From government standards and compliance regulations, to accountability to governing boards, stakeholders, and taxpayers, public schools and universities and private education institutions have a great deal to account for when it comes to procurement and asset management. Facilities and equipment also need to be maintained and reported properly. Everyone wants to be sure that money is being spent wisely and appropriately, and there is no room for wasted resources, mishandled finances, or mismanaged assets. That’s why it is so important for educators and educational institutions to have a good handle on best practices for asset management and procurement.
There is a lot of information available on procurement and asset management, and we have included the top articles and resources to help educators and their institutions understand these topics. The articles listed come from respected media outlets, publications, and leaders in the field so that you can be sure you are reading the most pertinent information and getting the best advice on procurement and asset management available. Better yet, all of the resources we have listed on procurement and asset management for educators are available free of charge. Please note, we have listed our top 50 articles in no particular order.
1. Higher Ed Procurement Co-Ops Branch Out
@universitybiz
University Business (UB) covers higher education tech, news, finance, facilities, and more. In this article on procurement and asset management, writer Nancy Mann Jackson explores how buying cooperatives decide which new categories to offer and the benefits that institutions can reap as a result.
Three key tips we like from Higher Ed Procurement Co-Ops Branch Out:
- Universities may save thousands of dollars by entering into agreements with purchasing cooperatives to secure contracts with vendors for non-conventional categories in addition to bulk products like office supplies
- Universities entering into agreements with cooperatives to handle equipment maintenance sometimes save hundreds of thousands of dollars
- Procurement departments are saving time and money by purchasing cooperatives that help manage the contracting process
2. Procurement Power
@THE_Journal
THE Journal looks to transform education through technology. In this article on procurement for educators, writer Dian Schaffhauser looks into the challenges school districts especially face by following outdated procurement practices. Scaffhauser uses the example of the Los Angeles Unified School District and its procurement practices in relation to the purchase of iPads and curriculum.
Three key tips we like from Procurement Power:
- School districts must ensure that they are abiding by the law when undertaking procurement practices
- It is difficult to apply traditional procurement techniques to technology, so it is important to simplify the coordination of device buying information
- It may be worthwhile for small districts that do not have their own procurement or IT department to use state procurement deals to save time and money
3. Avoiding a School Budget Crisis with Asset Management
@WaspBarcode
Wasp Barcode manufactures efficiency solutions for small businesses. Their article on asset management for educators looks into the ways in which proper asset management can help school districts avoid a budget crisis.
Three key tips we like from Avoiding a School Budget Crisis with Asset Management:
- An effective asset tracking solution that is functional, up to date, and easy to use is a solution to tracking equipment that is handled by students
- Automated asset management systems help public schools effectively manage millions of dollars’ worth of IT equipment from one central database
- Integrated approaches to asset management also help districts drastically reduce audit time
4. Finding the Right Chief Procurement Officer – Higher Education
Lutzer Global is a boutique search firm specializing in procurement, strategic sourcing, and supply chain. In this article on procurement for educators that originally was published in Supply Demand Chain Executive, Lutzer Global founder and supply chain management/global sourcing expert Steven Lutzer examines the three major areas of success necessary for a chief procurement officer (CPO).
Three key tips we like from Finding the Right Chief Procurement Officer – Higher Education:
- Procurement executives should have key traits and interpersonal skills, such as being a great listener and having a high degree of humility, that will ensure successful stakeholder engagement
- CPOs must develop meaningful spend analytics
- CPOs should have a vision for creating new organizational infrastructure to support a new procurement process
5. Aligning Procurement with Customer Goals and the Value of Relationship Strategy
@naep
The National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) assists procurement professionals in higher education. They release the Educational Procurement Journal to highlight issues that are of relevance to the procurement profession. Written by Finish Colton-Lee, former assistant director of procurement operations for Emory University, and Roy Anderson, executive vice president of MetaProcure, Aligning Procurement with Customer Goals and the Value of Relationship Strategy proposes that procurement professionals should focus on internal relationships and align their goals with the higher education institutions’ Boards of Trustees and Presidents they serve.
Three key tips we like from Aligning Procurement with Customer Goals and the Value of Relationship Strategy:
- Procurement professionals must know the three- to five-year goals of the educational institutions by speaking with the provost, dean, head of facilities, and other university leaders
- Procurement professionals have an obligation to educate university officials so they consider purchasing goods and services from a holistic perspective
- For relationship strategy to work in procurement, procurement teams need to transform, embrace technology, and encourage innovation and collaboration from the supplier base
6. Transparency is Now King: Redefining Higher Education Procurement
@GuardianUS
In his article for The Guardian on procurement for educators, managing director of CEL Procurement Steve Malone explains that universities are under an incredible amount of pressure to make savings. Malone recognizes that changing procurement practice can help these universities discover efficiencies.
