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“What used to take a week or more can now be completed in the same day.”
Stephanie Gray
Accounting Specialist
Yadkin County Schools in North Carolina saw significant portions of their budget consumed by paper supplies and postage costs. Additionally, slow manual processes necessitated long lead times for requests and approvals, frustrated teachers and employees, and added stress to new employee onboarding.
The district took action and committed to a district initiative in 2020 to simplify administrative processes by switching to electronic forms. However, it was an ambitious goal for the 15-school K-12 district with just over 5,000 students enrolled. At the time, they had a digital forms software tool in place, but they quickly discovered it wasn’t up to their demands. They needed a modern, flexible solution to digitize a wide range of forms, route them through various approvals, and give employees, new hires, and families the ability access and complete forms online from anywhere.
Finding the right solution to take K-12 forms and processes digital
Stephanie Gray, accounting specialist at Yadkin County Schools, says it only took one look at LINQ Forms & Workflows to realize they found the solution they needed. “We did the demo and then jumped right in. It just looked right to us from the start,” she says. The solution offered the flexibility they needed to handle a wide variety of forms, along with pre-built form templates to make it faster and easier to get started. They found the user interface easy to understand, and best of all, the standalone solution promised a quick, straightforward implementation.
Gray says the first step was to digitize forms at the district level, then begin taking school-level forms and processes online. “Just two of us handle the administration of Forms & Workflows,” she explains, “and although there was the typical hesitance about learning a new system, people are now letting go of paper and enjoying the faster processes.” Now several years in, the district uses online forms and processes for everything from absence, resignation, and field trip request forms to digital onboarding packets for substitute teachers and community coaches that they don’t have to print, pack, and mail.
Faster, more efficient administrative processes
LINQ Forms & Workflows gives everyone the flexibility to complete, submit, and review forms from anywhere, 24/7. Plus, automated workflows ensure that forms route directly to the person who needs it instantly—no waiting on mail, couriers, or hand delivery. Simple processes like employee information updates or absence requests that could take days previously can now be done in minutes.
Gray tells us she sees two primary benefits from switching to digital forms and processes. “The number one benefit is efficiency,” she says. “It also improves accountability because the system ensures that people fill out forms completely.” Because form builders can create required fields and response selections when appropriate, they minimize errors and repeat form submissions due to incomplete forms.
Same-day field trip approvals instead of weeks of waiting
Before implementing LINQ Forms & Workflows, the process for approving field trip requests was cumbersome and time consuming. Gray remembers, “Teachers had to fill out paper forms, which then needed to be physically delivered to the superintendent’s office for approval.” This process often took a week or more, causing delays in planning and scheduling field trips.
LINQ Forms & Workflows simplified the entire field trip approval process. Gray says, “Teachers submit their field trip request forms online, and they’re automatically routed to the superintendent for approval. It’s very easy.” This reduces the time it takes to get approval. Gray points out, “What used to take a week or more can now be completed in the same day.” She says teachers appreciate the efficiency and convenience of requesting and receiving approval for field trips in just a few clicks. This gives them more time and energy to focus on preparing for the field trip and maximizing the learning value for their students.
Saving up to $7 per onboarding packet by going digital
Transitioning from traditional paper-based onboarding packets to digital packets through LINQ Forms & Workflows saves significant time and money for Yadkin County Schools. They currently use the system to onboard substitute teachers and community coaches, which means they no longer need to print and pay postage for these packets. Gray says, “Each onboarding packet would cost between six and seven dollars to print, assemble, and mail. Now, we just do it all through Forms & Workflows.” Additionally, electronic onboarding packets can be viewed, completed, and forms returned at their convenience from anywhere they have online connectivity.
Digitizing the onboarding process means new hires can complete all necessary paperwork before moving to the area. This helps Yadkin County Schools expand their recruiting pool. They can offer out-of-town applicants a convenient and flexible onboarding process that works around the new hire’s moving schedule. Staff members who have another job also appreciate the flexibility to complete their onboarding packet around their busy schedule.
Countless reasons to recommend LINQ Forms & Workflows
Yadkin County Schools experienced significant efficiency improvements across departments since implementing LINQ Forms & Workflows. They also simplified processes for all their employees and new hires. Everyone now gets faster turnaround times and less administrative burden.
The district also gained flexibility that adds to their operational resiliency. Digital processes and forms enable them to adapt faster to changing situations or sudden needs. For example, a school or building closure due to weather or emergency repairs won’t prevent HR staff from reviewing applications and sending onboarding packets. They can continue moving quickly no matter what, a crucial capability in a competitive labor market. Across the board, staff members report that they’ve been able to eliminate repetitive, unnecessary tasks to free up more time for focusing on strategic initiatives.
Feedback from staff members has been overwhelmingly positive, Gray tells us. “They really appreciate the convenience and simplicity of using the system,” she says. Gone are the days of making multiple copies, coordinating postage sends, and waiting for forms to be processed. Now simply sending a link or clicking a button completes the task.
“I’d recommend LINQ Forms & Workflows to anybody looking to implement a digital forms solution,” Gray says. She explains that patience pays with ensuring staff-wide adoption, as it does require change. However, she says the time, money, and stress saved by going digital more than makes up for the transition. Gray adds, “My advice? Just do it!”