Why this educational tech firm is a class act

In the latest edition of Marketing Derby’s Innovate Magazine we meet the team at educational technology firm L.E.A.D IT Services.

The Pride Park firm supports hundreds of schools across the UK with their IT, helping pupils develop the skills they will need for tomorrow’s world of work.

However, according to founder Lee Jepson, his firm’s role goes far beyond just providing the hardware and making it work.

He told Innovate: “Our role is not just fixing things anymore. It’s about providing the right advice to school leaders to get the best use of IT in their classrooms.”

Today, the company provides IT support to two in every three Derby schools and works with more than 200 schools and academy trusts, including REAch2, the country’s largest primary-only academy trust, Nottingham-based Flying High and Derbyshire’s Embark Federation.

It also has an impressive list of businesses on its books, including Cosy Direct.

But, with continuing growth on an already multi-million-pound turnover, what has been the secret of the company’s success?

Will Archer, who has been with L.E.A.D. IT Services for more than 15 years, told Innovate: “L.E.A.D. IT Services is driven by Lee Jepson. He is very passionate about whatever he does.

“Lee likes successful projects and making people happy – simple as that. And, as a company, we like to provide a value-for-money solution for the clients we work with.

“Schools and academy trusts are staffed by busy people who don’t necessarily come from an IT background and just want a solution that works.

“But we have found that in some projects we have taken over from other contractors, the client has been overpaying for what they have been given.

“Sometimes IT contracts can be a bit of smoke and mirrors – we like to provide really good value for money.”

The pace of technological change is breath-taking, meaning Lee and his team must keep abreast of a continuously evolving sector to ensure teachers – and pupils – are equipped with the latest and best tools to encourage skills development.

Lee told Innovate: “I always say if it’s got a plug on it, it’s usually IT’s problem. But the definition and scope of our IT support has completely changed even over the past 20 years.

“Everything comes under the umbrella of IT. Things like door access control systems are an IT-based system. School alarms – they’re IT.

“I’ve always treated IT like a utility. If your water goes off or your gas – it’s the same thing. People just expect it all to be on all the time.

“But our role now is also about providing great advice to make the best use of available technology.”

To read the feature in full visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/0fb028e91f.html.