28 | ROUNDTABLE | PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
W:
edtechnology.co.uk | T: @Educ_Technology
the business. These conversations should be standard as they will help you and the supplier have honest conversations at the start of the engagement process so there are no surprises in terms of service.
EM: We do have businesses working alongside us and often their key focus is helping us achieve value for money. Through experience, those consultants offering 'extensive experience' of the education sector or 'educational experts' are the most valuable as education is quite unique. We also have strong links with MOSI (Manchester
Museum Of Science and Industry) and are active in inviting local STEM ambassadors into school, as inspirational role models, to encourage our students to consider careers in STEM.
JS: IT in schools gives them the opportunity to partner with external businesses enabling an enterprise-quality service that does not necessarily come at an enterprise cost. With the enablement of cloud computing, this can now allow schools to come either within, or under, budget at the same time as embracing up-and-coming educational learning technology. Our fundamental belief is that high- performing schools deserve high-performing IT.
PY: Most definitely. The best suppliers will work with schools to provide solutions that are cost effective and efficient, forging trusted long-term relationships in the process. UTAX partners work with schools to rationalise hardware line-ups, ensure document workflows and managed print set-ups work within existing IT networks and maximise budgets by controlling the use of colour printing, reducing duplicate printing and ensuring pupils can only print during class time, saving energy (and therefore cost) and precious space. Partners will also work to ensure schools maximise the potential of their hardware. We all know that MFDs can be used to copy and print, but what else do schools want them to do?
SY: Not in all areas, but there are some very good examples from both a local and national perspective. Typically schools do not employ procurement professionals so they are often dependent upon the support of local government and national buying consortiums such as YPO, ESPO or Crown Commercial Services. These organisations provide schools with access to a range of contracts negotiated at a national level thereby ensuring best value, peace of mind and compliance to procurement regulations. Framework contracts such as RM1599 allow schools to contract for the latest technologies, leveraging extremely good pricing and, in most instances, saving money.
What three things do schools need to think about when looking for the most cost-effective, high-quality technology?
ND: First is that you have a clear purpose about the use of technology in schools. Without it, it is very hard to make difficult and necessary decisions on
cost effectiveness and the quality of technology. The second thing schools should do is to try and find other educational institutions that have solved a similar problem to the one they are facing and learn from them. Finally, be prepared for failure. Something will go wrong. The device may not work as well as you intended. There may not be enough training to make effective use of the technology when it first appears. When this happens, people lose heart and start to question the whole process. If you recognise the possibility of failure at the start, you will be able to deal with it when it arises. I suggest conducting a ‘pre-mortem’ and create a scenario where you are two years in the future and the project has failed. Once everyone has contributed to the reasons for failure in this thought experiment, I suggest working out what can be done to minimise the potential damage.
EM: Speed of connectivity. Capacity of data storage. Security.
JS: Schools moving forward need to think about sustainability: it’s not just about the here and now, it’s about the longer-term focus on the school’s ICT strategy. Educational impact: choose something that is positively going to impact as many students and teachers as possible. Keeping it simple: whatever it is in technology that is needed, it needs to be simple both to embrace and to use to ensure maximum adoption.
PY: ONE – You need to find a trusted supplier who will find the right mix of hardware and software for the long term, ensuring overall ICT strategies are looked after while rationalising and reducing hardware fleets if required. The best suppliers will help schools utilise as many features of the technology purchased, maximising return on investment, and have a track record of education sector success. TWO – Does your supplier have a track record
for integrating top-quality technology seamlessly and back it up with expert technical support and training? After all, technology is only fit for purpose if it's installed and used correctly. THREE – Document security is of the utmost
importance so think about the security of data within the school environment. It's worth noting that an MFD is essentially a PC: it has a hard drive, it has memory, it’s processing data and that data can remain on the machine. You should therefore be looking for robust data security software to protect your devices from unauthorised and potentially harmful access.
SY: Quality – having a quality product or service which is reliable. Support – working with a partner(s) who will assist in the procurement of technology through to the supply and ongoing maintenance ensuring value for money and maximum return on investment. Futureproofing – ensuring that an investment made today is sustainable into the future. ET
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