School Business Insider: Beyond the Buzzwords: Real AI Solutions for School Business Officials

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Host: John Brucato
Guest: Aziz Agaev, CEO of Flowist and AI Solutions Expert

1. Introduction and Guest Background

In this episode of School Business Insider, host John Brucato welcomes Aziz Agaev, the CEO of Flowist, an expert in AI-driven solutions tailored for school business operations. Aziz brings over 32 years of experience in school business, including 14 years as a school business official and 18 years as a consultant specializing in automation and AI training for school districts.

John Brucato [00:01]:
"Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries across the board and school business operations are no exception."

Aziz Agaev [01:50]:
"I started about six years ago with Excel trainings... Now, I give them use cases instead of just talking about big words."

2. Transforming School Business with AI

Aziz discusses how AI is revolutionizing school business operations by enhancing efficiency and productivity in areas such as budget forecasting, meeting summaries, and data-driven decision-making. He emphasizes practical, actionable AI applications over theoretical concepts.

Aziz Agaev [03:35]:
"I'm giving use cases of what problems I had as a school business official so that you can solve those problems with AI."

He highlights tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, which he considers sufficient for accomplishing the majority of school business tasks. Additionally, Aziz introduces NotebookLM, an AI podcast creator that can transform lengthy documents into engaging audio content, enhancing communication within school districts.

3. The Five Phases of AI Adoption

Aziz outlines the five phases of AI adoption experienced by school business officials:

1. Surprise: Initial amazement at AI capabilities.
2. Curiosity: Desire to learn more about AI despite technical jargon.
3. Confusion: Uncertainty about how AI works and its applications.
4. Frustration: Struggles to achieve desired outcomes with AI tools.
5. Joy and Productivity: Enjoyment of AI's benefits leading to enhanced productivity.

Aziz Agaev [16:06]:
"It's not perfect. But if we start doing this on a daily basis, we will be ready when it's perfect."

4. Practical AI Use Cases for School Business

Aziz shares numerous practical AI applications that school business officials can integrate into their workflows:

• Policy Creation: Using AI to compile and customize policy documents based on specific district context.

  Aziz Agaev [11:26]:
  "You can chat with AI, give your bullet points, and create the policy you want."

• Data Analysis: Uploading expense data to identify patterns and anomalies, such as sudden increases in vendor expenses.

  Aziz Agaev [11:26]:
  "Your cost for supplies increased from 100,000 to 500,000. There's a huge jump. What is that?"

• Timesheet Management: Automating the entry and analysis of timesheets to save significant time and reduce errors.

  Aziz Agaev [11:26]:
  "Maybe 10, 15 hours every two weeks can be reduced with AI-assisted processes."

• Bid Writing: Leveraging AI to create detailed and structured bids quickly, enhancing efficiency in procurement processes.

John Brucato shares personal use cases, such as using AI for proofreading complex financial documents and analyzing teacher contracts, illustrating the time-saving and accuracy benefits of AI.

John Brucato [37:20]:
"AI gave me a section by section comprehensive list of just anything from a missing comma to restructuring sentences."

5. Overcoming Barriers to AI Integration

Aziz identifies key barriers to AI adoption in school business settings and offers strategies to overcome them:

• Mindset Shift: Embracing AI as an assistant rather than a threat.

  Aziz Agaev [32:49]:
  "We need to change our mindset and embrace this new technology instead of being scared of it."

• Privacy Concerns: Implementing data redaction techniques to protect sensitive information when using AI tools.

  Aziz Agaev [34:22]:
  "Replace all the names with random ID numbers...there is nothing that AI can use to identify people."

• Training and Education: Conducting regular AI training sessions and appointing AI ambassadors within districts to facilitate knowledge sharing and best practices.

Aziz Agaev [35:28]:
"There should be an AI ambassador in every school district to make AI as consumable as possible for other staff members."

6. The Importance of Effective Prompting

The conversation delves into the significance of prompt engineering—crafting effective prompts to interact with AI tools efficiently. Aziz emphasizes that the quality of AI responses is directly tied to how well users structure their prompts.

Aziz Agaev [18:14]:
"Structuring your prompt is huge... Start with ‘act as’ or assume a role to provide context."

He advises including clear roles, contexts, desired formats, and requesting clarifying questions from AI to mitigate inaccuracies and "hallucinations."

7. Misconceptions and Ethical Considerations

Aziz addresses common misconceptions, particularly the fear that AI will replace jobs. He likens AI's impact to previous technological advancements like AutoCAD, suggesting that AI will augment rather than eliminate roles for those who adopt it.

Aziz Agaev [22:03]:
"AI will not take our jobs, but those who utilize AI effectively will have a competitive advantage."

He also highlights the ethical use of AI, stressing responsible implementation and the importance of maintaining human oversight to ensure accuracy and prevent misuse.

8. Future Innovations: AI Operator Function

Looking ahead, Aziz discusses the potential of AI operator functions—automated agents that can perform complex tasks by interacting with various software systems. This innovation could transform routine processes like invoice entry and state reporting by automating data input and validation.

Aziz Agaev [53:38]:
"Imagine feeding 100 invoices and saying, enter these into my ERP... then all you do is approve."

Such advancements promise to further enhance efficiency, allowing school business officials to focus on strategic initiatives rather than tedious manual tasks.

9. Final Advice and Encouragement

As the episode concludes, Aziz encourages skeptical school business officials to embrace AI by actively using it, learning through trial and error, and integrating it into daily workflows. His key message is that firsthand experience is essential for mastering AI tools and reaping their benefits.

Aziz Agaev [59:50]:
"Get out there and start using it. There is no other way of learning it."

John Brucato [60:33]:
"Thank you so much, Aziz. You've re-energized me about using AI."

Key Takeaways

• Practical AI Applications: From policy creation to data analysis, AI can streamline various school business operations.
• Adoption Phases: Understanding the emotional journey of AI adoption helps in navigating challenges and achieving productivity.
• Effective Prompting: Crafting clear and structured prompts is crucial for obtaining accurate and useful AI responses.
• Overcoming Barriers: Addressing mindset shifts and privacy concerns are essential steps for successful AI integration.
• Future Potential: AI operator functions hold promise for automating complex, repetitive tasks, further enhancing efficiency.

Notable Quotes:

• Aziz Agaev [11:26]:
  "You can chat with AI, give your bullet points, and create the policy you want."

• John Brucato [37:20]:
  "That was a big time saver... Such a great idea."

• Aziz Agaev [22:03]:
  "AI will not take our jobs, but those who utilize AI effectively will have a competitive advantage."

• Aziz Agaev [59:50]:
  "Get out there and start using it. There is no other way of learning it."

Products and Tools Mentioned:

1. ChatGPT – Language model for generating text-based solutions.
2. Google Gemini – AI tool integrated with Google Workspace.
3. NotebookLM – AI podcast creator for transforming documents into audio.
4. Perplexity – AI search tool that provides sourced information.
5. Fireflies/Fathom – Apps for live meeting transcription and summarization.
6. Operator Function – Automated AI agents performing complex tasks across software systems.
7. Suno.com – AI for creating personalized music.

Conclusion

This episode of School Business Insider offers a comprehensive exploration of how AI can be harnessed to transform school business operations. Aziz Agaev provides valuable insights, practical use cases, and actionable strategies, making AI accessible and beneficial for school business officials seeking to enhance their efficiency and productivity. By addressing common barriers and demystifying AI functionalities, Aziz empowers listeners to embrace the evolving technological landscape confidently.