Three key tips we like from Transparency is Now King: Redefining Higher Education Procurement:
- Universities need to beware of relationships between their institutions and suppliers becoming adversarial as contracts are lost and suppliers bring in lawyers to look for issues with how they have run the procurement process
- Transparency is key to reduce the growing threat of court proceedings relating to procurement practices
- Compliance is just as importance as transparency when it comes to higher education procurement practices
7. Solving Procurement Challenges
@WebCPM
College Planning & Management is the industry’s leading publication covering facilities, security, technology, and business concerns in college and universities. In her CPM article on procurement for educators, writer Ellen Kollie explains that procurement professionals are facing more challenges than ever before, due to tight budgets and competitive vendors. Kollie also shares solutions from these procurement professionals in higher education.
Three key tips we like from Solving Procurement Challenges:
- Procurement needs to be viewed as a service provider, rather than as an obstacle
- Using cooperative purchasing contracts helps purchasing professionals save time on the bidding process in order to spend more time finding the exact products the various departments want
- Procurement professionals need to have the skills required to manage information and collect spend data to reduce costs
8. Procurement: A Newfound Priority in Higher Education
@SDCExec
Supply & Demand Chain Executive (SDCE) provides exclusive coverage on global services, solutions, trends, and challenges across the end-to-end supply and demand chain. In his procurement article for SDCE, Eric Zoetmulder explains how procurement became a priority for higher education.
Three key facts we like from Procurement: A Newfound Priority in Higher Education:
- Higher education was forced to change procurement processes because of tuition increases, budget shortfalls, a decline in endowments, and rising costs
- The infrastructure of higher education institutions sets them up to benefit greatly from the strategic sourcing techniques made possible by modern procurement technologies
- Schools leading procurement transformation realize a decrease by 20% or more on the cost of supplies
9. Can Higher Ed Lead Institutional Green Procurement into a New Era?
@AASHENews
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is an association of colleges and universities working to create a sustainable future. This article on procurement for educators introduces a higher education pilot project for creating a sustainable procurement leadership recognition program that intends to “radically accelerate the adoption and effectiveness of sustainable procurement in sectors far beyond higher education.”
Three key tips we like from Can Higher Ed Lead Institutional Green Procurement into a New Era?:
- Sustainable procurement requires taking into account the impact of products throughout their whole lifecycle
- Sustainable procurement also involves the economic and social impacts of products in addition to the environmental impacts throughout their lifecycle
- Procurement staff need to be prepared to report sustainability spend data to third parties
10. Senator’s Plan for Higher Education Links Restored Funding to Procurement Reform
In this procurement article for Northern Public Radio, Jim Meadows explores the implications of the lack of state funding for state universities, community colleges, and Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants. Central Illinois Republican Senator Chapin Rose has proposed restoring higher education funding that ties funding to measures for instituting procurement reforms.
Three key facts we like from Senator’s Plan for Higher Education Links Restored Funding to Procurement Reform:
- Best practices for procurement can help higher education institutions to save money by streamlining the ways in which they purchase goods and services
- Universities have sought procurement reform because current procurement regulations and policies add substantial expenses
- University presidents and procurement officials face the challenges and pressures associated with meeting procurement compliance
11. Colleges See Big Savings in Centralized Buying
@chronicle
The Chronicle of Higher Education is the leading news source for higher education. In his article on procurement for educators, Scott Carlson explores the benefits of centralized buying for colleges and universities.
Three key ideas we like from College See Big Savings in Centralized Buying:
- Purchasing is such a large part of an educational institution’s spending, that is it common for colleges to put procurement departments under new management, begin strategic sourcing programs, and set multimillion-dollar goals for savings
- It is much easier for educational institutions to handle intelligent procurement with intelligent technology
- University leaders must see the value in centralizing a college’s purchasing decisions in order to begin transforming procurement practices at their institutions
12. Three Lessons from Efficient Spending in Higher Education
@ProcurementMag
Procurement Leaders, part of the Global Intelligence Network, is a leading procurement magazine. In his blog post on procurement for higher education, vice chancellor of The University of Northampton and chair of Procurement UK Nick Petford takes a look at higher education procurement practices and the lessons the private sector can learn from them.
