When 56 machines had to go from boxes to classrooms in just eight days, nobody had to ask for extra hands. They were already going up. In fact, all of them did.
The Fort Worth Independent School District opportunity was significant: 56 fully loaded Canon devices spread across multiple campuses to support the district’s Bluebonnet curriculum. But after contracts were finalized, Datamax faced an equally significant challenge.
The team had roughly eight days to unbox, set up, configure and deliver them all.
Meeting that deadline would require more than the people normally responsible for a project like this. It would take Service. Warehouse. Logistics. Connectivity. Dispatch. Sales. And it would take plenty of hours outside the normal workday.
For nearly two weeks, team members worked 12-hour days, late nights and two Saturdays. And the most remarkable part? They volunteered for it. Every single member of the Service and Logistics teams stepped up. No one sat this one out.
Service/Warehouse: Raising Their Hands.
With only two technicians dedicated full time to setup, Director of Service Shawn Hay knew immediately this project would require the entire team.
And they responded.
“Just the determination for the team to meet that deadline was unmatched,” Shawn said.
Four to six technicians and warehouse employees consistently worked extended shifts, with roughly 10 to 12 technicians coming in each Saturday. As the pace accelerated, the shop began operating almost like an assembly line.
“They came in, they were focused,” Shawn said. “They’d have this guy pulling tape, this guy setting up finishers, this guy setting up the machine, this guy doing final checks. It was like a machine running through the shop getting everything set up.”
Shawn credited Service Manager Quandre McCoy for helping oversee the Saturdays and late nights, and Corey Huey for leading the shop and ensuring final checks were completed.
“All volunteers,” Shawn said. “It makes you feel proud to feel you’re building a winning team. Those people want to see everyone around them do better. They want to be part of it, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Logistics: Keeping It Moving.
While machines moved through the shop, Logistics had another challenge: keep everything organized and moving toward the right destination.
That meant unboxing equipment, managing waste, maintaining warehouse space, preparing paperwork and loading trucks according to the order of delivery. At times, that work was happening in 110-degree heat.
“There’s no stone unturned,” Logistics Manager Rodney Moore said. “Everybody, any idea that we had to be more efficient to get stuff done better, we put it on the table. I can do this, you do that, let me grab this, you grab the truck. That was the mindset.”
For David Scott, some days started at 6 a.m. and did not end until 8 p.m. One Saturday alone, he and several shop employees unboxed 18 units.
The physical work happened during the day. Paperwork often waited until night.
"To put it very simply, we’ve got a job to do, and regardless, it has to be done in a certain amount of time,” David said. “I could sit and grumble, or I could do it quickly and with a positive attitude. If I do something, I want to be the best at it.”
Sales: Staying With It.
For Account Manager Jamie Porter, the 56-device installation was the latest chapter in a relationship with FWISD that she has worked on for roughly six years.
It had not always gone Datamax’s way. After previously expecting to receive a significant portion of the district’s fleet, a leadership change sent hundreds of devices elsewhere.
Datamax stayed engaged.
“We stayed true, and we stayed loyal. If the customer needed assistance, we acted immediately,” Jamie said.
That persistence eventually helped create the opportunity to provide the 56 new devices. And when a compressed timeline put tremendous pressure on the teams responsible for delivering on that promise, Jamie stayed engaged there, too.
Pizza arrived one evening. Donuts and kolaches came another morning. Saturday’s fuel of choice was Panera bagels.
“That was the least I could do, provide the team food. I offered to help setup equipment, but they denied me,” Jamie joked. “Something about not being qualified for the job. Lol”
More than anything, Jamie wanted the team to know how much she appreciated their efforts.
“I can’t thank the Datamax team enough for not only getting this project done under an extreme time crunch, but for staying so positive throughout the entire process,” Jamie said. “I was blown away by how efficiently service and logistics got the 56 machines delivered within the 5-day window. It was truly exhilarating to put an implementation plan together and then watch the Datamax team execute it.”
She also wanted to ensure the individuals who made the project possible received the recognition they deserved.
“I’d like to personally thank every person involved for making this opportunity come to life. Steve Kennemer, Shawn Hay, Quandre McCoy, David Scott, Rodney Moore, and the entire service and logistics department- you went above and beyond on this installation. Thank you, Henry Godina, Jorge Bonilla, Eric Szuminski, Ryan Stevens, John Granger, and Nathanl Davison for delivering the equipment in 100+ degree weather for 5 days in a row. Couldn’t have done it without you! I also want to thank Jeff Dobslaw for collaborating with the legal team, on very short notice, to expedite the agreement for Board approval. David Rhodes and Zack Patino, thank you for always being helpful and ready to collaborate at the drop of a dime. Summar Sinclair and Breezy, thank you for proactively working with me to streamline the administrative process. I’m very thankful for each and every one of you!! Teamwork makes the dream work.”
Then she offered one final instruction for how she wanted her appreciation expressed:
“I would want to say, in bold face, all caps: THANK YOU GUYS.”
Together: Setting the Tone.
For Rodney, completing a project of this size also proved something about what this team can take on next.
“Having access to a team like this is what you hope for as a manager and as a company,” he said. “To have people raise their hand and say, ‘I can do this,’ that means a lot. That’s exactly what you want.”
Fifty-six machines. Eight days. Twelve-hour shifts. Late nights. Two Saturdays.
Those numbers tell you the size of the job.
But the hands going up tell you the size of the team.
When the deadline demanded more, nobody had to be forced to stay late or give up a Saturday. People simply saw what needed to be done, raised their hands and got to work.
