Planning for Change “Technology can certainly aid in improving services and efficiencies, but it is not the fix all or cure all,” Orange County’s Wen noted. “Also, products are not all alike and each have their own features that others may not.” He said that before agreeing to any tech solution, the
key is defining what problems are being addressed and understanding how any solution will be a tool for improve- ment. “Don’t be shy about speaking to other transportation directors about best practices and how others are using technology for the same problems,” he advised. He also recommends involving other district depart-
ments at the planning stage to determine infrastructure and support demands. That includes working with the IT department up front to identify server needs, ensure soft- ware programs will make it through the network security filters, and address potential implementation problems. Good planning should also include provisions for
follow-up. “Create a timeline for the project which should in-
clude post-implementation work,” McKinzie at Seminole County advised. “This will allow time to troubleshoot issues which arise after the lift-off of the project.” An integral part of the process is being assertive with
questions, both in seeking approvals for the dollars needed and in dealing with providers. “Don’t be afraid to go out and ask for upgraded tech-
nology if you want it,” Ridgemont’s Ball noted. “You’ll be surprised at how much buy-in you might receive.” Openness with vendors is also a must. “If during implementation there is a report or feature
that you need to be more effective and can’t find it, don’t hesitate to ask for it,” Wen added. “Some programs have been created by developers that may not have opera- tional experience or backgrounds.” He recalled asking for a specific operations report and
the initial response was, “Why would you want that?” Once he explained the reason, the vendor understood and worked to provide it. Now the report is available to all its customers. Perhaps most important is fostering a mindset that’s
open to new possibilities. Don’t be afraid to dive into something new, McKinzie stressed. “Technology makes things substantially more
efficient,” he continued. “Just because you histori- cally haven’t done something, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something different in the future.” ●
38 School Transportation News • APRIL 2024
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