Customer Success Story: Ascend Public Charter Schools
2018
Ascend Public Charter Schools Makes the Grade with IntuitiveTEK’s Stellar Implementation and Training
IntuitiveTEK’s training and charter school expertise help Ascend Public Charter Schools expand its budgeting process.
Charter schools can change at the speed of light. In 2018, Ascend Public Charter Schools jumped from three schools to 10 and plan to add two more next year. With fast-paced growth, it’s vital for FP&A tools to keep up. Chief Financial Officer Andrew Epstein remembers juggling the budgeting process with the wrong tool: “We budgeted using eight different multi-tab spreadsheets with links that were difficult to maintain, and it was impossible to see summary or roll-up info.”
As Ascend schools grew, it was obvious that they needed a new tool. Everything changed when it switched to Adaptive Insights. “There is no way we could have managed the budget process without Adaptive Insights!” says Epstein.
“Last year’s budget process was much smoother and generally more successful than in previous years. Our school leaders all commented that the process was smoother and the information, more reliable,” he adds.
Now Ascend schools can drive greater transparency into expenses, control operating costs and better manage uncertain revenue streams. Not to mention, Adaptive Insights’ common data foundation fuels trust and accountability, and ensures that planning processes scale with growth.
This was all made possible with IntuitiveTEK’s superb implementation and training. Epstein explains, “The IntuitiveTEK team is responsive, helpful and easy to work with. Prior knowledge of the charter school sector was helpful!”
After completing initial training with IntuitiveTEK, Epstein has high praise for IntuitiveTEK Implementation Manager Kevin Green: “Kevin is very knowledgeable and helpful.”
With the budgeting process running smoothly, Ascend schools is looking forward to using IntuitiveTEK to add Adaptive Insight’s reporting and forecasting tools to the mix. Ascend schools is confident IntuitiveTEK is up tothe task.