Three key lessons we like from Three Lessons from Efficient Spending in Higher Education:
- Collaborative purchasing power should be a priority
- Communicate procurement expectations and best practices with all employees to gain better understanding and effective decision making
- More effort needs to be put into collaboration, both in terms of actual procurement and in terms of sharing best practices, in order to achieve an effective and efficient business model
13. Schools Can Stretch Their Budgets with Asset Management
@WaspBarcode
Paul Trujillo’s Wasp Barcode article on asset management for educators explains that budget shortfalls require school districts to stretch their dollars intelligently. However, this does not mean irresponsible utilization of free or inexpensive resources by teachers because of the eventual cost of printing and downloading digital materials.
Three key tips we like from Schools Can Stretch Their Budgets with Asset Management:
- It is extremely important for schools to know exactly how much a resource will cost the district, including up-front costs and costs over the course of its useful life
- Asset management can be the difference between success and failure for schools and their budgets
- The value of automated asset management with integrated barcode-based systems is being realized by some of the most efficiently run schools
14. Althoff: Illinois Procurement Reform Moves from Concept to Legislation
@chicagotribune
The Chicago Tribune has been offering news, features, and more since 1847. In this Chicago Tribune article, community contributor Tim Bryers reports on the comprehensive procurement reform package developed by Illinois lawmakers, agency heads, and stakeholders. The intent is for the procurement package to save Illinois taxpayers money as Illinois universities decrease costs.
Three key tips we like from Althoff: Illinois Procurement Reform Moves from Concept to Legislation:
- It is beneficial when all stakeholders have a claim in transforming procurement practices
- When educational institutions are given greater flexibility in purchasing and procurement, the opportunities for saving increase
- Procurement code exemptions are helpful when dealing with service contracts, trade shows, and units of higher education
15. Uniform Grant Guidance in Focus: Procurement
@Moss_Adams
Moss Adams, LLP is a leading accounting and business consulting firm. In this article on procurement by Kinman Tong and Aparna Venkateswaran, senior managers of not-for-profit and health care practices, examines why uniform grant guidance is challenging for educational institutions attempting to implement procurement best practices.
Three key tips we like from Uniform Grant Guidance in Focus: Procurement:
- Educational institutions need to be aware of the changing procurement guidelines in order to remain compliant
- Educational institutions that change their systems, processes, and documentation surrounding procurement are better able to meet the new guidelines for procurement practices
- Following documented procurement procedures that reflect sate and local laws and regulations is key
16. Future Challenges for Procurement in the Higher Education Sector
@EfficiencyEx
The Efficiency Exchange seeks to “discover and share ideas, good practice and resources for a smarter, stronger university.” Out of London, Efficiency Exchange offers this article on procurement in higher education from Peter Smith. The article takes a good look at why university procurement teams should rise to the challenge of maintaining their position as world leaders.
Three key tips we like from Future Challenges for Procurement in the Higher Education Sector:
- For procurement to succeed, it must demonstrate that it is contributing to the university’s wider strategic goals
- Procurement cannot simply be based around cost savings
- Successful procurement requires the right tools and technology, including those for purchasing, spend analytics, supplier management, and more
17. The Top 5 Trends in Public Sector Procurement Technology
@PSpendForum
Public Spend Forum is on a mission to create an open, efficient, and innovation-driven market for the public sector. Their article on procurement for educators presents the latest trends that are shaping procurement.
Three key facts we like from The Top 5 Trends in Public Sector Procurement:
- Big Data offers opportunities for improving procurement with spend analysis and business intelligence tools
- Higher education is taking sourcing and procurement more seriously than ever
- Next-generation sourcing tools will result in better contracts based on total value and will help education procurement officials make better use of market intelligence
18. Loyola U Maryland Updates Procurement Processes
@Campus_Tech
Campus Technology is a premier source for higher education technology news and resources. In his Campus Technology article on procurement for educators, Michael Hart looks at the ways in which Loyola University Maryland has upgraded its manual procurement process with new software.
Three key ideas we like from Loyola U Maryland Updates Procurement Processes:
- Universities that upgrade to centralized procurement systems enjoy the ability to use a single interface to manage procurement
- Accessing procurement activity data on one platform leads to efficiency and savings with more strategic utilization of resources
- Top asset management and procurement automation programs include tools for managing spending, suppliers, contracts, sourcing, inventory, and accounts payable
19. Colleges Control Costs with Asset Management Software
@EdTech_HigherEd
EdTech Focus on Higher Education covers technology issues facing higher education IT leaders and educators. In his EdTech article on asset management for educators, journalist Steve Zurier looks at the ways in which Seattle University in Washington is using asset management software to save money and control costs.
