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CASE STUDY: Chuck Wickline
What do you do when you need new, up-to-date computers for 275 staff members and 1600 students and you have a limited budget? That’s the conundrum Chuck Wickline, Technology Director for Ohio-based Clark Shawnee Local Schools faced.
Prior to turning to Compugen Education, Chuck had to juggle purchasing updated machines for the staff and student body based on the availability of funds. The result was a cascading inventory of machines of different ages, running various versions of applications and operating systems. Problems were constant due to the unit variations. “My biggest challenge was keeping technology reliable and running efficiently,” Wickline says. That challenge, of course, was compounded by the diversity of the technology.
Then Chuck met Chris Chin-Sue, an Education Account Executive at Compugen. They worked together to find a solution that would help Chuck meet his district’s computing needs within the budget that was available, and often fluctuating. “I feel confident that Compugen Education is giving our district the best deal available,” says Chuck.
To address the district’s needs, Chris and Chuck worked on two different scenarios of both leasing and purchasing refurbished computers that addressed their changing budget needs. Chuck says, “We lease when funds are tight – years when we’re replacing text books – and purchase when funds are available.” This helps the school district ensure all of the machines are compatible, which also reduces the frustration and cost of maintaining disparate machines. “Compugen Education addressed our district needs more efficiently than the competitors we had tried in the past”.
However, acquiring quality computers was only one part of the equation, as maintaining them was also a major concern for the District. Compugen once more did not disappoint. In the few rare instances when a PC had a problem, a replacement unit or part was promptly supplied. Not only that, all freight costs were taken care of – resulting in no additional costs whatsoever to the District. Chuck says, “Replacement parts are shipped in a timely manner.” The result is less downtime on the machine and greater efficiencies for the school district.
Chuck feels he made the right decision to partner with Compugen Education. He was able to outfit his District with the right technology based on what was needed for both staff and students, allowing him to set up labs for learning and to meet state test requirements in a timely manner. Many of the purchased computers were used for the ACT Pilot test which was conducted in 60 selected High Schools throughout the nation. Over 150 students from Clark-Shawnee participated, and the test was conducted flawlessly. Chuck summarizes this by saying: “Technology is a necessary, fundamental tool and is also a costly bottomless abyss. I believe in giving my customers – students and staff, and taxpayers – the most reliable and cost effective product available. Compugen Education fits our business needs.”
