According to Technavio market research analysts, the global cloud computing market in the education sector is expected to continue to grow more than 26% by 2021. Cloud technology can offer reduced costs, increased flexibility, and more robust performance features when compared to traditional server-based computing. These benefits are certainly not lost on K-12 school districts, who are rapidly adopting new technologies, including cloud computing and workflow solutions, to complete their daily tasks. (Of course, the benefits of workflow solutions can be enjoyed whether your district uses cloud-based servers or traditional on-site servers.)
With growth and change on the horizon, let’s take a look at five storage and workflow solutions that many school districts will be taking advantage of in 2019…
#1 HR Onboarding Tools
InStream offers advanced faculty and staff onboarding tools used by HR departments throughout the education sector. We will work with your HR department to create a digital workflow that expedites the onboarding process, beginning with developing custom electronic forms, which can be completed by new hires and other stakeholders. Once completed, the forms can be stored in the new employee’s personnel file, where they can easily be retrieved by HR. Additionally, because your HR department is using electronic forms and an all-digital workflow, it’s easier than ever to see exactly which files or forms are missing in a new employee’s file. With InStream, HR onboarding is faster and smoother than ever before!
#2 Secure Storage Solutions
Of course, one of the biggest concerns for any school district is secure storage of faculty and staff records. InStream specializes in digitizing paper documents and offering secure document storage solutions (cloud based or on a local server). Training records, performance reviews, and other sensitive files can all be stored behind layers of protection. Administrators can even set specific rules to define which employees are granted access to which files and documents within the system.
#3 Volunteer Application Workflows
Volunteers are an essential element of nearly any school district. InStream helps school districts get the volunteers they need established as smoothly as possible. How? eForms! With eForms, parents can submit volunteer applications directly to the school. Once received, the completed eForm can jumpstart a workflow that initiates a vetting process, background check, and other essential steps in the application and approval process. Completed forms are stored in your district’s document management system, and automated reminders can even be sent to nudge parents to finish incomplete forms. Learn more.
#4 Internal Request Management
School districts handle many internal requests, from room and resource reservations to vacation and time off requests. eForms can make all of these requests (parking passes, maintenance requests, etc.) easy for your employees to submit and your district to manage. Once a request has been submitted, it can be automatically routed through a custom workflow to the appropriate department for processing, based on district-defined rules.
#5 Protocol & Process Document Storage
From classroom policies to disaster recovery plans, school districts have many protocol and process-related documents. Some of these documents may be private and have specific requirements regarding secure storage; others may need to be readily available to all staff and employees. InStream is equipped to help with all of these needs through secure document storage systems that allow for easy search and retrieval.
What Benefits Could YOUR School District See?
As cloud computing, custom workflow solutions, and other new technologies become increasingly accepted by the education sector, how do you see your school district adapting in the years ahead? Taking advantage of these storage and workflow solutions could result in:
- Better data tracking and management capabilities
- More secure files with highly customizable permission restrictions
- Centralized storage of documents to ensure employees have access to the latest versions
- Faster processes (new hires, new volunteers) with eForms and digital workflows
Want to learn more? Contact InStream to find out how our school district solutions could serve you!
