When IT Empowers Staff: A Q&A with Tyndale’s ICT Technician

For David Tran, ICT Technician at Tyndale Christian School, technology is at its best when it quietly empowers people behind the scenes. From managing system integrations to troubleshooting devices, David’s role gives him a front-row seat to how well (or poorly) digital systems work together. Over time, he saw how a growing tech stack created more complexity than clarity. Data was scattered across platforms, reporting was slow, and staff were relying on product owners to retrieve the information they needed. 

With Veracross, that’s changing. The all-in-one SIS is helping Tyndale consolidate systems, improve data accessibility, and reduce friction across departments. For David, it’s not just about technology. It’s about creating a seamless, connected environment where information flows freely, teachers can focus on teaching, and IT can focus on innovation.  

What were some of the biggest frustrations you and your team were experiencing with your tech-stack before Veracross? 

We reached a point where we had a lot of products and services. The problem lay in trying to extract information for the right parties. Teachers, administration staff and finance required data points that we couldn’t get out easily. Departments wanted to be able to access information themselves. They knew what they wanted, they knew where they needed to get it from, but they didn’t have the capacity to do it themselves. 

We had trouble contacting vendors at times, getting information or establishing reports. It was just too much to handle. We needed a solution that encompassed all the data in one source of truth that could be easily extracted by parties at the same time. These challenges really impacted us. 

What problems did that cause for the broader school community? 

The broader school community felt this when information wasn’t being fed to them in a timely manner. Requests and information were being funnelled through certain people, and that was being held up. 

People were constantly approaching us for things that were out of our control at times, so we would feel the frustrations and burden of that. We also felt that this sort of information should be readily available and easily accessible. That was one of the big driving forces behind looking for a new solution. 

What operational or administrative improvements are you hoping to achieve with this SIS change?  

We weren’t looking for something that would solve all our problems. We’ve been in the educational space long enough to know that there’s no such product out there. But we wanted something that was an all-in-one solution and at the same time had the capacity to integrate well with existing products.  

That gave us the opportunity to look for best-in-class products and services and solve some of the gripes and issues that were present at Tyndale. 

When you were looking for a new SIS, what were some of the non-negotiables? 

Some of the non-negotiables that we had on our list were the ability to integrate with our current tech-stack and to work seamlessly. 

One of the friction points our staff felt was when they moved from one service to another, it was very jarring. It was an added layer of work on top of what they were doing already. We wanted something that allowed them to do their day-to-day without too much pain. 

When you were looking at the different SIS options, what stood out about Veracross? 

What stood out during the evaluation, especially during the demo session, was the excitement in the departments and staff involved, across finance, teaching, executives and office administration. There was an air of excitement because the questions they raised were very specific, but they were being catered to and being answered. There were solutions for the problems they had but there were also roadmaps and pathways for future ideas they had in mind as well.  

Change is always hard, but there was excitement at Tyndale when we were evaluating Veracross. It felt like we were being heard. It felt like it wasn’t just an IT solution, but a school solution. 

Was there a particular moment when you felt confident Veracross was the right fit? 

We knew Veracross was a strong candidate and ultimately the right choice because from an IT perspective, it ticked a lot of boxes. But then from a school-wide perspective, all the departments were eager and excited to see the solutions that they provided over the other options that we had. 

How important was partnership in choosing your new SIS? 

Partnership was one of the key points in evaluating the future SIS because we have a lot of established apps and products at Tyndale already. We want to maintain those because they’re well established and they work in this space. 

We like how Veracross are transparent with their roadmap and the products that they are integrating with. They’re always reaching out to other vendors in the Australian edtech space (especially the ones that we’re involved with) to include in their partner ecosystem. It gives us long-term positivity that they’ll be able to maintain these integrations. 

How have you and the team been finding the implementation process so far? 

It was daunting at first because of the scale of the project. But when we met our implementation managers, they were wonderful, very accommodating. They were very clear and succinct about what needed to be done and walked us through each workshop and each session. They booked in extra meetings when we needed it. They were there after hours at times when we didn’t expect it. It’s been a very good process to be honest. 

We also had access to the Veracross University courses. The knowledge base is extensive, so we’ve always felt well looked after in terms of the information provided, as well as the expertise that was available to us. 

What early signs have given you confidence you’ve made the right decision switching to Veracross? 

From an IT perspective, the extensive API libraries — that was what we wanted to see. Through this process of implementation, the support from the team and the implementation managers showcases we have a strong partnership with Veracross. Not only now during implementation, but for the years to come when we need to further the products and modules that we use. It’s a very positive outlook. 

What are your expectations around how Veracross will improve access, integration and support for the school once fully implemented?  

It would be a space where the SIS, the LMS, and all our products work well in the background. Not in the foreground because it’s a gripe or a friction point.  

Teachers, staff and students would be able to go from one space to another whilst going about their day, teaching and learning without feeling the pain points. It’s seamless for them, and allows them to do their teaching and learning without being interrupted. We envision a school where technology and education work well together, where teaching is complemented by the technology and the product suite that we have. 

For other schools considering a SIS change, what’s one bit of advice you would give as they begin their journey? 

My one piece of advice I would give other schools exploring a change like this would be to really consider it because there’s a lot of work involved. But if you’re also at this point, there would be a good reason that you’re considering change. 

Take all the department’s opinions into account. A school is made up of a lot of niche and different departments and faculties that work together. Find a solution that caters to everyone’s needs to the best ability. You won’t be able to find a product that does everything perfectly, but where we reached the decision in Veracross was that it considered all of our needs very, very well. 

 

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Book a demo with our team to learn what’s possible with a Veracross SIS.