Start Here: Who You Are and the Team We’ll Partner With

• Tell us your role and the primary people involved in HR, payroll, and business decisions for the district. Options: HR Director, Payroll Manager / Supervisor, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Benefits Manager, Chief Financial Officer, Other
• How many active employees (headcount) and approximate FTEs does your district manage?
• Which payroll or HRIS system do you run today? Options: Legacy district payroll system, Commercial K-12 payroll vendor, ERP/Finance system payroll module, Multiple systems (hybrid), Manual/spreadsheet-driven, Other
• How many payroll runs do you perform in a typical month, counting regular, supplemental, and stipend runs? Options: 1, 2, 3-4, 5+, Varies by month
• On a scale from 'rock steady' to 'constantly firefighting', which best describes how your team feels about payroll reliability? Options: Rock steady, Mostly reliable with occasional issues, Regular problems that need manual fixes, Constantly firefighting
• In one sentence, what keeps you up at night about payroll or retirement reporting?

Why Are You Still Accepting These Headaches?

• If payroll errors, reporting rework, and duplicate data entry are part of your routine, what do you believe is preventing a real fix?
• How often does a payroll require a manual override or after-the-fact adjustment? Options: Almost every run, Several times a month, A few times a year, Rarely
• When an error happens, who typically leads the investigation and what steps do they take? Options: Payroll manager/team, HR with payroll support, Finance/Business Office, External consultant/vendor, Other
• Tell us about a recent incident where payroll or reporting failures affected employees—what happened, and how did people react?
• How long has this cycle of manual fixes and rework been a pattern in your district? Options: Less than 1 year, 1–3 years, 3–5 years, 5+ years
• If these issues persist, what do you fear will happen next year (staff turnover, penalties, loss of trust, budget hits, etc.)?

When the State Report Says 'Mismatch', Who’s on the Hook?

• If retirement reports rarely balance on the first attempt, what hidden costs or risks do you think you’re absorbing?
• Which state retirement systems or reporting formats do you submit to? Options: CalSTRS, CalPERS, TRS, SERS, Other state system(s), Multiple systems
• How often do your retirement submissions require corrections or supplemental filings? Options: Every submission, Most submissions, Occasionally, Rarely
• Describe your current reconciliation process for retirement reporting: who does it, what tools are used, and where it breaks down.
• Have you faced penalties, audit findings, or formal notices related to retirement reporting in the last three years? Options: Yes—penalties or formal findings, Yes—near misses but no penalties, No
• If we reduced retirement rework by half, how would that change staff workload, vendor costs, or district risk posture?

Position Control: Is Your Budget a Map or a Guess?

• When staffing vacancies happen, does your budget reflect reality or optimistic assumptions? Options: Reflects reality in real time, Mostly accurate but lags, Often optimistic and inaccurate, We don’t have a reliable single source
• How do you currently track positions, encumbrances, and vacancies? Options: Dedicated position control module, ERP/Finance system, Spreadsheet or manual process, Hybrid (system + spreadsheets), Other
• Can you currently run a real-time report showing vacant FTE by fund, program, and site? Options: Yes, easily, Yes, but it takes effort, No, not without manual work, No visibility
• Tell us about a time when position control prevented an overspend—or failed to prevent one. What happened and why?
• Which finance or HR systems must position control integrate with for your district to trust the numbers? Options: ERP/finance (name), HRIS (name), Timekeeping, Payroll, Budgeting tool, Other
• How important is automated budget reconciliation and encumbrance tracking to your leadership? Options: Critical—must have, Very important, Nice to have, Low priority

