New Repair Center for Student Devices

NEW REPAIR CENTER FOR STUDENT DEVICES

On August 1st, MUSD’s Information Technology Department opened the doors to its new, in-house Technology Repair Center for student devices.

Information Technology Director Colby Clark explained that with 13,000 devices leaving Dell’s warranty by the end of the 2019/20 academic year, they knew they needed to develop a plan that addresses student device repairs. “Our student devices have a 5-year life cycle,” said Clark. “When we purchase a new device, we purchase a 3-year warranty for that specific device. In years 1-3 of the life cycle, Dell performs repairs at the school site. Thus, we needed a plan to address years 4-5.”

To research, plan, and prepare for next steps, the Device Support Process Committee was formed comprised of Technology Support Specialists and IT Department staff. The committee helped to define some changes to current procedures, the creation of the operational workflow, and the criteria used to distinguish between minor and major level repairs. Clark continued, “Another important variable is that, Dell warranty limits us to one repair per year, per device. There are several cases where students drop a device or crack a screen, and we needed to come up with a solution to perform those repairs for devices that are still in warranty.”

In the research phase, the committee found that it was going to cost the District less to have an in-house repair center, utilizing parts from new and used devices, versus extending the Dell warranty for years 4-5 or outsourcing the repairs completely to a third party company. Clark confirmed, “When weighing the options, the Technology Repair Center was a better decision for the District.” “We hired a Technology Hardware Specialist, Garet Hofer, to work the Technology Repair Center,” shared Ron Mariano, Technology Support Supervisor. “He performs the Tier 2 repairs which are considered major repairs. Tier 1 repairs are performed at the site by the Technology Support Specialists.”

Tools and resources have been provided to Technology Support Specialists to start the school year. Videos and support documentation were created and shared by the IT Department for all Tier 1 repairs. And if needed, an in-person training program is offered to Specialists who request additional repair training. Mariano explained, “The committee established Tier 1 and 2 criteria based on complexity and the time associated with performing the repair. Anything that is less than 15 minutes is considered a Tier 1 and anything longer, is deemed a Tier 2. A flow chart plus guiding documents have been provided to our Specialists to determine what those repairs are.”

Communication between the Technology Support Specialist, at the school site, and the Technology Hardware Specialist, at the repair center, is done through an advanced ticketing system and data dashboard created by Ben Cadile, Information Systems Supervisor. Student device repairs take precedence, so these tickets are escalated as needed.

“When a Tier 1 repair is needed, the Specialists request parts from the repair center. That part is then sent to the school site via interdistrict mail,” described Mariano. “For Tier 2 repairs, the student device is sent to the repair center, also via inter-district mail, with boxes that that are pre-labeled and suited for transit.” During a Tier 2 repair, the student is given a loaner device to use in the interim.

An important piece to this operation is inventory. Through IT’s data dashboard, Hofer can track the materials sent to sites as well as the parts used in the repair center. Through the ticketing system, he can plan for the materials needed, that he may not have in existing inventory. The communication via the ticketing and data dashboard, contribute to a quicker device repair turnaround. The dashboard is monitored daily and provides IT with meaningful and measurable data discussed during leadership and committee meetings. “We are also able to see how much each ticket [repair] is costing the District,” said Clark. “We can track down all the way to a specific device. This is so we can determine if a single device has undergone several repairs that exceeds a threshold; we can deem that device unusable and remove it from circulation.”

You can find the Technology Repair Center at the MUSD District Office on the first floor, beside the IT Department. The space was originally a conference room, but now is a safe and secured space intended solely for student device needs. Utilizing the data captured and feedback from stakeholders, the Information Technology Department will continue the cycle of refinement to ensure all students have a fully functioning device.