Meet Harris Schools

Harris Schools is a family of education software systems offering financial management tools, virtual learning networks, student management software, data analysis and specialized reporting. With a large client base across the U.S., Harris Schools leadership understands the scope of massive projects—and the importance of partnering with teams to execute efficiently, accurately and cost effectively. So, when the Clients’ ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems were reaching end of life, Harris Schools turned to Altera Managed Services to help migrate those systems and complete a significant data conversion. Here’s how it happened.

A high-stakes challenge

Harris Schools had recently said goodbye to a retiring data-conversion specialist when they were approached by two clients with expiring ERP systems and tight deadlines. ERP systems are the backbone of K–12 district operations—running payroll, HR data, budgeting, finance, vendor management, accounts payable and state-required reporting. These systems touch every part of a district’s financial and employee management ecosystem, making data conversions both risky and complex. A single employee record can contain thousands of interconnected data elements, and even small errors can affect payroll or retirement decades later.

The Clients’ ERP systems were shutting down in July, leaving Harris Schools with not even three months to migrate data, complete setup, test and ensure payroll would run on time. Because the systems were end-of-life, the Clients couldn’t operate without a successful transition. Missing the deadline would have forced them onto unsupported software that didn’t meet statutory requirements. At the same time, Harris Schools was training a new data specialist, taking on this time-sensitive conversion project and onboarding several new clients—all with limited internal capacity.

Rather than handling all conversions internally, they explored partnering with Managed Services.

The right partner at the right time

Managed Services stepped into a large and mission-critical project. The Clients had around 400 employees, each with potentially thousands of associated data elements. Every record had to be linked correctly across multiple related tables to avoid mismatched or corrupt data. The Managed Services team created tasks for each table requiring import, ensured data was loaded in the correct sequence and format, focused on accurate relational links and worked around the clock. Harris Schools would review data during the day, and by the following morning, updates were implemented. “Altera fully adopted our ticketing system and workflows. They adapted to our methods rather than forcing new tools on our team. Without Altera Managed Services support, we likely wouldn’t have been able to take on the clients. We would’ve lost the sale,” said Ben Childs, EVP of Harris Schools. With Managed Services, Harris Schools was able to take the two Clients live at the same time using the same staff who normally handled one—and successfully doubled its implementation capacity.

“The project management and communication during this project were exceptional—above and beyond our internal standards. It felt like Altera was an extension of our staff.”

Ben Childs, EVP of Harris Schools

The power of a shared mission

This collaboration resulted in one of the fastest data conversions Harris Schools has ever completed, getting The Clients’ ERP systems up and running within the three-month deadline. Childs shared, “I’ve been at Harris Schools for 11 years and was a client for 15 years before that—this partnership stood out. We recently renewed our contract with Altera because of the value they delivered.” In addition to the speed, Harris Schools saved $15,000 in OpEx on the data conversion, with Professional Services ending around a 1.8 ratio—surpassing their internal expectations. Harris Schools’ clients often stay for 25–30 years, and the lifetime value of this contract alone was $35,000 annually. As Childs put it, “The project management and communication during this project were exceptional—above and beyond our internal standards. It felt like Altera was an extension of our staff.”

Continuing the journey—side by side

In a project full of moving parts, Managed Services understood the importance of strong communication, reliable workflows and a dedicated team supporting both Harris Schools and the clients they serve. As Childs described it, “We learned several lessons from Altera about client management and process handling. Their dedication matched ours at every level.” It was a privilege to work alongside Harris Schools and The Client—helping them better serve the learners and school communities counting on them every day. As they look ahead, they know they have a steady partner for navigating complex data conversions and tackling the impossible. Childs captured it best: “If you need to scale data conversions better, faster and more cost-effectively, Altera Managed Services is the way to go. Any business not exploring Altera is truly missing out.”

And for us?

We’re excited to continue supporting Harris Schools and its Clients—working side by side to strengthen operations, support growth and help them deliver for the communities they serve.