Substitutes and Absences: Where Duplicate Work Lives

• If substitute assignments require duplicate entry to payroll, how much time and risk does that add to your operations?
• What substitute or absence management system(s) do you use today? Options: A dedicated substitute vendor, Built-in module of payroll/HRIS, Manual phone/email process, No formal system, Other
• Walk us through a typical absence-to-pay flow: who requests substitutes, how are assignments confirmed, and where is data re-entered?
• How often do substitute assignments fail to sync with payroll, resulting in missed or incorrect payments? Options: Very often, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Who is responsible for reconciling substitute pay discrepancies and how long does that reconciliation take? Options: Payroll team, HR/employee services, Site admin, Shared responsibility, Other
• What would be an acceptable monthly tolerance for substitute pay mismatches before leadership considers it urgent? Options: 0-1 errors, 2-5 errors, 6-10 errors, More than 10 errors, Not sure

Extra Duty, Stipends, and Mid-Year Changes: Why They Still Break Things

• If mid-year step changes and stipends still need manual overrides, what does that say about the system versus the process?
• Approximately how many distinct supplemental pay types (stipends, extra-duty, coaching, summer pay, etc.) do you process annually? Options: 1-10, 11-25, 26-50, 50+
• Give a recent example of a mid-year contract or step/lane change—how was it entered, approved, and reflected in payroll?
• How many staff-hours does handling supplemental and mid-year adjustments consume in peak months? Options: <10 hours, 10-40 hours, 40-100 hours, 100+ hours
• Do you maintain salary schedules with step-and-lane progression, and how often are they updated? Options: Yes—complex schedules, frequent updates, Yes—moderate complexity, occasional updates, Yes—simple schedules, No
• How often do you run multi-schedule payroll runs or off-cycle supplemental runs? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Ad-hoc

Picture a Payroll System That Just Works — What Changes First?

• If you could fix three things today about payroll, retirement reporting, or position control, what would you prioritize?
• Which of the following outcomes matter most to you? (Select all that apply.) Options: Zero manual payroll adjustments, Accurate retirement reports first-pass, Real-time position control and budgeting, Seamless substitute integration, Faster onboarding and electronic I-9s, Clear audit trail and reporting, Better employee self-service
• How would you measure success for a project like this—what KPIs or signals would prove it worked for your district?
• Who must sign off on go-live and acceptance testing within your organization? Options: Payroll Manager, HR Director, Assistant Superintendent for Business, CFO, Union/Staff Rep, Other
• If the system could stop one manual activity your team does today, what should it eliminate first?
• During implementation, which engagement style would make your team most comfortable? Options: Weekly remote checkpoints, Milestone reviews with demos, Embedded on-site support during key phases, As-needed consulting

Budget, Timeline, and the Political Landscape — Are We Ready to Move?

• What would make your leadership say 'yes' to replacing or upgrading payroll before the next back-to-school season?
• Which go-live window are you targeting or prefer? Options: Back-to-school (pre-term), Summer payroll cycle, Fiscal year start, Rolling phased go-live, No preference / exploratory
• What budget range has been discussed or tentatively allocated for this initiative? Options: Under $50k, $50k–$150k, $150k–$500k, $500k+, Not sure / not yet discussed
• What internal approvals, committees, or procurement steps are required and how long do they usually take? Options: Board approval, Purchasing/Procurement committee, IT security review, CFO/Business office sign-off, Union notification, Other
• Are there collective bargaining windows, audit cycles, or other calendar constraints we should avoid? Options: Yes—collective bargaining window, Yes—audit season, Yes—major payroll cycle (e.g., back-to-school), No major constraints, Not sure
• Who would be the executive sponsor and the escalation contact if issues arise during implementation?

• Pre-Work Alignment (Data & Failure Modes)
• Payroll Multi‑Schedule Run — Real Failure Mode Walkthrough
• Stipends, Extra‑Duty & Mid‑Year Contract Changes Scenario
• Retirement Reporting Reconciliation Scenario
• Substitute Integration & Position Control Scenario

