One of the Nation's Largest School Districts Deploys New Dell Chromebooks™ and Device Protection for More Than 100,000 Students During the Pandemic
Summary
Targus partnered with Dell to equip one of the nation’s largest school districts with protective carrying cases to accompany Chromebooks for all students, enabling more than 100 schools in the district to ensure a productive hybrid learning environment throughout the pandemic. The Targus team worked closely with the school district to ensure the on-time delivery of more than 50,000 protective carrying cases to accompany Dell Chromebooks for all students, mitigating significant supply chain delays.
Through exceptional consultative selling, communications, and teamwork, the school district was able to provide an effective, alternative tablet case solution to meet its schools’ deployment timelines, following significant delivery delays with the initial case selected.
The Customer: K-12 School District
The client is one of the largest school systems in the US with more than 18,000 staff members serving more than 100,000 K-12 students throughout 100+ schools. Located in a thriving metropolitan, diverse community, it is ranked among the top school districts in the region and nation, known for providing quality educational experiences where all students succeed.
The Project: Equipping All Students with Protective Cases to Accompany the District-Wide Deployment of Dell Chromebooks to Enable a Successful Hybrid Learning Environment Throughout the Pandemic
The global pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our nation’s K-12 public school systems to deliver quality educational experiences without disruption. To minimize the transmission of the virus, virtually all schools nationwide transitioned to remote learning, utilizing technology platforms that required its students to be equipped with their own tablets and laptops, as well as cases to protect those devices. The school district began conversations with Dell about refreshing devices for the 2021-22 school year in January 2021 and Targus was asked to address our protective cases to accompany them.
The school district needed to equip its large student population with new Chromebooks, along with Targus’ protective cases on time for the start of the new school year, creating aggressive project timelines with the need to provide 50,000 cases by the first week of August. Ultimately, the project was split into two with the first phase, comprising 27,000 cases and a remaining order of 25,000 cases planned for the following 2022-23 school year.
As a local resident to the school district, Targus’ sales representative personally dropped off several samples for evaluation, providing the client with high-touch interactions and consultation. After reviewing different products, the school district selected the 11.6" Work-in Case for Dell Chromebook™ (TKC001) for its eco-friendly materials, high-quality construction, superior device protection, and functionality.
The Challenge: Supply Chain Delays Causing Disruption to Initial Project Delivery Timelines
Due to external circumstances outside of Targus’ control, orders for the initial product selected were delayed and would not arrive on time for the school district’s technology rollout during the start of the new school year. An alternative product would need to be chosen to meet its aggressive project timelines.
The Solution: Targus Protective Carrying Cases for Dell Chromebook™
Through exceptional teamwork, communications, and relationship-building, Targus successfully mitigated this product availability issue by recommending an alternative case – 11.6" Work-in Essentials Case for Chromebook™ (TED006GL) – which would offer a comparable solution and offered similar qualities to the initial case selected.
Targus’ sales rep had numerous calls and email exchanges with both the client and Dell to keep everyone connected on the project’s progress. Internal teamwork was also critical in ensuring the client’s timeline commitments were met, requiring quick revision to the orders, confirming on-time product allocations, as well as closely coordinating with shipping and logistics to prevent any transportation delays.
Through exceptional teamwork and high-touch communications, Targus successfully achieved the client’s aggressive project timelines to meet its students’ technology needs for the 2021 school year.
The Outcome: Successful, On-Time Technology Deployment for More Than 50,000 Students
Overcoming uncontrollable delays with the initial order, Targus successfully delivered more than 27,000 cases to the client on time with a remaining 25,000 additional cases ordered for the 2022-23 school year. Pleased with the outcome, the client has since placed an additional order of 32,000 cases to arrive at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.
This case study highlights the critical role that technology plays in ensuring children receive a productive, collaborative, and uninterrupted educational experience to thrive and succeed. As we continue to navigate what the future of work and life will look like, equipping America’s school systems with effective technology, as well as quality protection for those devices, has never been more critical.