Northwest Independent School District (NISD) in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the fastest-growing districts in the state. With over 30 schools, a new distribution center, more than 5,000 staff members, and almost 30,000 students, accurately managing and tracking assets is critical.

Outgrowing an Outdated Solution

Telli Ervin, the district’s Technology Campus Support Manager, has been with NISD for more than 18 years and welcomed the implementation of Follett Destiny® Resource Manager in 2018. “Before we switched to Destiny, we knew we needed an improved inventory process with better reporting functions,” Ervin said. “We wanted it all in one place with the ability to monitor all district resources in one application. Not just our textbooks and technology resources but also resources ranging from computer equipment, media arts cameras, vehicles, to musical instruments.”

Amanda Piper-McClure, Instructional Resource & Technology Manager, joined Northwest ISD from the corporate world in 2018, just as the district decided to transition to Destiny Resource Manager. “We’ve grown so much since that time, and now we use Destiny to help set up new classrooms and new teachers with the resources they need to teach students,” she stated.

Destiny Resource Manager: A Streamlined System with Robust Tracking Capabilities

Once implemented, Destiny Resource Manager met the growing needs of the district, especially in accurately and efficiently tracking all resources. “We are now building kits and tracking those with their components, novels, textbooks, manipulatives, and more,” said Piper-McClure. “For school nurses, they’re tracking and managing things like medical beds, first aid cabinets, tools, defibrillators, etc. Our teachers use Destiny Resource Manager to track bookshelves, pocket chart holders, tubs, furniture, and every other resource they use to operate their classrooms. Destiny Resource Manager has helped us so much as we are opening new schools, enabling us to track what we have ordered for each classroom and prepare for this large task.”

Destiny Resource Manager has transformed how NISD manages and tracks assets. Nearly five years after adoption, the district has seen significant savings in financial resources and staff time. “The data and inventory management capabilities of Destiny have enabled huge improvements that help me be more efficient in my job,” Piper-McClure explained. “Tracking textbooks and all our other curriculum consumables and resources under one software system really helps optimize the process.”

Assessing Current Needs While Planning for the Future

The fast-growing district has nearly doubled its enrollment in the last decade. This rapid growth can make budgeting and purchase planning difficult, but the data aggregated in Destiny Resource Manager has helped staff keep pace. “Our district is growing rapidly, so we use the reporting and enrollment features of Destiny to accurately order for this growth – and ordering for growth and accuracy saves us money,” Piper-McClure said. “We use the reporting features to track down missing books and replace damaged materials as needed. We had a major flood at a campus this year and were able to account for everything within a day. Saving the time and payroll was well worth it.”

Destiny Resource Manager’s tracking capabilities have made a world of difference for the district. From the warehouse to the campus level, the accuracy and accountability are saving time and money. “Reporting is a major function within Destiny, which allows us to compute figures and numbers for writing bond proposals and forecasting,” Ervin shared. “Destiny not only saves us time but also ensures quality reporting.”

A Partnership for Success

While their previous resource management system required frequent calls to the software developer for support, Destiny Resource Manager has given Northwest staff a new sense of freedom and accomplishment. “Follett’s customer service has been top-notch,” Piper-McClure said. “On the rare occasion that we have an issue, they can resolve it very quickly. Most of the time, I can call and have my question answered within minutes, and the Customer Service Representative who answers the call is able to teach me how to do what I was looking for.”

Ervin echoed this sentiment. “The Destiny/Follett customer service has been impeccable.”

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