• Confirm that the risk of state penalties is materially reduced under the proposed process.
• Seller to deliver run-level discrepancy report comparing original failed run to corrected run.
• Customer to confirm final sign-off approver(s) and any payroll dates for parallel testing.
• Seller to schedule a parallel payroll test run date and required dataset refresh.
• Confirm Specific Use Cases
• Prove end-to-end handling of stipends and extra-duty producing correct payroll and accounting entries.
• Demonstrate mid-year contract/step changes processed automatically without manual overrides.
• Confirm auditability and reporting meet the district's compliance needs.
• Customer to provide any additional stipend rules or one-off agreements for system configuration.
• Seller to apply agreed configurations and deliver a test batch for the next payroll cycle.
• Customer payroll lead to validate accounting entries with district finance contact.
• One-sentence failure recap & penalties impact
• Produce a retirement report that matches the state spec for the provided sample and meets first-pass acceptance.
• Agree on a repeatable reconciliation process and owners for any remaining exceptions.
• Introductions & Objectives
• Customer to provide additional historical retirement submissions if available for broader edge-case coverage.
• Seller to document and deliver the final mapping specification for district approval.
• Schedule a follow-up retirement run with the state filing window in mind.
• Confirm Integration Points & Current Failures
• Prove substitute integration eliminates duplicate entry and produces correct pay entries.
• Demonstrate position-control reflects substitute fills against budget in real time.
• Agree technical integration checklist (endpoints, mapping, test windows, owners).
• Customer to provide API credentials or scheduled export format and a contact from substitute vendor.
• Seller to produce field-mapping documentation and a test integration plan.
• Schedule a sandbox integration test and name validation owners for that window.
• Customer and seller share a single, one-sentence description of the current broken state.
• Quantified consequences (cost, time, risk) are documented and agreed.
• A single-sentence future-state outcome is agreed to orient the experience.
• Customer commits to providing named sample files, access, and owners for scenario runs.
• Agree schedule for the sequence of scenario walkthrough meetings and validators for each.
• Customer to deliver 2-3 sample payroll runs that previously failed (including input files and expected results).
• Customer to provide the last 2 retirement report submissions and a list of known exceptions.
• Customer to supply substitute system export/APIs, position-control snapshot, and stipend/extra-duty spreadsheets.
• Customer to assign named validators (payroll supervisor, HR director) and grant sandbox access to seller team.
• Seller to prepare a scenario plan mapping each sample to the specific proof steps in the system.
• Recap Pre-Work & Acceptance Criteria
• Demonstrate a corrected multi-schedule payroll run that meets the previously agreed acceptance criteria.
• Customer validates that corrections map directly to eliminated manual steps and reduced error/dollar exposure.
• Agree remaining edge cases and owners for follow-up fixes or configuration changes.
• One‑sentence Current State Readback
• Live Data Sync Demonstration
• Walkthrough of Submitted Failed File
• Run Review: Customer Example Walkthrough
• Current Failure Demonstration
• Root Cause Mapping
• Consequence Quantification
• Substitute-to-Payflow Proof
• Configuration & Rule Logic Review
• Mapping & Transformation Proof
• Position-Control Budget Reconciliation
• Future State Definition (one sentence)
• Proof: Process Example End‑to‑End
• Generate Reconciled Retirement Report
• Proof: Corrected Payroll Run in Sandbox
• Exception Handling & Ongoing Controls
• Audit Trail & Reporting Validation
• Validation & Integration Next Steps
• Scenario & Sample Data Checklist
• Tie Back to Consequence
• Validation & Customer Confirmation

• Migrate Employee and Position Data
• Configure Position Control and Budget Integration
• Configure Salary Schedules and Step/Lane Rules
• Configure Extra-Duty and Stipend Pay Rules
• Deploy Multi-Schedule Payroll Processing
• Configure State Retirement Reporting and Export Files
• Integrate Substitute Management System for Data Sync
• Deploy Electronic New-Hire Onboarding with E-Signatures
• Enable Employee Self-Service and Electronic Paystubs
• Deploy Benefits Enrollment and Payroll Deductions
• Run Payroll Parallel Testing and Reconciliation
• Activate Absence Management and Time-Off Tracking
• Train HR and Payroll Staff on Platform Operations
• Activate HR and Payroll Analytics Dashboards

