Device Leasing Process

Introduction

The leasing process has always been very much a team effort. To help you understand the process more and your role in it, here’s a handy flowchart. Once you get the hang of things, a printed out flowchart might be enough for you. Until then, we’ve outlined the steps in more detail and context below.

And remember, you’re never alone in this -- if you’re unclear about anything or if someone throws a wrench in this tidy process, just reach out to support. Don’t spend an extra minute being stressed or confused. We’re here to help each other.

Starting the Email Chain 

It always starts with Classmate working with your principal to decide which devices and equipment make sense for the school from an educational and budgetary perspective. Classmate will then start an email chain requesting a quote for the agreed-upon items. We’ll outline the specifics such as device count, models, warranties, and accessories. The email will include these parties:

• You (the office staff or the Classmate Liaison)
• The principal
• Classmate
• The vendor (e.g. Apple, Dell)
• The leasing company (e.g. HP)

This is where we pass the ball to you. It’s your role to help push the email chain from here and bring it all the way to the finish line.

Getting Approval and Signing the Lease

Based on the email Classmate just sent, the vendor will produce a quote and then the leasing company will create an estimate of how much the lease would be based on that.

Now we have the official numbers we need for the principal to consult with the PEC and get final approval to move forward. Depending on how you and your principal work together, you may need to follow up with them on this (i.e. poke them constantly). What you’re looking for is a yes or no to proceed.

If it’s a no, then just close out the email chain by saying,

“Thank you, but we’ve decided not to pursue this at the moment.”

If it’s a yes, you continue the email chain and say,

“Thank you. Yes, we’d like to proceed with leasing. Please send a lease schedule for us to sign.”

This lease schedule you’re requesting is an official document that the leasing company produces. When they send it to you, it’s your job to make sure the principal and all other necessary parties (possibly the CISVA and priest) signs this document and that it gets sent back in the same email chain. Great job for bringing things this far!

Order Processing and Accepting

With the lease schedule signed, the leasing company works with the vendor to get some paperwork completed. You might hear them use the term Vendor Authorization Letter (VAL). This is nothing you need to worry about. It’s just what the leasing company will have the vendor sign so they can move forward with the order. Once they get this sorted, the order will be placed and the vendor will send Classmate tracking information.

Within a few weeks, the leasing company will send you a document to sign that verifies you received the shipment and everything is in working order. They call this a Certificate of Acceptance (COA). Hold onto this for now -- you’ll wait for Classmate to set-up everything before you send back a signed copy.

Finish Line

Classmate will schedule a time to set up and deploy the devices/equipment for the staff and students. Classmate will then work with the leasing company to get final copies of all the paperwork and update your school’s documentation. At this point, you will sign and send back the COA to the leasing company. This marks the finish line for you. After this point, the email chain can be archived. Nice job!