Three key tips we like from Colleges Control Costs with Asset Management Software:
- Asset management software can save universities several thousand dollars annually
- Top asset management software solutions for higher education institutions include inventory control, asset management, and more
- Asset management software helps universities remain in compliance as well
20. To Build or Not to Build: Addressing Facilities Needs While Controlling Costs
From Change, the magazine of higher learning, James Kadamus’ article on asset management for educators focuses on facilities management and controlling costs. Educational institutions cannot overlook their buildings and equipment when it comes to asset management.
Three key tips we like from To Build or Not to Build: Addressing Facilities Needs While Controlling Costs:
- Universities and colleges need to determine how to balance investments in modern facilities while keeping costs in check
- At most colleges and universities, facilities are the largest asset; this means that keeping them u to date and having top-quality facilities is key
- Universities must determine whether it is in their best interests to conduct major renovations on their facilities or to replace them
21. Another Brick in the Wall? Increased Challenges Face the Physical Campus
@nebhe
In this article on asset management for educators for the New England Board of Higher Education, James Kadamus explains that presidents, trustees, and administrators realize they need to keep tuition costs low while ensuring their physical campuses draw in new students. The problem is that budget limitations often cause investment in facilities to be cut first.
Three key facts we like from Another Brick in the Wall? Increased Challenges Face the Physical Campus:
- Universities and colleges are faced with needing to do “catch-up” renovation on buildings that are reaching 50 years old and “keep-up” on facilities built in the 1990s, while realizing they lack the funds needed to do so
- The growth of online learning is a disruptive innovation that is challenging the physical campus and its assets
- Deferred maintenance is having a negative impact on college and university assets
22. The Financially Sustainable University
@BainAlerts
Bain & Company serves global citizens on issues of strategy, operations, technology, organization, and mergers and acquisitions. The Financially Sustainable University, by Jeff Denneen and Tom Dretler, is one of their articles on procurement and asset management for educators that focuses on the need for innovation and change as college and universities face the rumored higher education “bubble.”
Three key facts we like from The Financially Sustainable University:
- Educational institutions now have more liabilities, higher debt service, and increasing expense without the revenue or cash reserves to back them up than ever before
- Asset management and streamlined procurement processes are critical for universities and colleges that are in financial trouble
- Innovative college and university presidents and officials are developing a clear strategy for sustainability, reducing support and administrative costs, freeing up capital in non-core assets, and strategically investing in innovative models
23. Physical Asset Management: Past, Present and Future
@APPA_facilities
APPA, formerly known as the Association of Physical Plant Administrators, today is known as APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities. APPA seeks to provide excellence in today’s educational environment and to adapt, enhance, and transform the facilities of the future in order to create positive impact in educational facilities. In his APPA article on asset management for educators, chair for the Facilities Management Program at Brigham Young University Jeff Campbell examines the practice of physical asset management as a professional discipline in higher education.
Three key points we like from Physical Asset Management: Past, Present and Future:
- Physical asset management is beginning to fall outside the realm of accounting and finance to have a holistic, life-cycle approach
- An asset lifecycle should not be confused with useful life
- Asset management in terms of buildings and facilities should be approached from a perspective of systems management, i.e. roofing systems, mechanical systems, flooring systems, etc.
24. Special Asset Management Considerations for Educational Facilities
@FMLinkGroupLLC
FMLink Group, LLC is a comprehensive resource for facilities management. They share e-publications, leading magazines, and information from associations to help readers understand more about responsible facilities management. For example, Special Asset Management Considerations for Educational Facilities, is an article that discusses how schools, colleges, and universities must deal with the challenges of robust facilities and asset management systems and processes.
Three key points we like from Special Asset Management Considerations for Educational Facilities:
- Educational institutions face challenges in managing and controlling assets and equipment that are geographically dispersed
- Schools, colleges, and universities must know how to responsibly manage expensive facilities and equipment as part of their asset management practices
- Many educational institutions utilize barcode systems for automated asset management to streamline annual physical asset inventory procedures
25. How One Institution is Monetizing its Physical Assets
@academicimpress
Academic Impressions helps higher education institutions improve quality and lower costs in order to achieve sustainability. In this article on asset management, Academic Impressions highlights the Ohio State University as a leader in monetizing their assets as a means of counterbalancing their increasingly depleted revenue streams.
Three key tips we like from How One Institution is Monetizing its Physical Assets:
- Universities can benefit from identifying campus assets that are non-mission critical in order to monetize them
- By bringing in a partner, universities can monetize physical assets, such as parking, golf courses, and real estate, more easily
- Educational institutions must realize that monetizing physical assets requires a significant shift in mindset and culture
26. MDM vs. Physical Asset Management: What’s the Difference, and Do I Need Both?
@HayesSoftware
Hayes Software offers inventory control solutions for school administration, including textbook management, one-to-one device management, IT asset management, and more, specifically designed for K-12 schools. In this Hayes Software article on asset management, writer Megan White considers the difference between mobile device management (MDM) systems and asset management systems for schools.
Three key points we like from MDM vs. Physical Asset Management: What’s the Difference, and Do I Need Both?:
- School districts, especially, face challenges with managing mobile technology in classrooms and tracking devices in a secure, efficient way
- Educational institutions need to safeguard their investment in mobile technology, and utilizing MDM software is not enough to ensure proper physical asset management
- Physical asset management systems are crucial for tracking devices, giving districts insight into how devices are being utilized, and more
27. It’s 3PM: Do You Know Where Your School Assets Are?
@WaspBarcode
In this Wasp Barcode article on asset management for educators, Brian Sutter explains how barcode technology saves taxpayer money, district officials’ time, and helps districts educate large student populations. The article explores how schools handle IT asset management issues, textbook control, and more with quality barcoding and asset management systems.
Three key points we like from It’s 3PM: Do You Know Where Your School Assets Are?:
- Schools must manage assets appropriately even when their teachers, administrators, support staff, part-time workers, volunteers, and students may not take asset control seriously
- Some schools effectively take an integrated approach to asset management issues in order to allocate resources well enough so that students, rather than equipment, has the highest priority
- Barcode labels and handheld scanners make it possible for schools to manage assets and handle inventory control and monitoring in a streamlined fashion
28. Center-Led Procurement for Higher Education
In this article on procurement for educators, Steven Lutzer of Lutzer Global explains that universities and colleges seek innovative organizational models of procurement to decrease costs while maintaining high internal customer satisfaction. As Lutzer demonstrates, chief financial offers of academic institutions are increasingly showing interest in the hybrid model of center-led procurement.
Three key points we like from Center-Led Procurement for Higher Education:
- Center-led procurement has been an effective model in the for-profit sector for many years
- Center-led procurement enables higher education financial leaders to aggregate categories of spend across the institution
- Center-led procurement requires a systematic cultural shift in the attitudes toward reducing costs and the benefits for internal stakeholders that result from cost reduction
29. An Asset Management Plan Can Help Modernize Public School Facilities
@GenSol_EAM
GenesisSolutions offers best-in-class enterprise asset management, computerized maintenance management systems, and asset reliability services. In this article on asset management for educators, GenesisSolutions demonstrates the dire need public school districts have for an effective asset management program.
Three key points we like from An Asset Management Plan Can Help Modernize Public School Facilities:
- Public school asset managers face difficulty in ensuring that asset lifecycle are maximized without incurring necessary costs, because budgets are extremely tight
- Public schools increasingly bring new assets onboard that do not fit into the traditional asset management procedures of the past
- Public school building managers and asset managers face tough decisions when public school buildings, HVAC systems, IT infrastructure, etc. ages and needs to be replaced but the districts can only afford to retrofit or repair them
30. Why Higher Education is a Bright Green Market
@GreenBiz
GreenBiz is working to advance “the opportunities at the intersection of business, technology, and sustainability.” In this GreenBiz article on procurement and asset management for educators, writer Lyn Meany examines why academic institutions have been at the head of the sustainability movement.
Three key points we like from Why Higher Education is a Bright Green Market:
- Schools undertake sustainability initiatives often because it boosts institutional image
- More higher education procurement offices are operating with a mandate to prioritize green purchasing today than ever before
- Focal points of green procurement include paper products, general office supplies and equipment, janitorial supplies, appliance, computers, construction materials, renewable energy, and local and organic food
31. How to Improve Your School’s Asset Borrow, Disposal and Transfer Processes
@processmaker
ProcessMaker helps educational organizations run more smoothly by simplifying workflow, automating tasks, increasing visibility, reducing costs, and more. Their article on asset management for educators explains how K-12 schools can improve their processes for borrowing, disposing of, and transferring their assets.
Three key points we like from How to Improve Your School’s Asset Borrow, Disposal and Transfer Processes:
- Tracking assets is critical to preventing theft, loss, and damage
- Spreadsheets are an outdated method for asset tracking and management
- Schools that use asset management solutions to assign responsibility for assets and track them have better control over expensive assets than schools that do not
32. Asset Management Software Helps Districts Save Time, Money
@EducationDive
Education Dive delivers daily education news and covers K-12, higher education, MOOCs, blended learning, EdTech, school administration, testing, education policy, and much more. In her EducationDive article on asset management for educators, Erin McIntyre considers how various school districts use asset management tracking software to streamline their accounting and inventory processes.
Three key points we like from Asset Management Software Helps Districts Save Time, Money:
- School districts that utilize asset management solutions and hire staff to oversee asset management ultimately save hundreds of thousands of dollars
- Asset management processes often result in the elimination of antiquated devices and streamlined requests for new assets, simplifying communication overall
- Asset management solutions also save a great deal of time, in addition to a great deal of money
33. Tracking Devices in School Badges Raise Concerns
@HoustonChron
The Houston Chronicle is a leading source of news. In her article on privacy concerns relating to asset management and tracking in school districts, Jennifer Radcliffe explains how tracking devices utilizing RFID technology are upsetting parents and privacy advocates alike.
Three key points we like from Tracking Devices in School Badges Raise Concerns:
- Schools need to keep in mind which technology is the best choice when tracking students and assets; RFID solutions raise privacy concerns while barcodes do not
- Schools need to conduct thorough research into asset tracking and management systems to ensure student privacy and safety
- All stakeholders should be included in asset management decision-making processes
34. Automating Attendance, Visitor and Asset Tracking in University Environments: Taking Attendance Like Never Before
@PUPNMAG
Private University Products and News (PUPN) magazine focuses on news, products, and more for higher education institutions. In this PUPN article on asset management for educators, Jolly Technologies senior marketing manger Chris Arnwine explores how universities can take advantage of advanced technology for asset tracking and attendance taking.
Three key points we like from Automating Attendance, Visitor and Asset Tracking in University Environments; Taking Attendance Like Never Before:
- Automated asset tracking and attendance systems save professors time and help to eliminate human error
- Educational institutions must be able to track valuable equipment and know exactly who has it and where; asset management systems automate that process
- Fixed assets and university property easily may be checked in and out with barcodes and an asset management solution
35. How the Largest School District in Arizona Successfully Deploys, Tracks Thousands of Devices
@K12TD
K-12 Tech Decisions (K-12TD) is a resource for K-12 A/V and IT decision makers looking for insights, opinions, and answers into solutions, products, and services to make A/V and IT integration decisions. In her K-12TD article on asset management for educators, Rachel Quetti highlights the processes Mesa Public Schools has implemented in order to assign and manage 17,000 devices.
Three key points we like from How the Largest School District in Arizona Successfully Deploys, Tracks Thousands of Devices:
- IT managers and specialists often unfairly bear the great responsibility of efficiently assigning and tracking assets that typically include thousands of devices to students via one-to-one programs and initiatives
- Schools often need fixed asset systems for tracking devices even when students and faculty members take them home
- Several asset management solutions for school districts include mobile apps for scanning and registering devices and an online asset management system
36. Keeping Track of Technology
@edtechdigest
EdTech Digest tells “the story of 21st-century education transformation.” In this EdTech Digest article on asset tracking for educators, writer Brian Sutter explains that schools face more challenges than ever before in tracking assets, but technology solutions are available to help.
Three key points we like from Keeping Track of Technology:
- Schools now face the challenge of tracking computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other devices
- Schools are responsible for knowing who is using equipment, where it is at any given point in time, and ensuring that only authorized users take possession of it
- If schools are using outdated asset tracking systems, like handwritten records or Excel spreadsheets, they are wasting too much time, energy, and money
37. Four Ways Asset Management Can Help With Your Federal Grant Money
@WebSPM
From School Planning & Management, this article on asset management for educators explains that asset management not only can reduce costs and save time, but can also help with federal grant money. Asset management helps educational institutions to achieve the necessary transparency for spend that is tied to federal grant money.
Three key points we like from Four Ways Asset Management Can Help With Your Federal Grant Money:
- Asset management systems make it possible for schools to account for every penny
- Asset management solutions give schools the tools they need to record the tracking process and ensure detailed documentation for compliance auditing
- Asset management solutions assist schools that handle grant money by helping them to manage funding, establish accountability, and avoid forced repayment, and save money
38. Guiding Your District to More Effective Resource Management
@annieteich
In this asset management article for educators, Annie Teich, K-12 marketing consultant, explores how asset management systems are helping schools track expensive mobile devices and manage software licenses, purchase and repair history, warranties, service plans, physical locations of devices, and the people using devices. Teich outlines the benefits of efficient asset tracking for schools and districts and explores the advantages of a centralized asset management system for schools.
