Boosting Productivity and Minimizing Risk: Hernando County School District's IoT Journey

The customer in this case study is the Hernando County School District, located on Florida’s central-west coast. The district comprises 29 schools and facilities, serving 23,000 students and employing 3,100 staff. The district's Facilities and Construction Department was facing a significant challenge due to employee turnover, which threatened the loss of district-specific knowledge and processes that had not been formally recorded. The department was responsible for ensuring that all its building permits met building, fire, and life safety code requirements. The district's budget for deferred maintenance work increased tenfold in 2016 after voters approved a tax fund, further compounding the challenge.

The Hernando County School District, located on Florida’s central-west coast, was facing a threefold challenge. The district, which comprises 29 schools and facilities, 23,000 students, and 3,100 staff, needed to boost productivity, retain informal knowledge, and minimize risk. The Facilities and Construction Department was particularly at risk due to employee turnover, which threatened the loss of district-specific knowledge and processes that had not been formally recorded. This was not just an operational issue, but also a statutory requirement. The district was responsible for ensuring that all its building permits met building, fire, and life safety code requirements. The challenge was further compounded in 2016 when the district's budget for deferred maintenance work increased tenfold after voters approved a tax fund. The department needed a solution that could support both its construction and operational processes without breaking the budget.

The district found its solution in Nintex, a software that addressed the district’s full range of construction and operational processes for 80% lower licensing and installation costs compared to other software options. The workflow solution starts with a Nintex Form that project managers, third-party contractors, and others use to initiate their requests for building permits. Nintex Workflow forwards the form to a permit technician, who confirms it includes all relevant data and attachments for the on-staff fire and life safety reviewer and third-party building code reviewers. The application is then sent to the relevant reviewers for approvals. Once those approvals are received, the technician confirms the application is complete. Nintex DocGen then creates the building permit from content in the application and reviews. The workflow leverages Nintex Sign® powered by Adobe Sign to request signatures from the officials. When the permit is ready, Nintex Workflow sends an automated notification email to the project manager and applicant.

• The implementation of Nintex has brought significant operational benefits to the Hernando County School District. The software has not only streamlined the building permit approval process but also ensured that all permits meet the necessary building, fire, and life safety code requirements. The automated workflow has reduced the risk of losing district-specific knowledge and processes due to employee turnover. It has also freed up time for staff to focus on other tasks by reducing document handling by 50%. The software is easy for non-programmers to learn and use, making it a practical solution for the district. The real-time status tracking feature has improved coordination of internal and external efforts, further enhancing operational efficiency.

• Expedited building permit approvals by 50%
• Reduced employee document handling by 50%
• 80% lower licensing/installation cost compared to other software options