The Client
Miami Public Schools are responsible for creating a positive learning environment where all students have the opportunity to achieve academic success and to become productive, responsible citizens who can adapt to an ever-changing world.
The Challenge
Effectively managing school resources is a priority for Miami Public Schools. Located in Northeastern Oklahoma, this public school district consisting of five elementary schools; a middle and high school; administrative services and other satellite buildings, educates nearly 3,000 young minds each day. While educators nationwide face budget concerns, Miami Public Schools’ operational efficiencies are keeping resources where they belong – in the classroom.
There was once confusion in Miami Public Schools because district IT assets were not assigned to teachers. Summer break often implies physical classroom changes, and teachers would return and discover all IT equipment in a single pile somewhere in the building. “Prior to using Wasp, we relied on an honor system. We really had no knowledge of where equipment was,” says Garrison.
Computer Specialist Jason Garrison determined the district needed a better way to track and manage fixed assets.
The Solution
Garrison chose Wasp asset management software thanks to the availability of useful product information, free training and support services. “We were pleased with the information available about Wasp and the pride they take in their solutions. After browsing case studies, videos and online forums, I felt confident that Wasp's asset management software could do everything we needed it to do.”
Since Miami Public Schools implemented Wasp, they have eliminated asset loss entirely.
An integrated approach to asset management enables the district to allocate resources most effectively and ensure that students, not equipment, are priority. With the Wasp's asset tracking solution, this 12-building district now manages all IT equipment – valued at over $1.6 million- from one central database. Implementing Wasp's asset management software has reduced audit time in Miami Public Schools by a staggering 93%.
Since grant-funded purchases must comply with the award agreement, district leaders need to know where their assets are and who is responsible for them. “It is a big deal to make sure grant dollars are being spent properly. If something is purchased with special education dollars, it has to physically stay in the special education department. Wasp's asset management software makes it easy to manage assets by funding source.”
Miami’s honor system didn’t work for many reasons. Teachers and IT spent a lot of time tracking down the right codes for an audit. “After running a report, we would discover that the wrong numbers had been reported. We wasted a lot of time following up with teachers for missing information,” says Garrison.
Asset labels are now in a consistent, visible place on each piece of equipment. By locking in the location of the asset on the top of the tag, teachers quickly audit each asset to which they are assigned. Appropriate information is automatically sent to the central database for reporting. “Just one or two asset casualties per year can be a huge loss. Wasp's asset management software has reduced confusion and eliminated asset loss,” says Garrison.
The Result
The annual audit process - once a labor-intensive, 12-week (480 hour) endeavor - now takes less than one week (36 hours). Unlike the old days spent looking for asset codes and submitting multiple audit reports, teachers now have easy access to the asset tracking software's enterprise database. Empowering teachers to easily access and share asset management is a priority for the IT department. “My goal is to get every teacher in every classroom using the system. Each school will have its own printer and mobile device – connected to one central database managed district-wide.”
The transition to modern learning environments is not without obstacles. Shrinking resources, rule changes and evolving technologies are inevitable in the education landscape. In the future, Wasp's asset tracking software will help Miami Public Schools manage additional fixed assets like chairs and desks so valuable resources, like time, can be optimized elsewhere. Thanks to Wasp's asset tracking software, each school in Miami will have access to the same central Knowledgebase of asset information, equipped with the tools needed to focus their attention on educating students.
Results Summary:
100% reduction in asset loss
93% less time spent tracking assets
480 hours spent on annual audit then
36 hours spent on annual audit now
