In June 2018 Scott and Rachel Davis (who had been using Jackrabbit since the software’s inception in 2004) finally went totally digital. They had already realized amazing benefits from implementing Jackrabbit AND keeping some paper back-ups in place. But there was one thing that they were a little ‘old school’ about. When they finally let go, the payoff for using the software skyrocket!
Up until a few months ago, Scott and Rachel’s gym – eNeRGy Kidz – had used Jackrabbit for most everything but had not totally leveraged Jackrabbit’s use of the cloud because of the potential distress of internet interruptions.
They spent lots of time keeping up with printed rolls, students skills charts and communicating with the staff when there were absences or makeups.
AND
Inputting much of the same data in to Jackrabbit which was a VERY time-consuming ‘just in case,’ but they felt it was a necessary safety net.
Today, the paper updates are gone. Everything is done in the cloud in Jackrabbit.
There are no more stacks of paper shuffled around the office. They purchased 20 tablets and all instructors use them on the floor.
On a weekly basis, their office manager downloads a PDF version of all the rolls so that, during the rare internet interruption, office managers will be able to maintain some organization amidst the inconvenience. Now it takes only a few minutes each week to have the backup and sense of security they needed.
There are pros and cons to digital.
Let’s look at the cons first, just because I like knowing what I’m up against when I’m looking at pros.
The cons
- There is the Internet thing. Jackrabbit can’t control it and It CAN go down.
- There is the purchase and management of the tablets (remember, you’re putting them in the hands of teachers who are on the floor while using them)
- There is the management of the connections of each tablet to the router and the stability of the router in your network.
The pros
- Processes are streamlined through automation and access to a database.
- Paperwork shifts and archives are eliminated.
- Time-savings is almost unimaginable – even for seasoned users – including absence entry, skill tracking, scheduling make ups, transferring students between classes.
The magnitude of the pros make the cons look ridiculous.
Let’s discount the cons so it’s obvious how awesome the pros are.
The internet. Be realistic about how much internet interruption actually happens. Be realistic, not paranoid. If downtime is a pattern, it’s time to get with your internet service provider. Jackrabbit has no control over the reliability or speed of your internet connection except provide best practices for browser maintenance.
Tablet cost. You just sort of have to roll with this one. The increased productivity for your employees FAR exceeds any device investment.
Router connectivity. Some folks are technically inclined for such tasks and some are not. If this overwhelms you, get technical help.
Let’s detail the pros.
Streamline processes. Employee productivity skyrockets and energy can be directed toward more valuable human interaction – which also improves the experience you provide to your families.
Paperwork is eliminated. The costs of the paper itself and to the environment that printing literally tons of pages causes is magically gone.
Time-savings. No one has to spend time hovering over legal pads and sign-up sheets, transferring information from one sheet to another or a host of other manual tasks.
The savings and productivity are recurring. And additional ways to save or become more efficient are continuously discovered or added via technology.
Jackrabbit helps you to put technology to work for you and – as Scott and Rachel have illustrated – you can jump into totally digital immediately or work through it gradually. The power is truly puts the power in your hands.