By Cara Grimm, Senior Product Manager, LINQ
I’m back from the fall North Carolina ASBO meeting in Beaufort, where we hosted a user session for our LEAs. We invited finance directors to sit down with our CEO, Sharon Love, and representatives from our product, support, and sales teams. The goal was to walk through the state’s regulatory requirements and pressure-test our solutions against what happens when changes land in your district office.
First, thank you to everyone who came, and especially to those who’ve joined our monthly feedback sessions. Over time, I’ve developed a deep understanding of North Carolina’s requirements, and I keep learning as they change. I dig into the details, ask a lot of questions, and come to every session prepared. That way, when changes happen, our solutions meet what the state requires and what your teams need, day to day. You’ve given up a lot of Thursday mornings to review what we’re building, and you’ve done it with candor. You’ve told me which reports matter most to your teams and which ones you stopped running years ago. Most importantly, I’m always humbled by how collaborative this community is. When someone shares a challenge they’re experiencing, the room shows up with either a solution or a “we’ve been there, too.”
How it plays out in practice
Every state has its own rules, forms, and deadlines. From my experience, North Carolina LEAs experience more nuance than most. That’s where your collaboration is so valuable. On my end, before every session, I research all the topics we plan to discuss so I understand the regulations and how our system currently supports them. That way, our time together can focus on the subtleties. We talk through how it works in practice, what’s working well, and where we can make it even better. What you share about the day-to-day shapes the improvements we’re working on. That’s how we approach our monthly sessions, and it’s what we brought to NC ASBO.
One example: The Longevity Pay Process
In one of our previous sessions, you pointed to the longevity pay process as an area where we could do better. We took that back to our team and developed an improved approach. At this session, I brought our solution back so you could vet it before we start building. You confirmed what was working and told us what else you want to see. We dug deeper into how the rules work in practice at your LEAs. We left with a clear picture of what you need to trust the numbers you see.
Join us
We keep our commitment to North Carolina LEAs on our calendar with a meeting each month. Your input helps us build a product that meets your needs and makes your day easier. If you’re part of a North Carolina LEA’s finance team and you’d like to join us, email me. We’d love to add your voice to the conversation.