Technology Lesson Learned (
Page 1 of 3 )
Education Company Turns to Solution Provider Redemtech to Improve Asset Recovery.Adhering to the maxim that true wisdom is knowing what you don't know, K12 decided that since its expertise is educating students, tracking and monitoring computer equipment was best left to someone else. So the company, which has developed an online curriculum for students in kindergarten through 10th grade, turned to solution provider Redemtech for its IT needs.
Finding little success on its own at doing the job, K12 chalked up its experience to a lesson learned and asked Redemtech to manage the process of providing technology to its 25,000 students, who attend full-time virtual schools in 16 states, and then reclaiming the computers from them.
"Part of the K12 program is to actually provide the student at home or in the charter school with technology," said Robert Houghton, president of Redemtech, in Columbus, Ohio. "They deploy a computer, monitor and printer to the student and when that student graduates or leaves the program, those assets need to be recovered, refurbished and made available to other students."
Small business, big market.
Outsourcing asset recovery produced immediate results, saving K12 nearly $2 million each year and increasing equipment recovery rates by one-third, according to the company.
The partnership with Redemtech also has an environmental component: K12 extends the life of its technology and ensures hardware isn't going into the landfill unnecessarily.
No child left behind
Founded in 1999, k12, of Herndon, Va., set out to give all children the opportunity to be educated, even those with limited access to schools and curricula as a result of geography, finances or demographics. The company partners with public virtual schools to provide students in kindergarten through 10th grade with curricula customized to their individual needs. The K12 learning program consists of six core subjects, including languages, math, history, science, art and music.
Students without computers receive one so they can access the online lessons. K12 has to recover computers, monitors and printers when a student leaves school, technology changes or a piece of equipment breaks down.
The company, upon receiving the equipment, sanitizes each piece in compliance with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and then evaluates it to determine whether the equipment should be refurbished and redeployed or retired.
Previously, K12's computer redeployment and intake department was housed in a large room full of shelves in the basement of its corporate headquarters.
"Computers were returned by students by UPS and we would go through the cleaning processes, put it back in a box and send it out to a new student in a few days," said Gene Rigoni, senior director of operations at K12. "We outgrew that space and we realized that, because we are very seasonal and operate on the school year calendar, that it isn't economical for us to do this work alone."
Next, K12 worked with a local reseller but the arrangement was unsatisfactory. Initial attempts to reclaim computers from students' homes produced inconsistent results, and K12 often had to dispatch a technician to recover equipment—a time-consuming and expensive task, Rigoni said. This caused delays for students waiting for refurbished equipment who also often complained about the quality of the computers.
After Rigoni talked to a Redemtech executive about the intricacies of reclamation during an airplane flight, K12 began exploring the advantages of partnering with a business that focused on reclamation and refurbishment services. The company surveyed several service providers before deciding to retain Redemtech for the work.
Next Page: New lesson plan