Migrate Employee and Position Data

• Do you have existing employee and position records that must be migrated? Options: Yes, No
• Which systems are the source of employee and position data? Options: Legacy HRIS/Payroll, Finance/Budget system, Spreadsheet exports, Substitute system, Other
• Approximately how many active and inactive employee records will be migrated? Options: Less than 1,000, 1,000-5,000, 5,001-20,000, More than 20,000
• Do you need historical position incumbency, salary history, and hire/termination dates migrated? Options: Yes - full history, Partial history (last X years), No - current state only
• Are there known data quality issues (duplicates, missing SSNs, inconsistent job codes) that require remediation? Options: Yes, No
• If data requires transformation or mapping rules (e.g., job code consolidation), please describe required changes.

Configure Position Control and Budget Integration

• Do you currently maintain position control in a separate system or spreadsheet? Options: Separate Position Control system, Spreadsheet, Within current HRIS, No formal position control
• Which financial or budget system(s) must position control sync with? Options: Munis, Oracle/PeopleSoft, Blackbaud, Other, No integration required
• Do you require real-time budget checks on position postings and offers? Options: Yes - real-time enforcement, Yes - periodic validation, No - manual review only
• Should position budgets be modeled at FTE, line-item, or cost-center level? Options: FTE, Line-item, Cost-center/Dept, Hybrid
• Do positions need vacancy tracking, requisition workflows, and automated encumbrance of budget? Options: Yes - all features, Partial (vacancy + requisition), No
• Describe any approval chains or custom budgeting rules (e.g., principal approval, central office override).

Configure Salary Schedules and Step/Lane Rules

• How many distinct salary schedules (certificated, classified, admin, substitutes) do you need configured? Options: 1-3, 4-7, 8-12, More than 12
• Do your schedules include step-and-lane progression, longevity, and degree differentials? Options: Yes - all, Some of these, No - flat schedules
• Are there multiple compensation rules by contract type (part-time, full-time, hourly, daily rate)? Options: Yes - multiple contract types, No - standard across staff
• Do you require automated step increases based on service dates or manual triggers? Options: Automated by service date, Scheduled but manual approval required, Manual only
• Do you have retroactive pay rules or mid-year step changes that must be supported? Options: Yes - retroactive calculations required, Occasional - handled case-by-case, No
• Provide examples of unique salary calculation scenarios (e.g., split assignments, shared positions).

Configure Extra-Duty and Stipend Pay Rules

• Do you pay stipends and extra-duty with distinct pay codes or through supplemental contracts? Options: Distinct pay codes, Supplemental contracts, Both
• How are stipends calculated (flat amount, percentage of salary, hourly rate, per-event)? Options: Flat amount, Percentage of salary, Hourly/per-event, Other
• Do stipends require proration for partial years or splits across multiple pay schedules? Options: Yes - proration required, No - full amount always, Occasionally
• Are approval workflows required for assigning extra-duty or stipends? Options: Yes - multi-level approvals, Single approver, No
• Do you need reporting that ties stipends/extra-duty to grants, funding sources, or budget lines? Options: Yes - grant/fund tracking, No
• Describe any legacy manual adjustments or overrides currently needed for extra-duty pays.

Deploy Multi-Schedule Payroll Processing

• How many payroll schedules and frequencies (monthly, semi-monthly, bi-weekly, daily subs) do you run? Options: 1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 8 or more
• Do you run multiple payrolls in the same pay period (e.g., certificated & classified separate runs)? Options: Yes - multiple in same period, No - single consolidated run
• Do you require split funding, multi-employer payments, or complex tax treatments per schedule? Options: Yes - split funding, Yes - complex taxes, No
• Will you require parallel payrolls for validation during cutover? (see parallel testing module) Options: Yes - mandatory parallel runs, Optional, No
• Are there union-specific pay rules, deduction caps, or collective bargaining formulas to encode? Options: Yes - multiple CBAs, Yes - one CBA, No
• Please list any known exceptions or edge-case payroll scenarios (split pay, supplemental payouts).

