1. Being proactive and visionary.
As educators/districts/schools, your focus is on student success. Your SIS vendor should be developing and providing tools and resources (before you even know you need them) so you may efficiently and effectively transform K12 education.
2. Enhancing training.
Just like students, school personnel learn differently. Your vendor should be providing learning content via study guides, videos, simulations, and documentation. Additionally, role-specific resources must be available on-demand and with transparency, so administration may easily monitor professional development.
3. Connecting you to help.
2020 presented many new challenges: hybrid learning models, virtual attendance, novel schedules, health screenings, etc. Your vendor should have established an 800 HELPLINE (for assistance beyond your dedicated Client Executive) during summer thru back to school to handle real-time questions.
4. Ensuring a 1:1 is available.
Your vendor should know your district and be providing you with a go-to rep who shares information on free user groups, new enhancements, and district resources. Beyond being your personal guide, (s)he must be your advocate and ally.
5. Offering an annual contract.
Multi-year contracts protect a vendor. Annual contracts, however, put pressure squarely where it belongs: on a vendor. Annual contracts require vendors to re-earn your business through service, support, and ongoing development. (Campus’ renewal rate is 99+%.)
6. Providing a secure and efficient support case app.
Limiting support access to authorized individuals is key to preventing social engineering. Allowing all authorized personnel to see ALL their school’s/district’s cases eliminates duplicate efforts while sharing case information. Your vendor should give you the ability to prioritize your case and determine when the case can be closed – guaranteeing resolution.
7. Sharing support statistics.
Dissatisfied with your vendor’s support? Then ask for two key stats specific to their team: Turnover rate: the industry average is 20%...and 5% at Campus. Tenure: industry average is 18 months…and 6 YEARS at Campus.
8. Operating a highly agile development structure.
Only agile structures produce the continuous delivery of new tools/products or enhancements you constantly need. Your current vendor should be providing HUNDREDS of enhancements annually.
9. Focusing on YOU…not revenue.
As a mission-focused company (to Transform K12 Education®), our 250-member development group does not have revenue goals. We believe in people over profits; making a positive difference for millions of K12 stakeholders is a company-wide priority.
10. Prioritizing integration and interoperability.
Your SIS should provide real-time integration across the platform while adopting industry standards to support interoperability.