March 2010 CRS Advanced Technology
IN THIS ISSUE GARFIELD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 16 LET'S DISCUSS SOME FACTS SUBFINDER NOW INTEGRATES WITH APPLITRACK THE TOOLS YOU'LL NEED FOR GREEN SPRING CLEANING
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Many of us have suffered through a long, grueling winter and are very excited for the month of March! Spring is only just a few days away!
Welcome to InTouch Online. We have a great issue for you this month! To begin, meet Garfield County School District No. 16 in Colorado, a new customer of ours who uses SubFinder's maxximum capabilities.
Next, we will go over some facts about our SubFinder customers. Are you interested in learning about our software and customer service?
Finally, did you hear about our new partnership with AppliTrack? Learn more about AppliTrack and our seamless integration!
ENJOY!
Customer Highlight:
Garfield County School District No. 16, ColoradoAlways Helpful, Always Friendly
Interview by: Corinne McLaughlin, Marketing Coordinator
Interview with: Cindi Bernal, SubFinder Operator
Garfield County School District is located in the Colorado River Valley, approximately 5,099 feet above sea level in the town of Parachute. The name Parachute was given to the town based from the appearance of the streams that converge on the town; however, in 1908 the name of the town was changed to Grand Valley to lure travelers who were on their way to the actual Grand Valley, which is also located in the Colorado River Valley to the southwest. The actual Grand Valley area was known for its fruit production, which enticed settlers. In the late 1970s, the local history, “Lest We Forget” was published, whereby the town voted to return the town’s name back to its original, Parachute.
The Colorado River separates the two communities that occupy the Garfield County School District, Parachute and Battlement Mesa. The surrounding waterways provide excellent opportunities for outdoor activities and the area is a veritable sportsman’s paradise with local activities such as: skiing, fishing, hunting, golfing, rafting, and so much more. These growing communities are attractive to settle into because of the high quality of life with the outdoors, value-priced homes, good medical services, an activity center, and an evolving school system dedicated to keeping up with the times through technology and building renovations. Because of this, the school district’s mission stands very clear: As a result of our efforts, all students will be successfully prepared for life.
I recently had the opportunity to catch up with SubFinder Operator, Cindi Bernal, on the district’s recent SubFinder implementation and how automating the substitute placement process has helped Garfield County Schools the past year.
When did you start working with the SubFinder system?
I was previously employed at elementary schools in the state of Florida. I worked with systems similar to SubFinder at the school secretarial level. I actually began working with SubFinder at the administrative level in January of 2008 after moving to Colorado.
Garfield County School District #16 has been using SubFinder as an ASP for just over one year. How was the first year acclimating to the new system?
I began working with SubFinder at another school district prior to coming to Garfield County School District #16, so I was already well versed in the usage of SubFinder. It is such an awesome program. It takes the stress out of finding substitutes for the schools, and allows substitutes and employees to plan their schedules in advance which assist greatly in the payroll department.
Garfield County #16 chose to use SubFinder’s verification feature, which is free and comes standard with the system. Why did Garfield County #16 decide to use this feature, and how does it help HR management?
We use the verification feature to assist school secretaries in assuring that all absences and documentation are accounted for during payroll. In order to get payroll as close to perfect the first time, our staff is required to fill out leave documentation for every absence. If the secretaries use the verification feature, they are aware of every absence recorded in SubFinder. Verification allows them the assurance that all documentation has been completed and entered in SubFinder by the staff and is subsequently available to the district office prior to payroll deadlines.
How does SubFinder’s Leave Control help with tracking employee leave and entitlements?
It lets an employee know immediately what leaves he/she has used, and what is still available to them. Leave Control assists the secretaries by readily having an answer at their fingertips if an employee has questions regarding leave.
Garfield County #16 uses Infinite Visions for payroll; is your payroll application currently integrated with SubFinder?
Our payroll application is integrated with SubFinder. We just recently took that step and it has minimized our errors in payroll between the two programs. Payroll runs much more smoothly and effectively.
How would you describe the customer service at CRS Advanced Technology?
Absolutely wonderful! Always helpful, always friendly. I never hesitate to ask for assistance and continuously receive that assistance with knowledge and a smile.
If you are interested in learning more about SubFinder, please contact us at 800.782.3463, or by email at subfinder@crsadvtech.com. We want to thank Garfield County School District No. 16, and especially Cindi Bernal, for being such wonderful customers and for participating it this month’s Customer Highlight!
Let's Discuss Some Facts
Answering Your Questions About Utilizing SubFinder
Considering using the SubFinder solution, but have questions about how SubFinder customers utilize the software and the level of customer service and support they receive?
Here are a few interesting facts and statistics gathered through ongoing customer surveys:
What platforms do our customers use for their SubFinder solution?
59% of our SubFinder customers use the Application Service Provider (ASP) solution, while 41% use the box-on-site (BOS) solution. We provide our customers with the option of choosing whether they would like their SubFinder system housed in the CRS Operations Center (ASP), or at their organization’s site (BOS).