Three key points we like from Guiding Your District to More Efficient Resource Management:
- New mobile devices and laptops make asset management strategies critical for school districts looking to reduce losses and earn savings
- Asset management systems that account for fixed, digital, and instructional resources are most beneficial to educational institutions
- Asset management solutions help school districts responsibly manage assets and resources during a time when school budgets are extremely tight and the need for transparency and accountability is higher than ever before
39. A Blueprint for Effective and Adaptable School District Procurement
@CRPE_UW
The Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington Bothell conducts independent research and policy analysis on K-12 public education issues. The center works to develop system-wide solutions for K-12 public education. Their report on procurement for educators, A Blueprint for Effective and Adaptable School District Procurement, by research analyst Tricia Maas and CRPE director Robin Lake, explains why schools can not afford to ignore the need for procurement reform.
Three key points we like from A Blueprint for Effective and Adaptable School District Procurement:
- Emerging technological solutions and the need for school redesign mean that procurement practices must also transform to meet the demands of the 21st century
- Significantly complex procurement policies and long wait periods hinder school districts
- “Outdated procurement policies coupled with the risk-averse cultures and habits of central office staff present real barriers to school change and improvement efforts. This results in significant costs and wasted time as schools struggle to get what they need and central offices shuffle proposals and requests between departments”
40. K-12 Procurement is Hell. Let’s Fix It.
@HuffPostEdu
HuffPost Education is an education news source and online hub for those passionate about education. In his article on procurement for educators, The Noodle Companies founder and CEO John Katzman explains that it is nearly impossible to sell to K-12 schools because of current procurement policies and procedures.
Three key points we like from K-12 Procurement is Hell. Let’s Fix It.:
- Procurement at the K-12 level involves an extensive amount of complex, bureaucratic, expensive, and opaque processes
- The complex procurement processes also impede school districts, as they only have a few products and services from which to choose
- Educators and providers need a centralized destination for purchasing, in order to introduce real competition and transparency in K-12 procurement
41. 20% Book to Floor Inventory Discrepancy Ratio – Should We Accept That in Our County School Systems?
@eQuip_EISG
eQuip! is easy-to-use, flexible software for managing physical and IT assets. CEO of E-ISG Asset Intelligence, Jackie Luo works to provide innovative solutions, like eQuip!, for managing physical assets to schools. In her asset management article for educators, Luo examines the cases of school systems that lose millions of dollars because of inadequate and ineffective asset management policies and procedures.
Three key points we like from 20% Book to Floor Inventory Discrepancy Ratio – Should We Accept That in Our County School Systems?:
- Schools should examine their own asset management systems, in light of the emerging stories about school districts losing millions due to ineffective asset management policies and procedures
- There is an urgent need for improving asset management practices in public schools
- Best practices in asset management will help school districts reduced their book to floor and floor to book inventory discrepancy ratio
42. Challenges That Education Procurement Officers Face
@BidSync
BidSync provides suppliers with daily government and public agency bid notifications and an easy-to-use platform for responding to the most attractive, relevant bids. In this article on procurement for educators, BidSync examines the challenges that procurement professionals face every day in the field of education.
Three key points we like from Challenges That Education Procurement Officers Face:
- Procurement officers in education face unique challenges that procurement departments in other sectors do not have to face
- Education procurement officers lack flexibility because of tight budgets
- Centralized procurement is one solution for school districts and universities because it enhances buying power and competitive bids and gives the better control of contracting
43. Improving Procurement and IT Efficiency Critical for Institutional Success
@EvoLLLution
EvoLLLution is an online newspaper that challenges traditional ideas about higher education and features opinions of industry leaders. In this EvoLLLution article on procurement for educators, Bain & Company’s global higher education practice leader Jeff Denneen explains how some educational institutions are improving operational efficiency by improving procurement practices.
