ANALYSIS When I started at Versatrans in 1983, I can remember actually using a pencil and pa-
per to get real work done. On the front of my phone was a round disc with holes in it; on the back of my phone was a cord. Google (actually “googol”) was a noun only known to super-geeks that meant a number followed by a hundred zeros. And Ray Westmoreland was the president of NAPT. Now that I’ve dated myself, I’ve graciously been provided with the opportunity to
The Evolution of
Routing Technology By Doug Hamlin
use this space to reflect and project a bit about our industry, technology’s role in it, and where the two might be headed together. New technology is always the exception at the beginning. Tat’s why early adopters
are called early adopters. We typically think that the methods and procedures we use today can only be incrementally improved, if at all. Technology, primarily software and computing in my experience, has been the catalyst for momentous breakthroughs in every facet of our lives, including work. When routing technology debuted, it consisted of seemingly random numbers on a screen and, gasp, a paper map on a wall. Te com- puter did the heavy lifting, but the presentation was all still manual. Tink of your expectations now, not only of digital mapping (provided by dozens of
outlets including the aforementioned Google), but the array of information about your operation at your fingertips. Te question always arises, “What are we doing with all the time we’re ‘saving’?” (Unfortunately, the answer is probably, “Answering e-mail.”) Hope- fully, we’re doing more of the things we’re actually supposed to be doing: determining how to run our operations more efficiently, providing better service and working with staff to provide a rewarding workplace that over-delivers each and every day. We know this: there will always be new technology. Te way we use it and the rela-
❝
tionship between provider and user are what’s important. Technology should be an invisible part of our workday. Our providers should understand that our satisfaction and success come from providing exceptional service to our customers, not from suc- cessfully executing a series of seemingly unrelated keystrokes and mouse-clicks.
[Routing] providers should understand that our satisfaction and
success come from providing exceptional service to our customers, not from successfully executing a series of seemingly unrelated keystrokes and mouse-clicks. ❞
For years now, disparate software systems have been accumulating data for their spe-
cific use (student records, food service, library, transportation, etc.). Te time is upon us to use that data to provide real information, around which administrators can effec- tively manage the business of the district. Tere will be a convergence in education technology that will eventually combine
this heretofore siloed data into a symphony of information devoted to one overarching goal: increased student achievement. Each and every aspect of a youngster’s day is mea- sured, tracked and affected by some system in the district, including transportation. Te information available to and required of your systems will be a critical part of that symphony. Te more easily you can accumulate, filter and communicate that informa- tion, the more success you, your department and your students will have. I encourage you to work with your technology partners to achieve that goal. Cool, new technology is only cool and new if it does something you really need done. Finally, in reflecting on our industry, I always come back to the mission that you serve
every day. Te unsung responsibility of transporting our nation’s youth to their opportu- nity for greatness is noble indeed. I have and will always be awed by the level of dedication, passion and energy with which you enthusiastically pursue that responsibility. n
Hamlin, the president of Versatrans, a Tyler Technology company, announced earlier this year that he will leave the industry at the end of 2010 to pursue other interests.
56 School Transportation News Magazine May 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68