The district is implementing a new management system. My office staff and I are being asked to do double work for the first quarter because we’re to use the old program along with the new system. Why is this important?
Businesses commonly run parallel systems when implementing a new management program. Yes, it takes more time and yes, it is extra work for a while; however, you must consider the alternative. There will be at least a few glitches along the way. School districts have experienced serious problems when they have chosen to implement a new management system without have some sort of check and balance procedure in place. Records such as student attendance are legal documents. Transactions such as purchase requisitions can have a seriously negative impact on the district budget if the new software is not working properly. Without running a parallel system, there’s no easy way to identify and correct discrepancies.
You can facilitate the process by insuring that you and your staff attend appropriate trainings on the new system and then use the parallel systems until the bugs have been worked out. If everyone cooperates, the transition time may be shorter than you think.
Submitted by: Susan Brooks-Young
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