How long have our customers been using SubFinder?
11 – 18 years: 30%
6 – 10 years: 31 %
0 – 5 years: 39%
Do we have customers who have switched from another substitute placement system? If so, why did they choose SubFinder?
Of those customer survey respondents, 10% have used another automated substitute placement system – they switched to SubFinder for the following reasons:
31 % lower cost
38% customer service – in fact, 61% of those who used other systems ranked our customer service better than any other vendor
27% technical expertise
Learn more! Call us today at 800.782.3463 and let us help you to find the solution that more than 1.5 million users throughout the United States and Canada depend on every day.
SubFinder Now Integrates with AppliTrack
AppliTrack and SubFinder: Increasing Efficiencies in HR
SubFinder and AppliTrack, the leading web-based applicant tracking and recruiting solution, have partnered to develop a seamless integration between the two systems. Now, school districts can easily import new teacher and new substitute information from AppliTrack into SubFinder, eliminating the need to manually enter data. Read the press release.
The Tools You'll Need for Green Spring Cleaning
A Brief Primer on the Most Useful Green Cleaning Products. It's Almost Time for Spring Cleaning.
By: Leslie Reichert, Author for The Daily Green
*article from http://www.thedailygreen.com – the consumer’s guide to the green revolution.
Are you ready to shake the house clean?
I enjoy knowing the history and origin of all things cleaning. And while the actual origin of spring cleaning is still under debate, I am rather partial to the term "khooneh tekouni," which literally means "shaking the house." To me "shaking the house" has always sounded more fun than just plain old spring cleaning.
Regardless of where and how it started, the fact is, spring cleaning is a must. Throughout history, what we have used to perform the act of cleaning has changed drastically. In the beginning, harsh chemicals didn't even exist for cleaning, but by the mid-1900's strong chemical-based cleaners were considered the safest way to keep our homes clean. But now, it is becoming more and more evident that the effects of harsh chemicals can be damaging and long-term.
So how do we get our homes, offices and schools in tip top shape this spring? We take advantage of green technology to make our spring cleaning chores easier than you could have ever imagined.
Look at some of the great things that we can use to make cleaning easy and safe:
Micro fiber window cloth. This has been one of the best "inventions" in the past 10 years. This cloth can clean your windows without spraying ANY cleaner or using any paper towels. It leaves your windows smear and streak free. You can wash your windows -- inside and out -- in just a few minutes. You wet this cloth with warm water, wring it out really well and wipe the windows. Then walk away. They will dry completely without any lint or streaks! It's amazing!
Eco - Sponges. A newly designed sponge that uses friction instead of chemicals to clean. By just wetting this sponge, you can remove fingerprints, scuff marks, and buildup on floors and sinks. It is a great timesaver and combined with the blue cloth makes cleaning chemical free.
Casabella Sparkle Sponges. Not only hard-working but also fun to use! Sparkle scrub sponges are safe for any porcelain, glassware and non-stick surface. They will not scratch, yet they are tough on grime.
Microfiber mops. These mops are used in hospitals to prevent cross contamination. A removable pad makes cleaning clean from the very start. And using just a spray bottle of water leaves your floor dirt and germ free. Microfiber picks up whether it is wet or dry. It is also great for dusting walls! It will hold the dirt inside the pad until you place it in the wash. .
Ostrich-Down Feather Duster. Did you know professional cleaners still use feather dusters? A quality feather duster dusts large surface areas and easily cleans uneven surfaces and gets in-between objects. In addition, the high-quality ostrich-down feathers attract and hold dust until it's shaken off.
Home-made Cleaners. What is old is new again. People are finding that some of the things our great-grandparents used to clean actually work and are much safer than what we are using today. A great grand-mother's recipe for laundry soap is found to do just as well as any store-bought soap and is much cheaper! Here is the recipe and the details of where to buy some of the ingredients. For more recipes you can down load the e-book "The Joy of Green Cleaning" or purchase the spiral-bound recipe book from Amazon. (Put in coupon code DG09 for the e-book and get 10% off.)
Leslie Reichert is a "green" cleaning coach with over 20 years of experience. She presents with celebrity chefs like Paula Deen and Ming Tsai at events such as the Chicago International Home and Housewares Show and Good Taste, Pittsburgh. Leslie can be contacted at her cleaning hotline at 1-866-50CLEAN or on her blog. She resides with her husband and three children in the Blackstone Valley area of Mass.
Republished with the permission of The Daily Green. All rights reserved.
Want more from The Daily Green? Check out these similar articles:
Never Pay for Household Cleansers Again
Make Your Own Natural Beauty Products
30+ Ways to Save Money by Going Green
Just think – when you receive the next InTouch Online newsletter, spring fever will be in full effect. We hope you enjoy the last few days of winter! If you are interested in receiving more information about SubFinder, or other CRS products, or simply have some questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 800.782.3463 or subfinder@crsadvtech.com.
Sincerely,
The CRS Advanced Technology Team
