Meet the Client
The School District of Lee County (SDLC) serves 93,167 students across 120 schools in beautiful Lee County, Florida. With 11,000 full and part-time employees, SDLC ranks as one of the area’s largest employers. Managing operations at this scale requires technology that keeps pace with the district’s mission. Like many school districts, SDLC found their existing systems couldn’t handle the volume of daily financial transactions without creating bottlenecks.
Daily Detour: A System Called "The Pony"
SDLC’s finance department processed 80,000 invoices each year through their “Req to Check” procurement workflow. The process was drowning in paper. Invoices traveled between offices via inter-office mail (staff called it “The Pony”). Approvals took days instead of hours. Staff entered the same data into multiple systems. When departments needed copies, they waited for “The Pony” to make another round.
“We recognized a need to improve the efficiency of these processes,” said Greta Malaise, Primary PeopleSoft Business Process Analyst at SDLC.
The district had a small Laserfiche installation. But it wasn’t integrated with PeopleSoft, their enterprise resource planning system. This meant double data entry, delayed approvals, and frustrated staff who wanted to focus on students instead of paper shuffling.
About our Client
CLIENT NAME:
POPULATION:
120 School sites est. 93,000 residents
SOLUTIONS:
The Solution: Integration That Works While You Work
SDLC partnered with MCCi as their Laserfiche solution provider to build a fully integrated procurement and accounts payable system. MCCi started with a GAP analysis to map current processes and identify improvement opportunities. A Gold-Certified Project Manager spent time with district staff evaluating workflows and record management procedures.
The resulting solution included more than 300 Laserfiche workflow activities integrated directly with PeopleSoft.
Here’s how it works now. When staff submit a requisition in PeopleSoft, they can attach supporting documents directly to Laserfiche through the PeopleSoft interface. Principals and department heads review requisitions and view attachments without leaving their screen. After approval, PeopleSoft queues the request for purchase order generation.
Twice daily, Procurement issues purchase orders that route automatically to Laserfiche. The system breaks up large batches and files each PO under its unique vendor folder. Supporting documentation travels with the PO, so Procurement can send complete information to vendors.
When vendors submit invoices, Accounts Payable clerks scan them after creating vouchers in PeopleSoft. The PeopleSoft screen shows Laserfiche actions that allow instant attachment. The system captures all relevant voucher data. If a voucher links to a PO, the invoice automatically locates that PO in Laserfiche and routes to the appropriate department or district bookkeeper for review.
After bookkeepers “receive” goods or services in PeopleSoft, invoice packets wait in a holding area until checks are issued. PeopleSoft creates weekly check batches. The non-negotiable check stub routes virtually to Laserfiche, eliminating duplicate check copies. Backend integration automatically splits checks in Laserfiche and matches them with relevant POs and invoices. Complete invoice packets file automatically with proper retention schedules applied.
Staff can now open a vendor folder and see every PO, invoice, and check in one place.
“PeopleSoft screens integrated seamlessly to eliminate double data entry,” said Paula Dawson, Customer Care Specialist. “We were also able to automate the archival of POs and non-negotiable check copies. After dispatching purchase orders twice, we export the batch as a PDF and drop it in Laserfiche. Laserfiche automatically splits them into multiples and files them in Laserfiche by number, supplier/vendor name, and requisition number.”
Beyond finance, SDLC uses Laserfiche to manage student services. Graduated or departed student records are scanned into a secure repository. When students request transcripts for college applications or transfers, staff retrieve them instantly. Human Resources stores all personnel files and applicant files securely in Laserfiche.
MCCi provided Laserfiche training and ongoing Laserfiche support to ensure staff could maximize their investment. As a trusted Laserfiche partner, MCCi continues to work with SDLC on new automation projects, including a Personnel Action Form and teacher onboarding process improvements.
The Results: More Time for Students, Less Time for Paper
SDLC eliminated inter-office mail for invoice processing. Staff no longer enter the same data twice. Paper filing is gone. Time savings freed finance staff to focus on strategic work instead of document routing.
Students benefit from faster transcript processing. HR accelerates hiring with instant access to applicant files. Department heads approve requisitions faster because they see all supporting documents in one interface.
The district continues to expand Laserfiche throughout operations. What started as a focused finance project became a platform for district-wide efficiency gains.
For school districts managing high-volume financial processes, the lesson is clear. Integration between your ERP and document management system isn’t a luxury. It’s how you get back to the work that matters most: serving students and supporting staff.