Three key points we like from Improving Procurement and IT Efficiency Critical for Institutional Success:
- Higher education institutions are under extreme pressure to streamline internal processes and reduce operational costs, which can occur with improve procurement practices
- Universities and other education institutions should begin with procurement and determine how much money they can see by spending less on onsite vendors and by making better decisions about what they buy and how they buy it
- Schools within universities should work together to build scale and capability to gain an advantage in purchasing and procurement
44. Device Management 101: Starting from Scratch
@EdSurge
EdSurge helps educators find and use the right tools to support all learners. Their asset management article for educators, Device Management 101: Starting from Scratch, examines exactly what it takes for schools and teachers to manage one-to-one technology and device initiatives.
Three key tips we like from Device Management 101: Starting from Scratch:
- Institute a check out/check in procedure
- Assign devices to students for each class
- Identify a secure location for storing devices when they are not in use
45. Power in Numbers: Group Purchasing for Healthier School Meals
@HealthierGen
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation works to eliminate childhood obesity and inspire all young people in the United States to develop lifelong, healthy habits. In conjunction with ChangeLab Solutions and NPLAN, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation presents Power in Numbers: Group Purchasing for Healthier School Meals, a resource on procurement for educators.
Three key points we like from Power in Numbers: Group Purchasing for Healthier School Meals:
- School food authorities (SFA) increase their buying power by entering into cooperative purchasing agreements with one another, other institutions, and purchasing organizations
- Any time a school or SFA enters into a cooperative agreement with any non-public entity, a competitive procurement of that entity’s services is required
- SFAs enter into cooperative purchasing arrangements to obtain the best products at the lowest prices in the easiest way
46. Saving Big with Cooperative Purchasing
@WebSPM
In her article on procurement for educators, Ellen Kollie explores how K-12 schools realize substantial savings by joining cooperatives. Kollie points out that cooperative purchasing can benefit school districts of all sizes.
Three key points we like from Saving Big with Cooperative Purchasing:
- Cooperative purchasing gives schools the products they want at volume pricing
- Schools today have several choices in cooperative purchasing and can find those that meet their needs the best
- School districts may use more than one cooperative
47. Why Building Level Asset Management is the Perfect Complement to Your Fixed Asset System
@HayesSoftware
In this asset management article for educators from Hayes Software, writer Anna Maxin examines the advantages of managing assets at the building level, within the context of a broader fixed asset system. For accurate asset tracking and increased accountability, education institutions are choosing building level asset management systems.
Three key points we like from Why Building Level Asset Management is the Perfect Complement to Your Fixed Asset System:
- School principals benefit from building level asset management systems because they are designed to track real-time assignment and movement of assets across the district
- Building level asset management systems provide data integration options
- By combining building level asset management and fixed asset management systems, schools are able to communicate asset information across the district, ensure asset data accuracy, automate inventory tracking, and ensure the accuracy of the district’s property listing
48. 7 Benefits of School Inventory/Asset Management Software
@AwapalSolutions
Awapal Solutions is an IT company that provides software development, web development, online marketing, and corporate branding solutions to small to medium enterprises. Their article on asset management for educators imparts the importance of asset management and inventory control for education institutions.
Three key points we like from 7 Benefits of School Inventory/Asset Management Software:
- Without proper asset management systems in place, education institutions suffer asset loss and inaccurate records for reporting
- Asset management systems for schools lead to better resource management
- Asset management systems for schools improve accountability across the institution
49. Seven Questions Every District Should Ask about Asset & Inventory Management Solutions
@CrossTec
CrossTec Software is an industry-leading provider of school and classroom management software. Their white paper on asset management for educators examines how schools successfully automate inventory and asset management tasks with asset management software solutions.
Three key points we like from Seven Questions Every District Should As about Asset & Inventory Management Solutions:
- Asset tracking software solutions save technology coordinators and district IT departments, among others, time and money
- Asset management solutions help school districts manage physical devices and laptops in addition to software license compliance, in order to prevent licensing penalties
- Asset management software solutions provide accurate asset information for budgeting and tech planning and help education institutions save time on audits
50. Developing an Asset Management System for Schools and Academies
@CSE_Education
CSE delivers technology for education and specializes in providing top quality and best value ICT systems to educational establishments. Developing an Asset Management System for School and Academies is their white paper on asset management for educators. The paper highlights the advantages of implementing asset management in schools.
Three key points we like from Developing an Asset Management System for Schools and Academies:
- Asset management systems lead to cost savings, simplified administration, and improved efficiency in education institutions
- Regulations and requirements make accurate, up-do-date asset and equipment inventories a must
- Traditional methods of asset management no longer are adequate for education institutions that need to track and monitor assets, manage and model costs, manage maintenance and leases, mange vendors and contacts, etc.
Asset Tracking Solutions from Camcode:
