13 Ways to Measure Edtech Support
#Technology
Erin Werra
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Erin Werra
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Erin Werra Edtech Thought Leader |
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1. Sales support
Before you pay a cent, evaluate the support you’ve received in your sales journey. Did your chosen edtech partner provide detailed specs, case studies, and success stories? Was your demonstration experience engaging, or did you feel like a cog in a sales machine?Here’s a hint about edtech sales: the folks who show you they care from the very beginning of the sales process often represent a team who will continue to care about your support for years to come.
Look for: Confident and upbeat presentations, personalized attention, libraries of helpful content, your inquiries and follow-ups answered quickly,
2. Implementation support
So you’ve decided on a new solution—be it student information system, enterprise resource planning, or data analysis—now the fun starts, right? It does with a seasoned team of implementation project managers who are comfortable taking the lead. After all, your new vendor team manages implementations all the time. Though this is just the beginning, they’ll want to ensure you don’t have to undergo the stress of an implementation again for a long, long time.Look for: A checklist for everything, a dedicated project manager, proof of implementation efficacy from other users, detailed yet achievable timelines for key milestones.
3. Security support
K12 data security is crucial. Does your edtech team walk the walk as well as talk the talk? Your vendor should care as much about your data’s security as their own personal identifying information (PII) if not MORE. Schools are “target rich, security poor” and attacks have surged in past years, while budgets have not.Look for: Required MFA, expiring support credentials, security conversations and content, an emphasis on a multi-layered security approach, data backup strategies, free training materials, a holistic and proactive approach to cybersecurity, transparency about privacy on the public-facing website—including mentions of COPPA, HIPAA, FERPA, and other relevant governance and standards relating to children's data.
4. Integration support
User expectations dictate that different edtech tools used by staff and students can pass information from one to the next. To achieve this, edtech integrations follow agreed-upon standards for handling sensitive information specific to schools. While edtech integrations are an important and necessary part of life in schools, consider also whether one robus SIS or ERP solution is built to handle multiple jobs, therefore eliminating integrating multiple separate systems. Built, not bought and cobbled together, edtech vendors are not only able to manage multiple tasks within one system, but also are able to pivot and enhance their solutions according to customer feedback.Look for: Compliance with industry standards (for example, Ed-Fi), commitments to uphold data and privacy standards, third-party certifications, a system built and maintained in-house rather than acquired piecemeal over time.
5. Training support
It’s not easy to balance edtech training with daily tasks. That’s why essential edtech training must be designed with users in mind—giving not only options for group, self-paced, and recorded training, but also shortcuts and recommendations for getting it all done. Plus, your edtech vendor should offer strategies for onboarding new employees and family users.Look for: Resources, toolkits, and services designed to be accessible and quick for any user—even the least tech-savvy teacher on retirement’s threshold.
6. Built-in solution support
When you’re lost, the last thing you want is to have to explain how you got there in order to move past the obstacle. That’s why built-in support calls inside the software are so helpful. A technician can see exactly where the trouble is and help on the spot.Look for: Help menus in your solution with a secure connection to a technician.
7. Live chat support
Keep tech support low-key, accessible, and silent: seek out a solution that embraces instant messaging. While complicated problems may require a deep dive, a quick question can dodge all queues and menus.Look for: A live chat option staffed by real people—not an AI assistant.
8. Phone support
Speaking of real people, sometimes the best solutions come from a verbal walk-through. The OG 1-800 method calls for a customer service expert who is also able to see the problem you’re seeing—that’s why the best customer support also comes with a secure connect to your software.Look for: A customer service phone number available on the vendor’s public website (not buried in documentation!).
9. Self-study support
Got a not-so-burning question and don’t want to talk to anyone about it? Sometimes brushing up on edtech must be as simple as a self-guided help center with documentation, recorded tutorials, and step-by-step guides for simple (or even complex) processes in the solution.Look for: A help center designed with intuitive or AI-supported smart search, included in your software solution at no extra cost to you.
10. Network infrastructure support
Can you imagine if a vendor was able to provide another set of hands in your time of need? Some do! Supplemental staffing for small shops, network infrastructure, top-tier network security (not just one edtech solution), hardware installation, security consulting, incident response and more are possible with the right edtech partner. This is one of the few “premium support services” to invest in when budget allows.Look for: Consultant certifications, custom strategies and planning (not cookie-cutter packages).
11. Peer networking support
Did you know your edtech vendor can offer support to grow your own personal network? User groups, conferences, and virtual opportunities help build community support. The best tips, tricks, and processes come from other users.Look for: Regularly scheduled user groups, virtual user groups, and online communities designed for your peer users.
12. Family and student engagement support
If your edtech solution is student- and family-facing, inquire about what kinds of tools your edtech vendor has designed for that unique group of users. No need to reinvent the training when you can build off existing resources.Look for: Free YouTube video tutorials accessible on mobile devices to reach the largest population.
13. Employee engagement support
Your administrative software is designed to build a stronger, more supportive culture in your district. Again, reinventing resources shouldn’t have to happen if your vendor already has tutorials and resources designed for employee users.Look for: Built-in help options in employee-facing solutions, free YouTube video tutorials.
Are you considering the full spectrum of edtech support when choosing a solution? The software will only work as well as the support you receive in times of need. Explore every avenue of support included or added onto your solutions.
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Erin Werra Edtech Thought Leader |
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