We sat down with Susan Norzick, the Senior Manager at Colorado State Shared Services, for another FireSide Chat to hear about her experience with using Orchestra. The team at QuickSchools created the Orchestra Master Scheduler to make the process of master scheduling much easier. We understood that this process was overwhelming and took far more time than it should have.

Susan shared that Orchestra has truly helped ease the entire scheduling process, making it incredibly efficient. Uploading student information and generating schedules has become a breeze. With just a simple click, everything falls into place seamlessly. It has significantly reduced the time required for scheduling, cutting it down by half or even more. Despite the occasional complexities and unique requirements they encounter, Orchestra has been a remarkable time-saver.

When asked what Susan likes most about working with the Orchestra team, she mentioned how out of all the student management systems and master scheduling programs she has encountered, Orchestra stands out as the “most responsive.” She was particularly appreciative that she can send an email with a question, and within minutes, receive a helpful response. When a school expresses a need or makes a suggestion, the Orchestra team goes above and beyond to bring that request to life. Susan states, “This level of attentiveness and responsiveness is something I haven't experienced with any other software.”

Susan also noted that one feature that pleasantly surprised her is the ability to email schedules directly to the students and their parents. It has been incredibly beneficial and allows them to have instant access to their schedules right at their fingertips. The transparency it provides is fantastic. No more mysteries or confusion. Instead, it fosters open communication and transparency, a game-changer in terms of keeping everyone informed and engaged.

Prior to implementing Orchestra, Susan said they were struggling with a mere 10% attendance rate. However, once Orchestra came into play, they witnessed a significant boost, with attendance skyrocketing to 60%. The ability to provide students with clear schedules, ensuring they know exactly where they need to be, has proven to be incredibly valuable.

Thank you to Susan Norzick for participating in our FireSide chat. You can check out her full video below.