Budget Management for K-12 Education: A Case Study with Amazon Business
WEBINAR: K-12 Spotlight - Allocated Budgets Make for Happy Teachers and Staff
Today’s digital age has brought a technological revolution to many industries, including education. An area that experienced significant transformation is how schools approach procurement and budget management. Amazon Business’ powerful budget management solution for educators and administrators is a turnkey solution that can accelerate this transformation. Hear from Greg Long, Purchasing Director at Seminole County Public Schools on his district’s experience with the tool.
Seamless procurement experience
Amazon Business’ budget management solution maintains purchasing guardrails while replicating the seamless consumer shopping experience educators and administrators expect while shopping at home. Our budget management tool brings controls and analytic features that enable customers to digitize and automate procurement processes. By leveraging this technology, educational institutions can allocate budgets, actively monitor spend, and empower staff to make informed purchasing decisions. Educators have found this tool particularly useful for managing classroom supply funds, such as ESSER funding, federal grants, and department-wide budgets.
Transforming classroom purchasing: A Seminole County Public Schools case study
Long shared that educators at Seminole County Public Schools faced challenges when it came to purchasing supplies. Traditionally, managing teacher supply funds involved cumbersome processes, such as distributing purchasing cards and handling receipts. By providing individual accounts through Amazon Business, teachers were entrusted to monitor their allocated funds and make necessary purchases directly through the organization’s Amazon Business account. With an approval workflow incorporated into the process, administrators were able to ensure compliance with purchasing guidelines.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institutions to adapt to remote and hybrid learning environments. Amazon Business' budget management tool proved invaluable during this transition, as it facilitated online purchases and provided visibility for administrators. Teachers, already familiar with Amazon Business' ordering process, found it easy to navigate the platform. The flexibility of the system allowed for adjustments in product mix and approval workflows, accommodating the changing needs of teachers in different teaching environments.
One of the standout features implemented through Amazon Business is Single Sign-on, which streamlined user authentication and account management. This integration with the district’s Active Directory via collaboration between the IT team at Seminole County Public Schools and Amazon Business Professional Services ensured a seamless user experience and simplified administration.
"Amazon Business’ ease of use is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about most valuable features. I didn't have to teach someone how to use it. They already knew. Anytime you log into Amazon, it's like ‘Oh, this is easy.’ You make [the process] easy. Let me find the search bar, and there it is. You have different things you're looking at, and you go ‘Oh, that's what I want. Boom.’ That's what I'm talking about…that I don't have to do a lot of teaching of how the system works."
— Greg Long, Purchasing Director at Seminole County Public Schools
Amazon Business' budget management solution has helped transform procurement processes in the education sector. By digitizing and automating budget management, educators and administrators can allocate funds, monitor spending, and make informed purchasing decisions. Seminole Country Public Schools' success story demonstrates the benefits of implementing this solution, especially in streamlining classroom supply funds. As technology continues to transform education, tools like Amazon Business' budget management solution will play a crucial role in optimizing procurement processes and empowering educational institutions to provide the best resources for their students.
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