Configure State Retirement Reporting and Export Files

• Which state retirement system(s) do you report to? Options: TRS, PERS, STRS, ERS, Other/Multiple
• Do you require standard export files that match the state layout or a custom transmission format? Options: State standard layout, Custom file layout, Both
• How often are retirement reports submitted (monthly, quarterly, per pay period)? Options: Per pay period, Monthly, Quarterly, Other
• Are there recurring reconciliation failures today (e.g., mismatch on contributions, SSNs) that must be addressed? Options: Yes - frequent failures, Occasional, No
• Do you require holdbacks, employer contributions reporting, or retro adjustments reflected in exports? Options: Yes - all, Some of these, No
• Describe any security or transmission requirements (SFTP, API, signed files) for retirement submissions.

Integrate Substitute Management System for Data Sync

• Which substitute management system do you currently use (or plan to use)? Options: Aesop/Frontline, SubFinder, EduStaff, Custom/local system, No current system
• What data must sync between systems (employee master, availability, assignments, payroll codes)? Options: Employee master, Assignment hours, Pay codes, Availability, All of the above
• Do you need real-time API-based integration or daily batch file transfers? Options: Real-time API, Daily batch file, Weekly, No integration required
• Are substitute pay rules different from regular payroll and require separate mapping? Options: Yes - separate mapping, Minor differences, No
• Who will own troubleshooting for sync failures (district IT, vendor, third-party)? Options: District IT, Vendor/implementation team, Third-party vendor, Shared
• Provide any example errors or pain points with your current substitute data flow.

Deploy Electronic New-Hire Onboarding with E-Signatures

• Do you want new-hire forms and contracts routed for e-signature? Options: Yes - all documents, Selected documents only, No
• Which forms need to be included (W-4, I-9, direct deposit, district-specific forms)? Options: W-4, I-9, Direct deposit, District-specific
• Do you require conditional onboarding based on role (e.g., certificated vs classified checklists)? Options: Yes - conditional workflows, No - same workflow
• Will background checks, fingerprints, or external vendor checks be part of the onboarding flow? Options: Yes - integrated, Yes - manual outside system, No
• Do you need new-hire data to auto-provision into payroll and position control upon completion? Options: Yes - auto-provision, Manual review before provisioning, No
• Describe any union or contract-driven onboarding conditions (e.g., pre-approval for provisional hires).

Enable Employee Self-Service and Electronic Paystubs

• Do you want employees to access paystubs, W-2s, and personal data via self-service portal? Options: Yes - paystubs & tax forms, Paystubs only, No
• Will employees be allowed to edit personal details or only submit change requests? Options: Edit details directly, Submit change requests for HR approval, No changes allowed
• Do you require multi-language support or accessibility (WCAG) features for employee portal? Options: Yes - multi-language, Yes - accessibility, Both, No
• Should paystub data be available historically (how many years)? Options: 1 year, 3 years, 7 years, Unlimited
• Are there custom payroll statements or union-specific fields that must appear on paystubs? Options: Yes - custom fields, No
• Describe your preferred authentication method for employees (SSO, district credentials, MFA).

Deploy Benefits Enrollment and Payroll Deductions

• Do you offer benefits that must be managed in the system (medical, dental, vision, cafeteria plans)? Options: Medical, Dental, Vision, Section 125/FSA, Other
• Are deductions pre-tax, post-tax, or a mix, and do they vary by employee group? Options: Pre-tax, Post-tax, Mixed
• Do benefits enrollments need to flow to carriers via files or APIs? Options: Carrier file exports, API integrations, Manual enrollment by HR, Not required
• Will open enrollment require approvals, rules-based eligibility, or dependents verification? Options: Rules-based eligibility, Approvals required, Dependent verification, Simple enrollment
• Are employer contribution rates and budget allocations tied to position or funding source? Options: Yes - tied to position/funding, No - uniform employer rates
• Describe any COBRA, retirement-eligible, or special benefits workflows needed.

