Streamlining Technical Support with LocknCharge Smart Lockers and Incident IQ at Hamilton County Schools

Hamilton County Schools, located in Chattanooga, TN, is made up of 79 school locations and is responsible for educating over 44,500 students.

The incorporation of technology into their classrooms has addressed the unique requirements of their student population while opening a realm of opportunities by enriching curriculum through improved communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking skills.

Jeremy Knox, the Coordinator of Technical Support, has played a pivotal role in managing innovative solutions to address technical issues efficiently across the district. This case study delves into how the adoption of Smart Lockers and Incident IQ transformed the technical support landscape at Hamilton County Schools.

Challenges Faced: Managing Technical Issues with One-to-One Chromebooks

Prior to the implementation of Smart Lockers, Hamilton County Schools encountered significant challenges in managing technical issues with one-to-one Chromebooks. The district relied on personnel stationed at each school to handle Chromebook problems and issue replacement devices.

This approach often resulted in delays, with students experiencing extended wait times of hours or even days. Furthermore, it consumed a considerable portion of the staff’s valuable time, which could have been allocated more effectively to high priority initiatives.

Solution Implemented: FUYL Tower Smart Lockers and Incident IQ

Recognizing the need for a more streamlined technical support system, Jeremy Knox led the adoption of FUYL Tower Smart Lockers and the Incident IQ integration. With 75 Smart Lockers spread across 73 locations, the new system provided self-serve access to replacement Chromebooks for students, while Incident IQ served as a comprehensive ticketing system to facilitate issue resolution and maintain device accountability.

Results Achieved: Self-Service to Loaner Devices in Minutes

The implementation of Smart Lockers and Incident IQ revolutionized the technical support process at Hamilton County Schools. By empowering teachers to submit requests to IT, the district drastically reduced turnaround times. Instead of waiting hours or days, both the student and teacher receive a notification with replacement instructions almost instantly. From there students can quickly access a ready-to-use loaner device in a matter of minutes. This swift resolution ensures minimal disruption to classroom learning and keeps students engaged and productive.

Jeremy Knox notes that the new system has saved considerable time for both staff and students.

“It’s saved us a lot of time. It’s easy to implement. We quickly learned the process and it’s served our needs greatly.” – Jeremy Knox , Coordinator of Technical Support at Hamilton County Schools

The ease of implementation and quick adaptation to the process underscore the effectiveness of the new program in meeting the district's technical support needs. Based on the success experienced at Hamilton County Schools, Jeremy enthusiastically recommends these solutions to other districts seeking to streamline their technical support processes.

Conclusion: Technical Support Operations Transformed

The adoption of FUYL Tower Smart Lockers and Incident IQ has transformed technical support operations at Hamilton County Schools, enhancing efficiency and minimizing disruption to learning. Through leadership and commitment to innovation, the district has established a model for effective technical support that benefits staff and students alike.

Schedule a Live Product Demo

Schedule a live video demo with a LocknCharge team member to get a closer look at how our products help make your life easier.

Continue Reading

Tech Team at Brasher Falls Spends 80% Less Time Managing Student Device Issues by Utilizing a Smart Locker by LocknCharge

Introduction: Brasher Falls Central School District

The Technology Department at Brasher Falls Central School District faced an all-too-common challenge in managing student Chromebooks. Students frequently forgot to bring or to charge their devices. This led to a substantial time investment from the school's technology team, which quickly prompted the need for a more efficient solution.

Customer Challenge: Uncharged, Missing, Forgotten Student Chromebooks

The Director of Data and Technology, Kevin Welsh, highlighted the daily struggle of managing uncharged, missing, or forgotten Chromebooks in the middle school and high school. The two technicians in his office were spending 2 to 2.5 hours daily addressing these issues, requiring constant attention to loan out and to track the return of student Chromebooks.

  • Tech team challenges included:

    • Constant interruptions to tech team
    • No way to know who is taking what device
    • Significant time of IT staff wasted dealing with student device issues

Solution: FUYL Tower Smart Locker System by LocknCharge

To alleviate the stress on the technology team and enhance device student accountability, Brasher Falls Central School District adopted FUYL Tower Smart Lockers by LocknCharge.

Kevin expressed his motivation for investing in these Smart Lockers, emphasizing the need for a solution that would reduce the time spent managing student device issues and provide a better inventory and tracking system for loaner devices.

  • Tech team benefits included:

    • Reduction of daily interruptions to tech staff
    • Ability to quickly see which students have not returned their loaner devices
    • Decreased the number of lost and stolen Chromebooks

Results and Impact: 80% reduction in time spent managing student device issues

Implementing LocknCharge Smart Lockers proved to be a game-changer for Brasher Falls Central School District. The technology department reported a significant reduction in the number of instances where students required assistance due to uncharged or forgotten Chromebooks; therefor, decreasing the number of daily interruptions to the IT technicians and other staff. The technology team's daily commitment to handling these issues decreased from 2 to 2.5 hours to about 30 minutes per day.

