Virtual Implementations: Here to Stay?
August 18, 2020 by Allie VanNest
One of the most important questions school districts ask themselves before settling on a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) provider is: how does the provider approach implementation?
No matter how you look at it, the implementation of a new school ERP solution is a significant undertaking — especially at a time when social distancing is the new norm. In recent months, some districts have put the selection and implementation of a new ERP solution on hold, believing their best option is to wait until working with their provider on-site and in-person is more feasible.
The good news is a deeply experienced provider will have established systems in place to minimize the pain — even in a pandemic. Tyler Technologies, for example, has been successfully implementing software and training clients remotely for years, with some projects delivered 100% virtually.
Recently, Central Bucks School District (CBSD), in Pennsylvania, worked with Tyler to continue its implementation process virtually after the district closed its doors due to COVID-19, and employees were directed to work from home.
Read about Central Bucks School District’s virtual implementation here.
“Halting implementation was not an option,” said Barbara Markowitz, director of finance at CBSD.
As the third-largest school district in Pennsylvania, CBSD chose Tyler’s ERP software to help alleviate major pain points in its financial and human resource management process. Its legacy software was not made for a district of its size, and it was essentially preparing a $342 million budget in Microsoft Excel.
The Importance of an Experienced ERP Provider
Three reasons school districts trust Tyler to complete virtual implementations are:
- The Tyler team has a depth of K-12 experience, which helps clients like CBSD maximize efficiency of their internal processes to get the most out of their school financial solution.
- Tyler’s implementation team holds change management certification from the Project Management Institute. We have thousands of implementations under our belt, and our robust experience helps us to be more agile in responding to and solving inevitable issues.
- Tyler approaches training as much more than a documentation handoff and handshake. In-depth training sessions with easy access to experienced instructors, in person and online, have successfully prepared thousands of school districts for a new system.
Implementation teams typically spend a lot of time with new clients to ensure the ERP solution is set up in the most effective way possible. When this is not a possibility, more clients like CBSD are learning virtual implementation can be an equally, if not more effective tool for school districts.