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Arkansas District Uses Technology to Save Money and Time
An Arkansas transportation director and payroll specialist sang the praises of integrated technology company Bytecurve.
Using manual paper timekeeping is a common issue in the industry, said Bryan Mitchell, marketing director for Bytecurve parent company Transit Technologies, during a sponsored webinar Tuesday. He reviewed how school bus operations are complicated by elements like increased transportation costs, driver shortages, inflation, angry parents, payroll errors, union pressure and siloed tech systems. He noted that while half of U.S. students rely on bus services, school bus drivers have decreased by 15 from 2019 to 2023.
“There is so much pressure on transportation to operate darn near perfection,” he quipped. “These challenges are profound.”
Jonathan Agenten, director of North American sales for the scheduling, dispatch and payroll solution that is Bytecurve, reviewed how combining GPS tracking, routing and payroll systems though a customizable dashboard helps districts provide automation and easy answers for both parents looking for their kids and staff needing to get paid.
“You as transportation professionals should not have to spend time on the things that run well,” Agenten said. “Our system is dying to be customized specific to your department’s needs, your rules and the way you pay your people.”
Russellville School District in central Arkansas transports 3,200 students on 43 daily routes covering 99 square miles. Transportation Director Christopher King said payroll was previously a process taking up to 15 days per month and involving inaccurate entries, extra time required to verify them and a 4 to 5-inch stack of timesheets to be signed.
“We were spending hours and days on tasks that should take us minutes,” he said. “It was almost a stone tablet and chisel, that how we did payroll.”
King shared how the district modernized by replacing those outdated, paper-based payroll and dispatch systems with a fully integrated solution powered by Zonar GPS and tablets along with Bytecurve’s digital timekeeping and payroll platform. He shared that tracking the time spent, staff needed and stress involved in the manual processes helped convince administration that the Bytecurve solution was a good investment.
Christina Herdman, Russellville School District’s payroll specialist, spoke to how the phased roll-out required school bus drivers to accept the new processes. Most drivers are between 50 and 80 years old and some needed her help to set up the apps on their phones. Having rapport goes a long way, she added. “When they come into your office, give them your time. It goes a long way,” she said.
She relayed that over 95 percent of Russellville’s drivers, even those who use flip phones and are “terrified” of technology, have adjusted. She shared how staff are pleased with how easily they can clock in and out or adjust their timesheets.
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Stats shown during the webinar confirmed that the district has nearly eliminated payroll errors. This has saved 10 hours per week in driver communications and payroll reconciliation, and resulted in $15,000 monthly labor cost savings, even after wage increases.
Having a one-stop shop to monitor school buses and handle employee information streamlined operations and saved valuable time, King confirmed. Herdman noted that procedural changes and driver substitutions can easily be made through the system and pushed out digitally to affected parties. Communications are vastly improved and any type of reports needed can be quickly pulled.
“It has changed our lives, changed the way we operate,” King declared.
“It’s amazing,” Herdman agreed. “Payroll went from 1,000 manual tasks to [pressing]five buttons.”
Both King and Herdman praised Bytecurve’s customization and customer service, with most questions answered in hours.
Bytecurve technology is used on 55,000 buses and by over 60,000 employees nationwide, said Mitchell. Field trip management software busHive, interior cameras, and AI-powered safety solutions like driver monitoring systems and lane departure warnings can be used in tandem.
Leveraging technology thoughtfully and accurately helps put dollars back into the classroom and save administrative staff’s time, he added.
The post Arkansas District Uses Technology to Save Money and Time appeared first on School Transportation News.