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Commercial Terms & Pricing Schedule
• Implementation Timeline & Go-Live Plan
• Named Resource & Responsibilities Commitment
• Acceptance Criteria & Success Signals
• Escalation, Rollback & Cutover Agreement
• Data Processing & Security Addendum (DPA)
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) & Support Terms
• Change Order & Scope Management
• Training & Knowledge Transfer Plan
• Parallel Payroll Validation & Sign-off
• Purchase Order / Payment Authorization

• Success Review & Outcome Validation
• Operational Handoff & Runbook Transfer
• Lessons Learned & Continuous Improvement Workshop
• Support & Escalation Channel Setup
• Enhancement Backlog Prioritization & Roadmap Alignment

• Put in place reporting cadence for operational health and incidents.
• Produce a prioritized list of lessons learned with clear root causes.
• Define corrective actions with owners and deadlines for the top issues.
• Ensure runbooks and training materials are updated to reflect improvements.
• Publish a lessons-learned document and circulate to all stakeholders.
• Create discrete corrective action tickets with owners and target dates.
• Update runbooks and training artifacts based on agreed changes.
• Plan a 30/60/90-day review to verify effectiveness of implemented improvements.
• Support Model Overview & SLAs
• Confirm support SLAs and hours of coverage for production operations.
• Establish a shared communication channel with confirmed access and usage rules.
• Agree on incident severity definitions, escalation paths, and on-call rosters.
• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• Create and provision the CustomerNode shared channel and invite the district’s ops and vendor support teams.
• Publish the escalation matrix and on-call roster in the shared channel and runbooks.
• Finalize and store incident response templates and ensure stakeholders know how to trigger an incident.
• Schedule recurring operational health reports and confirm recipients.
• Intake Recap & Prioritization Criteria
• Produce a prioritized enhancement backlog with near-term commitments.
• Agree on effort bands and tentative release windows for prioritized items.
• Define the ongoing process for capturing, triaging, and approving future enhancement requests.
• Create the prioritized backlog in the agreed tracking tool and share access with district stakeholders.
• Provide effort estimates and tentative release windows for all near-term items.
• Schedule quarterly roadmap review meetings and define the enhancement intake SLA.
• Convert high-priority items into scoped epics or tickets with acceptance criteria.
• Confirm which success signals are met and which require remediation.
• Obtain formal customer acceptance or define an agreed remediation plan with owners and dates.
• Agree on immediate next steps and a verification timeline for any remediations.
• Produce and circulate a formal acceptance/sign-off document reflecting outcomes and signatures.
• If gaps exist, create a remediation plan with owners, milestones, and a verification date.
• Schedule a follow-up verification payroll run and KPI report after remediation work.
• Share the final KPI dashboard and raw data extracts used in validation with district stakeholders.
• Handoff Objectives & Attendees
• Confirm named district operational owners and backups.
• Deliver and secure acceptance of runbooks and operational documentation.
• Verify admin access and training completion for operational staff.
• Establish a recurring ops cadence and emergency contact points.
• Share final, versioned runbooks in the agreed document repository and confirm access.
• Create and verify admin accounts and permission lists for all named owners.
• Schedule the first three monthly operational health-check meetings.
• Update training materials with any clarifications identified during handoff.
• Frame & Pre-Work Summary
• Review Agreed Success Signals
• Shared Channel Setup
• What Worked Well
• Runbook Walkthrough
• Review Enhancement Requests & Business Impact
• Triage & Prioritize Near-Term Items
• What Went Wrong / Incidents Review
• Access, Permissions & Environments
• Escalation Matrix & Contacts
• Present Measured Outcomes
• Incident Response Playbook
• Breakout Problem-Solving
• Variance Analysis & Root Causes
• Training Completion & Admin Certification
• Estimate Effort Bands & Target Windows
• Customer Validation & Acceptance
• Reporting & Health Checks
• Roadmap Alignment & Commitments