“What do my trips to Disney have to do with new software implementation for K-12 schools?”
Image Source: MagicGuides
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What do my trips to Disney have to do with new software implementation for K-12 schools?
2. Software companies need to make sales in Q4, which runs from October through December Districts never want to “double pay” for the same type of software. So, we set the start date for the new contract to the expiration of the legacy software’s contract. This created a vast number of sales in the summer, but then distinctly less revenue in the winter. To smooth out this big summer bump, we now offer 18-months of software for the price of 12, with a start date of July 1. This approach allows the company to take the booking in Q4, provided that the district makes a commitment to pay in July. However, if the district starts to use the software before July, we never ask the district to pay us more. In fact, we would prefer that districts get up and running as soon as possible since our implementation team has excess capacity from January through April. >> Additional Time << Enterprise-level software, like student information systems or enterprise resource planning platforms, have extensive integrations to third-party programs as well as numerous configurations to ensure that the software follows the rules of your state and district. But even department-specific software, like nutrition, library, content management, workflows, or student registration, still have authentication set-up, integration with at least one other system (probably the SIS or ERP), and district-specific configurations.
is the Best Time for New Software Implementation for K-12 Schools WHY WINTER
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Ask almost any K-12 administrator what the best time of year is to change software systems and the overwhelming majority will vote for summer break. But this is the equivalent of going to Disney on a Saturday during a holiday weekend. Instead, consider the advantages of using the “slow season” for vendors, or the winter months, for new software implementation for K-12 schools. Consider the following benefits of slow season implementation: • For most K-12 software vendors (including LINQ) , there is no additional license cost to implement earlier in the year • Additional time for configuration, integration, and quality assurance testing • Personalized attention and an easier transition from the implementation team to your long-term support resource. Now that you know some of the benefits for implementing new solutions during the winter, let’s take a look at each of these benefits in greater detail. The Benefits of Implementing K-12 Software in Winter >> No Additional Cost << I have worked with two of the largest K-12 software vendors in the market. At both companies, we faced two factors that run counter to each other: 1. School districts set up their budgets so that software renews in June or July
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Chief Revenue Officer, LINQ Matt Muller
I live in central Florida, which means that visiting friends and family usually want to go to Disney World. Often, they ask me to join them and, since it is a magical place and my daughters like the experience, I often do. In my many visits, what usually determines how much I enjoy the experience is the time of year that we go. A Disney experience in mid-March—at the height of Spring Break—is a grind. Crowded parking lots, long lines and packed restaurants make everything a little less magical. But then there are the times that I have visited on a Tuesday in the middle of January; We have the place to ourselves! The Magic Kingdom is so empty that we only need a handful of hours to see all the shows and go on our favorite rides multiple times. There is less crying and whining from the kids (and the adults), and we leave with smiles on our faces.
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