating Charter School, the damage (so to speak) has already been done, but there are a number of things you can do to manage infrastructure more effeciently. But how much technical support do you really need? What drives the requirements for technical support services and what can you do to reduce costs?

Our well established model is to provide weekly scheduled technical support complimented by less frequent, but routine technology management. Our baseline is to provide 6 hours of support one day each week for a typical freestanding Charter School. You might find the following complexity calculator useful. This is not an exact science, just 10 years of experience and nearly all of it on the “too lean” side of support resources, but it will get you in the ballpark.

For our calculations, answer the following questions and add one points for each of the following:
  •  Physical Servers  
    • One point for each server in your organization
  • Software Systems  
    • One point for each server based Application (SQL, Exchange, Sharepoint, etc.)
  • Desktop/Laptops  
    • One point for each 10 desktop and laptop computers
  • Network Topology  
    • One point for each network type (Wired, Wireless)
  • Number of VLANS  
    • One point for each VLan or Virtual Network segment
  • Physical Facilities  
    • One point for each campus buildings connected to the network
  • Social Media   
    • One point if you have a formal social media campaign
  • Virtualization  
    • One point if you have cloud based resources or virtual computers
  • VOIP On Premise   
    • One point if you have an on premise VOIP phone system
  • Websites   
    • One Point for each actively managed websites
Now tally up your answers and apply them to the table shown below:

Management Models and accompanying Technical Support Requirements  
  • FTE    
    • Full Time Equivalent Technical Support Staff*    50   >50
  • Complex   
    • Weekly Management & Daily Onsite Support    25   50
  • Median   
    • Monthly Management & Weekly Support          10   25
  • Simple   
    • Quarterly Management & Bi-Weekly Support  >10   10

*Outsourced support technicians would likely cost more than a full time staff member at this level.

Focus less on the specific numbers and more on the concept of applying the right combination of both management level and support level technical assistance. An organization universally needs a management component to guide the acquisition, implementation, and management of projects. It  also needs periodic technical support. The amounts of both depend upon the roles and capabilities of internal staff. Accordingly, the range of support varies from a simple model, to a full time equivalent model, depending upon factors listed above.

While some Charter Schools start with a full-time technician on staff, this tends to be very short-lived for a simple reason. Prevailing wages for experienced information workers generally exceed wages for school principals and administrators. This is not sustainable and the result is constant turnover, which does not lend itself to reliable infrastructure.

Applying the right combination of management and support resources can have far reaching impact on your school, but it is a challenge to balance. And there are factors outside of your control that can completely undo a well-chosen team. Too many resources and the budget won’t sustain it, too little and everyone suffers from system outages, disruptions in the classroom, and frustrations in the front office.

Evaluate your circumstances, map out a rational IT support model, and then get your team to work. Having functional information technology without breaking the bank is possible, indeed it is the natural result of good planning and execution.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Windows Multipoint Server - Reducing the cost of computer labs by 66%

Visualize for a moment a complete room filled with computer equipment that delivers the equivalent computing horsepower that you now hold in the palm of your hand. It probably does not require much imagination, as many of you have witnessed the advances in technology that have made this possible.

But is another exponential improvement in computing capacity possible? Indeed. It has been with us now for several years.

Introducing one of the latest (drum roll): Windows MultiPoint Server! Tah dah…

Okay, so advances in computer technology don’t excite you? Here is something that will. The cost to provision a full computer lab for your school just dropped by 66 percent. The technology that brings this huge cost savings is Windows MultiPoint Server, a new operating system designed for education.  Offered by Microsoft, it is roughly a marriage of Windows 7 Desktop Operating System and the Windows Server Operating System.

Because of the tremendous power in a single desktop or workstation, you can now literally power multiple and unique computer sessions for several students using one computer, with extra keyboards, video displays, and mice of course. This might take a little imagination, so follow along.

Think about a basic desktop computer that has been configured with two keyboards, two video displays, and two pointing devices such as a mouse. Two students sit on opposing sides of a library desk and view their respective computer sessions, which are individual and unique in every sense. They can run programs, browse the Internet, and do everything they currently do on a Windows based computer. The only commonality in their experience is proximity and connection to the same physical PC.

Now let’s stretch your imagination and the library table cited above. Think about four students or more, (up to twenty) all sitting at the same table connected to that single computer each with their own keyboard, video, and mouse. And you now have a conceptual view of Windows MultiPoint Server. And aside from the matter of how to physically connect all of the keyboards, video displays, and mice, the configuration is a function of the Windows MultiPoint Server Operating System design.

Of course there are limits to how many users you can attach to a basic computer workstation. We recommend four, unless you invest in more powerful workstations. Even basic computer workstations now come with four processors (Quad Core) and with memory capacities previously found only in server-class computers. If you provide sufficient memory to accompany the powerful processors, you end up with a very similarly equipped PC that you would find in traditional configurations. The difference is you are only purchasing cables and devices to make the physical connection, rather than an actual computer workstation.

Now let’s start adding up the cost savings: 75 percent savings on computers, annual maintenance, and power consumption, a serious reduction in the cost of cooling a computer lab, and a significant reduction in help desk calls to replace parts or to fiddle with configuration issues.

Some of you with “thin client” experience may be thinking this is just a modern day version of a rather old centralized computing setup of years ago. Not so. While similar in appearance, the essential difference is Microsoft Hyper-V technology. This is an advanced computing concept where computer sessions are created “virtually” and on demand. Each session is just like having a brand new computer with a fresh copy of Windows 7 installed and configured according to the type of user experience desired.

Only specially designed “thin clients” (actually termed "zero Clients") work with Windows MultiPoint Server and they exist primarily to provide a more efficient and cost effective way to connect so many keyboards, video displays, and mice to a single piece of hardware. In fact a “zero client” connection is just one of three supported configurations using Windows MultiPoint Server. You may alternately choose to connect via USB or by adding video cards directly into the host computer.

There is one other cost saving we recommend in this solution. By using a Microsoft Open Volume Subscription for Education Services (OVS-ES) you would have all of the Software required to operate all of these “virtual’ computer sessions. And FYI, the cost savings numbers we quote are not ours alone. They come from a study done by Microsoft. Your savings may in fact be more.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Putting a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution to work in your school

A core assumption in the Charter School movement is competition. Most competitive measures are geared toward educational outcomes. But before you can compete in the area of outcomes you must compete in the arena of sound business management. Running the business side of a Charter School is enormously challenging. In addition to the key metric of recruiting students, you must manage all kinds of relationships with parents, teachers, administrative staff, board members, volunteers, the community, vendors, and regulatory agencies.
Managing a school is a relationship management intensive undertaking! And how well you manage these crucial relationships will have a far reaching impact on your organization. But how many of you are using any kind of a Customer Relationship Management program? More specifically, how many of you are using a CRM system that is deeply integrated into your existing information systems?
Increasing numbers and types of businesses are adopting Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.  CRM systems cover a lot of territory: sales, marketing, case management, and documentation; so making general observation here is not really going to help. But try to imagine how different your school would look if you had a system in place that could help quantify measures of performance, more clearly define and manage processes, automate administrative tasks, centralize information, and increase the capacity of your staff to work in a more unified manner.
A CRM system is not a simple solution to implement, but managing the business of a Charter School is not a simple undertaking. And while complex systems require thoughtful planning, testing, and deployment; the complexity exists whether or not you have such programs. Traditional school districts have a huge advantage. Although they deal with the same array of relationships they also have significant resource advantages and economics of scale, often employing an entire team to accomplish what a solitary administrator is expected to do.
The best way to overcome this inherent disadvantage is a Customer Relationship Management System designed specifically for Charter Schools.
From a funding perspective, students and their families are your paying customers. But in reality you have a long list of “customers”, or groups without which you could not function.  And as simple as it may sound, keeping them happy is most likely to occur when using a Customer Relationship Management system designed just for that purpose.
Nobody likes a hard sell, and perhaps that is what comes to mind when you hear about CRM software. In fact effective CRM programs do more than just build brand awareness, deliver consistent marketing messages, and track interaction with potential customers until you “sell” them. CRM systems help you manage all of the aspects of the important relationships that define your organization and make it as easy as possible to do business with you.
Customer Relationship Management software has been successfully implemented in all kinds of businesses, and for the same reasons it makes sense for your school. Consider things you could do with a CRM system designed for a Charter School:
Contact Management
  • Centralize the essential contact information for students and their families and tie it to their Student Information Records
  • Consolidate all other contact lists for the school into a single source and enjoy a much more accurate source of information
  • Identify relationships among the various contacts to better understand communication requirements and preferences
  • Communicate effortlessly with any combination of individuals within groups and track those communications for accountability
  • Streamline the records update process by distributing the task to the end points of interaction
  • Provide financial and case management records for context (as allowed by security roles) within your contact information
Marketing
  • Create, execute, and measure campaigns for recruiting, fundraising, and volunteering
  • Communicate with potential students at the frequency and intensity of their interest level
  • Track all interactions with potential students, donors, and volunteers and measure defined goals of those relationships
  • Build better relationships through consistent messaging, improved responsiveness, and uniform processes
  • Manage Social Media campaigns
Case Management
  • Establish workflow and manage documentation for new student from application to entrance
  • Manage facilities and contractors with workflows and centralized documentation 
  • Manage support issues (help desk) for all kinds of issues - technical, personnel, facilities, finance
  • Track grants and funding opportunities with better reminders of deadlines and tasks management
  • Comply with Board Meeting minutes publications using permission based workflow and oversight
  • Manage questions, complaints, or discipline with current students (outside of SIS)
  • Streamline communication with key team members by centralizing information stores
  • Develop a centralized policy and procedure knowledgebase
  • Manage field trips, group events, and meetings
Fee Management
  • Manage student fees and simplify the reconciliation process for finance
  • Centralize accounting for all sales or service fee collection for all groups in or out of the  student store
  • Improve the process for collecting library fees, yearbooks , DVD sales, and sporting equipment
  • Integrate the accounting and development functions for fundraising and donation management
  • Document and improve collection for property damage fines
  • Improve inventory management for all product based items
As you can see, this is a pretty comprehensive list of features touching many departments and individuals both in and out of the school. As such the architecture of this system is vital. In order for this system to succeed it must have a common and familiar interface, utilize existing rather than new policies and procedures, and it must be a cloud based solution with unrestricted availability from anywhere on any device.
Our recommended solution is Microsoft Dynamics CRM online configured specifically for use in the Charter School Community and managed with familiar tools you use every day – Microsoft Outlook, Word, and the other Microsoft Office programs. But whatever solution you choose it must be capable of delivering administrative efficiencies to support the non-academic aspects of your school.
One last point - while we did not directly address the educational side of your organization, it too will be greatly enhanced by a CRM system.