Deploying Your Customized Solution
SchoolFront Solution Architects
All new customers are assigned a SchoolFront Solution Architect to oversee system customization/configuration, data migration, and launch. Solution Architects work with customers to identify and prioritize opportunities for improvement within their school/district using SchoolFront software. Customer goals are identified and the Solution Architect helps the customer tackle their goals according to priority and/or projected organizational impact.
These process-engineering and solution design engagements result in detailed, customized directions for customers involving software and process (and periodically include hardware recommendations) to improve operational efficiency, cut costs, reduce human resource strain, free resources for redirection, and reduce IT burden.
Solution Architects typically do some system configuration, but they generally focus on training and guiding system administrators so that they become comfortable and self-sufficient with the software.
Flexible Change Management Options
Change can be stressful for everyone in the school community. Sometimes, even when you know change will ultimately be of benefit, you cannot convince yourself or others to act on an opportunity for change.
The SchoolFront Support Team does everything they can to make sure that the fear of change does not get in the way of a school or district by making the right decisions when it comes to the information systems they leverage to support school operations.
Because SchoolFront is a hosted solution, a school or district can migrate as quickly or slowly from other systems as they desire.
Staggered Migration
Staggered migration is the usual roll-out choice for very large districts with multiple schools or smaller schools and districts with multiple information systems which they wish to consolidate. The SchoolFront Support Team can provision a Deployment Plan and staggered roll-out Schedule to assist such schools and will work with school IT staff to facilitate change over time.
If a school or district has existing infrastructure from which they need to migrate operations, there is no need for IT staff to erect an additional or duplicate environment for SchoolFront. Users simply switch to hosted SchoolFront when data has been migrated and new user training is complete. Infrastructure from old systems is typically phased-out and can eventually be eliminated or repurposed.
Rapid Deployment
For smaller schools or those with little to no data to migrate from other information systems, SchoolFront can sometimes be deployed very quickly. There is no need for schools or school districts to set up hardware and install software. SchoolFront users securely login to the system, which is centrally maintained by the SchoolFront Support Team, via any Internet-connected computer.
New schools and districts can be brought online by the SchoolFront Team and begin using the system in as little as a week.
Because the system is designed with usability in mind, new users are able to learn the system easily.
Training & Support
Training
Remote, instructor-led, web-based training is typically delivered to customer system administrators, faculty, and/or staff using web-meetings and screen-sharing. For larger implementations (i.e. districts or very large schools) FrontEdge recommends a train-the-trainer approach where at least two representatives from each school and at least one representative from each administrative functional area attend the training and train/support others in the school/district.
Training is typically broken into multiple sessions. The Solution Architect typically designs training specifically for the customer and makes recommendations about the timing of sessions and the cadence of trained materials based on customer goals and timeline. It is recommended that all staff participating in training have a computer to work on during the training so that they can participate in hands-on activities.
In-person and/or on-site training services are available at an additional charge.
Support
The team at FrontEdge Inc. knows that satisfied customers are key to our success. To ensure customer satisfaction and facilitate communication, FrontEdge Inc. provides tools that customers can use to access their account information and stay informed of the current state of their projects.
Although the Solution Architect assigned to the customer is typically able to respond to requests for support (outside of solution design and deployment activities) within a few business days, for the fastest response time, we recommend customers with deployed solutions use our Support Centers to find help and request support from the SchoolFront Support Team: