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The Best Time of Year to Conduct an Inventory Audit (Hint: It’s not May!)

Posted on by Hayes Software Systems

Desks and Chairs at a SchoolBy Gena Blankenship

Many districts complete inventory audits at the end of the academic school year when staff, teachers, and students are already stressed to the max. Often, crazy schedules and competing priorities cause the audit to go undone, forcing you to use inaccurate and outdated inventory information to plan for the coming year.

In my experience, completing your inventory audit in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is much easier for all involved. Here are 5 reasons you should consider conducting your audits in late fall, instead of the end of the academic year. Continue reading “The Best Time of Year to Conduct an Inventory Audit (Hint: It’s not May!)”

Meet the Hayes Team: Ryan Gross

Posted on by Hayes Software Systems

Ryan ProfileBy Jordan Grulke

Ryan Gross, a 17-year science teacher turned National Account Manager, is one of Hayes Software Systems’s excellent employees. Ryan worked in Pflugerville Independent School District (TX) for ten years as a science teacher before moving to Leander Independent School District (TX) for seven years. Continue reading “Meet the Hayes Team: Ryan Gross”

Meet the Hayes Team: Blake Sobol

Posted on by Hayes Software Systems

By Jordan Grulkeblake staff profile

Blake Sobol is a Senior National Account Manager at Hayes Software Systems. Before joining Hayes, Blake worked for an education service center in San Antonio (TX) for ten years, then moved to Michigan to serve as Director of Technology at Midland Public Schools. Continue reading “Meet the Hayes Team: Blake Sobol”

The 4 Biggest Inventory Mistakes You Don’t Realize You’re Making (And How To Fix Them)

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school inventory mistakes

By Gena Blankenship

You may be making major school inventory mistakes without even realizing it. K-12 school districts have limited resources, leaving little funding and time for the countless administrative processes that seem to grow with every new state or federal legislative session. Taking inventory shortcuts is tempting, but can cost you time and money in the long run. These are the four most common mistakes I see districts make without even realizing it – and how to fix them. Continue reading “The 4 Biggest Inventory Mistakes You Don’t Realize You’re Making (And How To Fix Them)”

3 Secrets to Success from an Inventory Champion

Posted on by Hayes Software Systems

By Greg Wright

When your district invests in an inventory system, the success of your technology adoption depends mainly on its users. Staff must use the system regularly for the system’s data to be accurate and provide value. We recommend that school districts have an inventory “champion” who continually encourages and educates staff to use the system effectively.

Greg Wright, Instructional Materials Coordinator at Leander ISD, has spent 12 years coordinating textbooks and instructional materials for 38,000 students at 42 campuses. During that time, he has championed the use of TIPWeb-IM to more effectively and efficiently manage the use and purchase of instructional materials.

We’ve invited Greg to write a guest blog post to share how a “champion” can motivate staff to effectively use an inventory system:

Continue reading “3 Secrets to Success from an Inventory Champion”

Meet the Hayes Team: Debbie Disler

Posted on by Hayes Software Systems

By Jordan Grulkedebbie staff profile

Debbie Disler is one of the many exemplary leaders at Hayes Software Systems. Prior to working at Hayes, Debbie worked at Leander ISD (TX) as an Instructional Materials Coordinator, using Hayes’s TIPWeb-IM textbook management system to track her inventory. Continue reading “Meet the Hayes Team: Debbie Disler”

Simplify Your Tech Refresh Plan Using Your Asset Management System

Posted on by Hayes Software Systems

By Morgane Le Marchand

Two students working on a computer

The use of technology in K-12 education brings unique challenges to school districts who must protect their investments and ensure that technology remains operational. Due to the significant investment in technology and the long-term budgeting cycle, it’s crucial that school districts plan for future technology refreshes; your asset management system is a powerful tool to help you do so.

We’ve asked Jason Genovese, Director of IT Operations, Assets and Budget at Garland ISD, to share three key tactics he uses to plan for tech refreshes using the TIPWeb-IT asset management system. With 57,000 students across 72 campuses in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area, Garland ISD is the 70th largest district in the US. Jason tracks over 140,000 assets and is constantly planning and budgeting for their life cycle and replacement.

Continue reading “Simplify Your Tech Refresh Plan Using Your Asset Management System”

3 Strategies to Make Inventory Management a Daily Habit for Your Staff

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By Morgane Le Marchand

Daily Habit Calendar

Nick DePauw, Director of Information Technology at Patterson School District in northern California, knows the challenges of keeping inventory data clean. With 8 campuses, 3 district sites, and over 6,200 students, DePauw oversees over 14,000 assets in the district. In this guest blog post, he shares his tips for motivating district and campus staff to execute daily inventory management strategies in pursuit of clean data.

Continue reading “3 Strategies to Make Inventory Management a Daily Habit for Your Staff”

Inventory Standardization = Implementation Success

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Strategic Planning for SuccessBy Morgane Le Marchand

Successfully implementing an asset management system isn’t just about software. You need defined processes in place to make sure that your new system delivers strong ROI. Before you even begin inputting inventory data into the system, it’s important to invest time planning how you’ll optimize procedures and staff responsibilities. Why? We’ve asked Joseph Jacks, Coordinator of Technology Services at Tyler ISD in Texas to share the lessons he learned about the importance of standardizing data and processes.

Continue reading “Inventory Standardization = Implementation Success”

4 Reasons Your Homegrown Inventory Management System Will Fail

Posted on by Hayes Software Systems

By Emily Frazier

You’ve put a lot of time and effort into your homegrown inventory management system. You built it because your district didn’t find existing software that met your unique needs. However, while the advantages of a custom-designed system can be alluring at first, the risks and costs over time exceed the initial benefits.

Many districts today are recognizing the headaches associated with maintaining their homegrown inventory management system are too great to manage. Instead, they’re opting for a third-party vendor developed and supported application. The result is greater transparency, increased efficiencies, and cost savings.

Here are four reasons to evaluate the value of your homegrown inventory management system:

Continue reading “4 Reasons Your Homegrown Inventory Management System Will Fail”