William de Ferrers School - Case Study

Overview

William de Ferrers School in Essex were not getting the service they needed from their previous SIMS support provider. When they spoke with their helpdesk, they felt that they didn’t really understand their issues, or have enough knowledge of schools to be able to suggest good solutions to the daily problems they were experiencing.

Now with a new support provider in place, William de Ferrers have found their experience with School ICT to be the polar opposite. They are able to understand complex issues and suggest ways that the school can operate more efficiently.

Most recently School ICT have helped William de Ferrers with their Autumn Census:-
- Resolution of error codes
- Post-16 Students allocated to incorrect course level
- Post-16 Students allocated to two courses at different levels
- Post-16 Missing learning aims
- Post-16 Issues relating to start/end dates

Challenges

Previously, using their support providers helpdesk, it could take days for a query to be resolved which was very frustrating. William de Ferrers school needed a helpdesk where their query could be dealt with quickly and effectively. They also needed help to improve their SIMS deployment process as they'd encountered several issues with their SOLUS install. They wanted to use more of the functionality within SIMS, but didn't have the detailed expertise onsite or the time to read all the user manuals to make the most out of their investment in SIMS.

How School ICT Helped

William de Ferrers said the process of switching to School ICT 'could not have been simpler '. School ICT even helped them with issues before their new contract started! The difference the school has experienced is dramatic. Customer service is excellent. School ICT are always able to answer their queries and if not, the call back time is usually the same day. They always know that they will get the help they need and the school have no hesitation in calling if they can't resolve an issue themselves. The backup service that School ICT provide is really useful too - an affordable cloud solution that's managed by the same team that manage their SIMS server.

Results and return on investment

Richard Blott, IT Manager at William de Ferrers school said 'Overall, moving to School ICT is the best thing the school has done, in terms of IT support provision. Courses attended have been great. Our new timetabler has spent lots of time on the phone seeking support - particularly from Kay. I don’t think he would have coped with this new role had we still been using our previous helpdesk'. 'The financial savings just on the cost of the helpdesk service alone have been over £6,000 per year and even more in the amount of admin. time saved. School ICT really do offer the best customer experience of any supplier I have ever worked with - I recommend them to every school I speak to'.

For Best in class support contact SCHOOL ICT on 0345 222 6802 or email info@schoolicts.co.uk

www.schoolicts.co.uk