Recommendation and Overall Satisfaction:

Brasher Falls Central School District's Tech Department enthusiastically recommended LocknCharge Smart Lockers to other school districts.

  • Key reasons for the District's recommendation:

    • Time-saving benefits
    • Improved inventory management
    • Enhanced accountability
    • Overall ease of use of the system

The Lockers not only streamlined the process of managing student devices but also contributed to a more efficient and stress-free environment for the IT Technicians.

Conclusion: Improved Efficiency and Accountability

The LocknCharge Smart Locker Solution at Brasher Falls Central School District emerged as a success story, showcasing a remarkable 80% reduction in time spent managing student device issues. The implementation of Smart Lockers not only addressed the immediate challenges faced by the technology team but also provided a foundation for improved efficiency and accountability in the school's technology management process.

Schedule a Live Product Demo

Schedule a live video demo with a LocknCharge team member to get a closer look at how our products help make your life easier.

Continue Reading

Streamlining Laptop Management at Hernando County School District with FUYL Tower Smart Lockers and Learn21

Hernando County School District Florida Logo

Background: Hernando County School District One-to-One Device Program

Hernando County School District, located in Florida, faced a common challenge. Their limited team of only 11 field technicians are responsible for managing technology resources across its 23 school sites.

The district recognized the need for a more efficient system to handle laptop issues for broken, lost, and forgotten devices, without causing disruptions to learning and classroom activities.

The Challenge: Overloaded IT Field Technicians

With technicians on campus only two days per week, there was a significant gap in providing immediate support for students in need of replacement laptops. The district sought a solution that would eliminate interruptions to learning, classroom time, and testing, while also reducing the workload on their already-stretched technical team.

The Solution: FUYL Towers Smart Lockers by LocknCharge + Learn21

Joseph Amato, the Director of Technology & Information Services at Hernando County School District, found the answer in the FUYL Tower Smart Locker System and Learn21 help desk platform. The FUYL Tower serves as a kiosk, enabling students to easily swap out laptops or receive loaner devices without waiting for a technician to be on-site. The system streamlined the process, ensuring that learning activities continued seamlessly.

Benefits: Students and Staff

  • Efficiency Gains: Before implementing FUYL Towers, technicians were dedicating 60-70% of their man hours to laptop swaps and one-to-one device issues for students. Post-implementation, this time was significantly reduced, allowing technicians to focus on other critical tasks.
  • Reduced Disruptions: The FUYL Tower eliminated interruptions to learning by providing an instant solution for students requiring laptop replacements. This quick and efficient process minimizes downtime in classrooms and during testing periods.
  • Automated Tracking: The FUYL Tower not only provides immediate solutions but when integrated with the Learn21 platform, it also automates the tracking of laptops. This feature helps in monitoring and managing the district's technology resources more effectively.
  • Time and Resource Savings: The streamlined process resulted in saving hundreds of man-hours per week across the district. Technicians now spend more time ensuring that all technology in the school is operational, teachers have the necessary resources, and students have the tools they need for their education.
  • Ease of Implementation and Integration: The FUYL Tower system seamlessly integrates with the district's Student Information System (SIS) and is easy to implement. The Towers are reliable, easy to set up, and user friendly.
  • Responsive Support: Both Learn21 and LocknCharge are dedicated to world-class customer support. This responsiveness ensures that the district's needs are promptly addressed, contributing to an overall positive experience.

Recommendation: A great solution for schools of all shapes and sizes.

Joseph Amato highly recommends the FUYL Tower Smart Locker solution to other school districts, irrespective of their size. The ease of implementation, seamless integration, reliability, and time savings make it a valuable asset for any educational institution looking to optimize laptop management and help desk support services.

"It's made a major difference... it's saved hundreds of man-hours per week across the district."

The successful collaboration between Hernando County School District, LocknCharge and Learn21 has led to a more efficient and effective technology support system, ultimately benefiting both staff and students.

Schedule a Live Product Demo

Schedule a live video demo with a LocknCharge team member to get a closer look at how our products help make your life easier.

Continue Reading

Enhancing Device Management and Security at Monticello Central School District with Smart Lockers and iiQ

Overview: One-to-One Student Device Program

Amando Colon, a Senior Network Engineer at Monticello Central School District, faced a significant challenge when the district transitioned to a one-to-one device program for students. This initiative resulted in several issues, primarily centered around the growing number of devices and the associated maintenance, collection, and distribution, which required additional tech team resources.

Multifaceted Device Management Challenges

  • Security and Loss of Devices: Students lacked secure places to charge devices, leading to frequent loss in public spaces.
  • Resource Strain: The tech support team faced difficulties in efficiently managing the large volume of devices, leading to delays in collecting and distributing them.

Solution Implemented: Smart Lockers + Incident IQ

To address these challenges, Monticello Central School District adopted the FUYL Tower Smart Locker and Incident IQ platform, which integrated ticketing and inventory management functionalities. This solution provided an innovative way to manage the device lifecycle effectively.

Inventory Management and Physical Device Management Benefits

  • Enhanced Inventory Management: With the implementation of FUYL Tower Smart Lockers and Incident IQ, the district experienced a significant improvement in maintaining accurate inventory. At the end of the year, this solution saved their tech team approximately a week's worth of time that would have been spent tracking down missing devices.
  • Efficient Device Swaps: The most significant impact was observed in device swaps due to breakage or new student admissions. Previously, devices were stored in less secure locations, leading to uncertainties about their whereabouts. With the FUYL Tower and Incident IQ, the district now had a precise record of the devices given to individuals, significantly improving security and accountability.

Time-Saving Results and Positive Future Outlook

The FUYL Tower not only streamlined device swaps and inventory tracking but also promised additional benefits:

  • Time Savings: The solution significantly saved time for the tech support team by automating several processes related to device management, leading to more efficient operations.
  • Enhanced Record Accuracy: Maintaining accurate records and insights into device usage and locations provided a clearer understanding of the devices' movements and status.

Conclusion

Amando Colon and the Monticello Central School District successfully addressed their district’s challenges by implementing the FUYL Tower Smart Locker and Incident IQ integration. The combination of ticketing and inventory management under one platform not only streamlined device management but also significantly enhanced security and accountability.

The implementation has resulted in considerable time savings and improved efficiency in managing the school's vast array of devices. This innovative approach is set to provide long-term benefits in device management and security for the institution.

Schedule a Live Product Demo

Schedule a live video demo with a LocknCharge team member to get a closer look at how our products help make your life easier.

Continue Reading

Dayton ISD: How to Run an Efficient Student-Led Help Desk with Smart Lockers and Learn21

Challenges: Inefficient Loaner Device Distribution to Students

Dayton Independent School District adopted a one-to-one device program for students but faced challenges in managing loaner devices effectively. The existing system of storing loaner devices in the help desk was cumbersome and time-consuming. The district needed a solution that could charge Windows laptops for students and integrate with their existing Learn21 help desk software for efficient loaner distribution.

Solution: FUYL Tower Smart Locker + Learn21 Integration

Casey Woods, the IT administrator at Dayton Independent Schools, sought a solution to streamline the distribution of loaner devices and minimize student downtime. Casey’s district implemented the LocknCharge FUYL Tower Smart Locker system, which provided a centralized and organized system for storing and distributing loaner devices, ensuring easy access and quick deployments. The integration with Learn21 help desk software allowed for fast and seamless ticket processing.

Benefits of a Smart Locker and Help Desk Software Integration:

  • Efficient Loaner Device Distribution: With the FUYL Tower Smart Locker in place, Dayton Independent Schools eliminated the need to store loaner devices in the help desk. This streamlined the process of providing loaner devices to students in need, significantly reducing the time spent on this task.
  • Reduced Student Downtime: The new system's efficiency allowed the school to keep students in the help desk for no more than 5 minutes, enabling them to return to class quickly. This improved overall student experience.
  • Student Empowerment: The FUYL Tower Smart Locker system encouraged students to become self-reliant in accessing loaner devices. Students could teach each other how to use the locker, reducing the dependence on IT staff and enhancing student involvement.
  • IT Staff Time Savings: Casey Woods reported a substantial reduction in the time spent finding lost or missing devices. Before implementing the smart locker system, he spent a couple of hours per day searching for devices, which reduced to about one hour per week after the implementation.
%
Reduction in time spent by Tech Team when managing student loaners with a smart locker

Peer Review for Smart Lockers:

Casey Woods recommends the LocknCharge FUYL Tower Smart Locker to other school districts. The ease of use and quick access to loaner devices greatly benefits both the IT department and the students. The system not only improves device management, but also empowers students to take control of their device needs, ultimately enhancing the overall learning experience. The implementation of the FUYL Tower Smart Locker at Dayton Independent Schools highlights how investing in innovative solutions can lead to increased efficiency, reduced learning downtime for students, and a more seamless education technology experience for students and staff.

Schedule a Live Product Demo

Schedule a live video demo with a LocknCharge team member to get a closer look at how our products help make your life easier.

Continue Reading