WEB-APP TO SUPPORT SCIENCE TECHNICIANS AND DEPARTMENT LEADERS

WEB-APP TO SUPPORT SCIENCE TECHNICIANS AND DEPARTMENT LEADERS

Hi, my name is Chloe and I am a Head of Science currently on maternity leave. I am passionate about building a website (www.labprep.com) to help science department technicians and leaders that achieves the goals of freeing up time, money and resources so you aren't bogged down with admin tasks and can focus on the more important aspects of your role. I would be very grateful if you could complete this survey so I know where to best focus my efforts. It will take around 15 minutes. As a token of appreciation for your time, I will be offering a significant discount to all schools who complete this survey should you decide to sign up to the web-app. I would be very grateful if you could share this with colleagues in other schools and your wider network. If you have any questions or wanted to make a suggestion for the web-app, please feel free to email me directly at: chloe@labprep.com. Thanks, Chloe.
What best describes your role?*

Lead TechnicianTechnicianHead of ScienceTeacher with department leadership responsibilityOther
How many teachers are in your science department?*
How many technicians are in your science department?*
What best describes how your school or college is funded?*

State or governmentPrivateInternationalOther
What age-groups of students are taught at your school or college?*

11 to 1611 to 1816 to 184 to 18 (all-through school)4 to 11 (primary or prep)Other
Where is your school or college located?
Approximately how much money does your science department spend each year on buying resources, equipment, and chemicals? There is a currency converter below if you need it.*
Use this currency converter if your budget is not in GBP:
Is your allocated science budget sufficient to cover the expenses associated with implementing the science curriculum?*

More than sufficientSufficientInsufficientUnsure
How many suppliers do you use for buying your practical equipment and chemicals?*

12 to 34 to 5More than 5Unsure
Which supplier(s) do you use for purchasing science equipment and chemicals? Tick all that you use.*

TimstarPhilip HarrisBetter EquippedHopeGLSAmazonTTSVWRSLS Select EducationTrafalgar ScientificBreckland Scientific (Eurostar)King ScientificFisher ScientificDidac ScientificSCBTBeecroft ScienceVITTA (PASCO)SciQuipYorkshire Purchasing OrganisationLabWorldEdulabOther
What criteria are the most important for you when choosing a supplier to purchase items? Drag to re-order from most to least important.*
What systems are currently in place for receiving requisition requests for equipment from teachers in your department? Tick all that apply.*

Paper-based (e.g. handwritten)In-person (e.g. verbal requests)EmailCalendar (e.g. Outlook or Google)Spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Forms)Document (e.g. Word or Google Docs)Other
Does the Head of Department or technician have to manually collate the requisition requests?*

Yes, the Head of DepartmentYes, the technicianNo, the system used automatically collates requisitionsOther
What systems are currently in place for viewing and organising the requisition requests from across the department to help you prepare and deliver equipment? Tick all that apply.*

Paper-based (e.g. handwritten)Calendar (e.g. Outlook or Google)Spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Forms)Document (e.g. Word or Google Docs)Other
If you are happy to briefly describe your department requisition process I would be very grateful!
How often do you encounter challenges or inefficiencies in your current requisition management system?*

RarelyOccassionlyWeeklyDaily

What challenges or inefficiencies do you encounter with your current system of managing and delivering requisitions?*

	Not a challenge	Slight challenge	Significant challenge
System for collating requisitions across the department is time consuming.
Requisition forms and system not used consistently by teachers.
Lack of technician time to fulfil and prepare requisition requests.
Lots of requests for the same lesson time causing logistical challenges.
Incomplete or unclear requisition forms.
Teachers requesting equipment at short notice or after the requisition deadline.
Teachers not providing sufficient details about the experiment.
Conflicting requests for the same equipment at the same time.
Lack of communication between teachers and technicians.
Difficulties cause delayed delivery of equipment to classrooms.
Incomplete safety information on requisition forms.
Teachers not providing feedback on the condition of returned equipment.
Lack of a digital and automated system for requisition and tracking.
Teachers not notifying technicians of changes in equipment requirements.
Insufficient collaboration between teachers within the department regarding experiments, e.g. planning and sharing experiments.
Teachers find completion of requisition form time consuming.
Difficulties in keeping track of which requisitions have been prepared, delivered and collected.

What system is currently in place for inventory and stocktaking in your department? Tick all that apply.*

Paper-based (e.g. handwritten)Spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Forms)Document (e.g. Word or Google Docs)No system currently in place for thisOther
How often is the inventory updated and stocktaking carried out?*

AnnuallyTermlyHalf-termlyWeeklyDailyNo system currently in place for this

What challenges or inefficiencies do you encounter with your current system for inventory and stocktaking?*

	Not a challenge	Slight challenge	Significant challenge
Absence of a standardised inventory tracking system.
Time constraints leading to outdated inventory and stocktaking.
Difficulty in keeping track of expired items, e.g. chemicals and consumables.
Difficulties in keeping track of items that need repair or replacement.
Misplacement or theft of small, valuable items.
Double ordering from suppliers due to difficulties in locating items or chemicals in inventory.
Limited understanding of real-time stock levels of equipment and chemicals.
Difficulty keeping track of equipment that has been loaned and returned.
Inconsistencies in recording depreciation of equipment.

What system is currently in place for budget management and expense tracking in your department? Tick all that apply.*

Spreadsheet updated within department (e.g. Excel or Google Forms)School finance department oversees this and communicates updates upon requestNo system currently in place for thisOther

What challenges or inefficiencies do you encounter with your current system for budget management and expense tracking? *

	Not a challenge	Slight challenge	Significant challenge
Inadequate budget allocation.
Limited time for researching and comparing prices from multiple suppliers.
Difficulty in forecasting future expenses.
Lack of clarity on budget priorities.
Inefficiencies in handling petty cash.
Difficulty in tracking spending across the department.
Lack of access to real-time budget information.
Limited awareness of available cost-saving opportunities.
Limited awareness of available grant opportunities.
Time-consuming process of researching grants and completing applications.
Insufficient support or training for grant writing skills.

Would you consider subscribing to a web-app that helps you and your department to overcome the challenges you have shared in the survey?*

Definitely. I've been looking for a solution like this.Probably. It depends on the features, cost and ease of use.Maybe. I would need more details to make a decision.Not likely. I currently use other methods that work for me.Definitely not. I don't see the need for such an app.Other
What would be the maximum annual department subscription fee that you would pay for such a web-app? (in GBP/£)
Would you like to know when the web-app is ready and get a discount when you subscribe?*

Yes, please.No, thank you.
Would you like to be involved in testing the beta version of the web-app?*

Yes, please.No, thank you.
Your name:

First NameLast Name
Your email:
example@example.com
Your school or college name:
Add a link to your school or college website below:
Should be Empty: