The importance of data management in showing cost reduction initiatives cannot be overestimated. Numbers are better than words in providing a context to what has been reduced, increased, improved, or worsened. In that regard, the webcast titled âMaking Sense of Data to Save School Operations Dollarsâ is devoted to explaining what to measure when conducting an assessment of efficiency.
The argument for the use of quantitative metrics is outlined through credibility. At the time, when budget and funding are shrinking, it is stated that achievements are measured generally in terms of costs that could be saved along with the improvements. The importance of data can be also seen through the fact of its use as standards against which future improvements, costs savings, and other organizationsâ achievements are compared to demonstrate success, failure, and the direction for future goals.
Thus, it is a matter of data collection and regular comparison with other data in time. Such data allows key decision-makers within the school administration to identify the way the operations in school can be optimized and costs saved. It can be understood that ultimately operations, costs savings, and budget investigation lead to optimizing learning, where it is all about saving costs of one operational aspect to be used in other aspects related to the core of the mission of schools, i.e. learning.
One of the models used for data analysis is eFacts+, an analytical tool provided to public schools by Tasbo. Such software relies on pre-calculated measures suited to the purpose and the common operations in schools, allowing users to establish their criteria for comparison. The emphasis is not only on the data reporting means, rather than on the way such data can be analyzed and the types of questions such data might answer. Additionally, such data can be presented in textual, numerical, and graphical formats, so that the result of the inquiry is understandable. As data is further collected, a specific organization can start to identify certain problems, trends, and forecasts, according to which plans and decisions can be made. The examples of pre-calculated measures in the eFacts+ include percentage of costs of utilities to percentage of the costs of management and operations (M&O), a total of M&O for all districts, a total of M&O per pupil, and others.
The key measurement indicators provided by eFacts+ are divided between custodial, maintenance, utilities, and others, all of which are provided on a per unit basis which provides an opportunity to identify spending patterns, and even predict fictional what-if scenarios that can be used to analyze gaps in performance which are not apparent at the present time, but might be revealed in the long term, if a school continued operating in the same pattern.
One of the common purposes of data analysis, which are outlined through other practices mentioned in the webcast, is the determination of the causes of variance. The differences between actual might be an indication of a particular problem in the organization, for which the analysis of data will help to identify. The latter is true within a single organization and as a comparison of metrics between many schools within a district (Young et al.). Accordingly, several examples of data utilization provided cases for which the analysis of such data can be useful in an educational setting. One example that supports setting the priority toward teaching as the core mission of schools can be seen through identifying problems issues before they are reported, giving the opportunity to focus of teaching rather than maintenance.
The data analysis aspect essentially shows that schools are organizations. Despite the fact that they have an educational mission, they are managed and operated under managerial and business principles. Thus, there are bills to pay, repairs to conduct, and inventory to mange, all of which should be fit within the established budget. The data helps setting what target value the school should target in order to succeed.
The webcast also addressed performance metrics in the context of administrative work and facility services. The use of such indicators as the amount of routine work performed per week, month, or a quarter, can be seen as suitable indicators that can be used to benchmark the work of facility and their productivity. The same can be applied for emergency work as well. Generally, when striving to accomplish more for less, the need to identify the way usual work routine and its costs is essential. The costs for facility services are not essentially estimated in monetary values only, where time can be sued as criteria as well. Managing data for a long term might provide insightful findings that can characterize and organization, its management, and sustainable practices, which is an important criterion as well. The overall purpose of benchmarking, in that regard, is making the right decisions that will enable optimized operations and accordingly reduced costs and expenditures, which are justified and supported by credible and timely data.
Work Cited
Young, Roger, et al. “Making Sense of Data: Save School Operations Dollars”. 2010. Facility Masters Webcast Series. Ed. Kornegay, David.