How to Streamline Your End of Year Device Collections
The school year is winding down and districts across the United States are preparing to collect devices from students and teachers alike. With more devices than ever before, end of year collections can be a daunting task. Utilizing your asset inventory management system will help keep the collections process organized with up-to-date data and reporting. Here are some quick tips to remember while tackling the end-of-year collections process.
Prepare Collections Site
The first step in the collections process is deciding where to collect devices. Our Frontline Education experts recommend reducing the number of drop off locations throughout your district. While in the past it made sense to collect devices at each school’s campus, it may now be more beneficial to collect at more centralized drop offs.
Having fewer drop off sites increases the staff manpower at each campus and reduces the burden on parents having to travel to multiple locations to return multiple devices. Smaller districts can utilize one campus or administration office, whereas larger districts can set their designated drop off sites at the device-warehouse.
Additionally, it is important to determine who will be checking in devices at the collections site – will it be the tech team, assistant principals, media specialists, or other staff members?
Communicate Collections Procedures
After determining who will be assisting in the collections process and where the collection will take place, you’ll want to decide what the process looks like for students and parents. Will there be drive-through carlines to drop off devices? Will there be certain traffic flows or protocols in place that anyone bringing in a device should be aware of? Clearly communicating the process to parents, teachers and other relevant staff members will ensure that the process runs smoothly and efficiently.
At Frontline Education, we recommend thoroughly documenting the procedure and making certain that the documentation is available to everyone. Whether it be shared on an internal drive for staff, posted on a website, or communicated to parents, it should be easily accessible.
Train Staff Members
Deciding early on who will be helping ensures each member of the team is properly trained. If others outside of the tech team who do not regularly use the inventory management system will be assisting, it is vital to train each person on how to update device statuses, assess damages, print receipts, and retain a digital signature.
Training staff members on best practices includes teaching what each status means and determining what the status should be. Properly trained staff should be able to answer questions such as: Does it need to be in repair? Are there any additional steps that go with each status? Should a help desk ticket be created? Will a fee be issued?
We also recommend establishing guidance around the process of collecting receipts, including who gets a receipt, the method of receipt delivery, and establishing possible printing variations between student versus staff receipts.
Ready Your Equipment
Ahead of starting collections, choosing and setting up laptops and barcode scanning equipment is key. Plan to have any needed hardware pre-tested and set up before the process begins. To avoid technical difficulties, check that all barcode scanners are accounted for and confirm enough chargers will be available.
To save time and ensure the quickest possible collection, Frontline Education recommends using barcode scanners for checking in devices rather than smartphone or tablet cameras. Scanners reduce the room for human error by most effectively picking up the asset tag without the risk of issues caused by bad lighting or camera focus issues.
Although some school districts may no longer implement a mask mandate, it’s still important to consider providing device collectors with masks and setting up sanitization stations.
Post Collection Considerations
Keeping post-collection top of mind is also essential. Consider where the devices will be stored and how they will be distributed to students for the next school year. Decide what assets need to be disposed of and keep accurate records for later purchasing decisions.
It is also worth noting that many districts work hard during collections to make it possible for students to receive the same device the following year. Unless a parent or student has purchased insurance specific to the device, when utilizing an inventory management system every device status and location is known, often eliminating the need for the device to go back to the same person each year.
The Bottom Line
While the end of year collections process can feel unnerving, keeping these things top of mind will assist in streamlining the job and ease the burden of distributing assets when school begins in the fall.
Frontline’s Asset Management Can Help
Asset Management, formerly TIPWeb-IT, can help you easily manage your assets and your 1:1 initiatives, and keep you organized during your end-of-year device collection process.
Here’s how:
- Use the mobile app on your tablet or mobile phone to quickly collect devices on site
- Integrate with other systems, such as your SIS, for up-to-date student and staff information to make collections and distributions easy
- Assess any fees and fines owed for missing or damaged equipment at the time of device collection