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Lynx
What Is Lynx?
A complete cloud based solution for school districts and school bus contractors, including route management, consolidation and optimization, boundary planning, vehicle maintenance, live weather overlays, live traffic flow overlays, online field trips, editable route maps, rider management, GPS tracking, online driver pre-trip checklists and your own personal Lynx advisor. Lynx fully integrates with all major student information systems.
Who Uses Lynx?
School district transportation departments and school bus transportation contractors.
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Lynx
Reviews of Lynx
Exceptional Service
Comments: [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] are always extremely helpful with troubleshooting any issues and updating the program to help the routing software be more efficient for our transportation department. We just recently asked for some help in creating new routes and they were extremely fast importing the data and getting the information back to us quickly!
Pros:
This routing software is extremely easy to use and set up for your specific needs.
Cons:
Our county is unique in that we use a lot of fire numbers as addresses. Makes it harder for Lynx to pinpoint the correct address.
Alternatives Considered:
Lynx
Comments: Lynx helps me on a daily basis with keeping my data accurate and current and is a huge time saver because managing the data is usually simple and easy to learn.
Pros:
I like the ease of use and the personal Tech Support.
Cons:
I don't understand when searching a particular student and I use the drop down to choose the different categories that can be included, some of the categories that I would like are not listed as an option, however many others are that I'll likely never use.
Lynx Software Response
5 years ago
Good morning Pat! Please contact us if you have any questions or are having any problems with the software. We want to help!!
Lynx Review
Comments: Overall, Lynx does what we wanted it to do. It is a little more complicated than we expected but it houses the data we needed it to house and we can generate reports out that we needed it generate. It is not a very nice looking, user centric program but it does a lot of heavy lifting.
Pros:
The functionality of the software for the price is very good. It gets the job done that we needed to have done. The different report and search options are very helpful. After you are trained it is relatively easy to use. The customer support is outstanding.
Cons:
The data sync is a little clunky. It would be nice if it were cloud based with a better connection to our student information system. The end user interface is not very user friendly or intuitive. When we have questions this generally results in a call to support. However, the support team is always excellent. It is just time consuming to have to call in everytime.
Lynx Software Response
4 years ago
Thank you for the review and your honesty Kevin! We've made several improvements to the data sync which is now based in the cloud. We are seeing drastically reduced issues. We continue to improve the user interface but transportation logistics is inherently complicated. We will always do our best to serve you!!
Alternatives Considered:
best software for $
Comments: been using for over 16 years,ive had the option to purchase the more expensive softwares and ive stayed with Lynx, it does what they say it will do.Customer service is second to none
Pros:
easy to use, contains all the information in one software that a transportation director needs
Cons:
navigation of reports is a little tricky
Lynx: the software that is computer friendly and easy to use.
Comments: start up went great, wonderful training experience, and fantastic support
Pros:
Hard to limit it to one thing. The remote support is fantastic. They respond very quickly to emails and calls. I also love the videos that are setup to take you through step by step when you are in unfamiliar areas. I have used other software's that were not user friendly.
Cons:
At this time I do not have anything that I don't like about Lynx
Tremendous Customer Service!
Comments: The company, software, and personnel are priceless. We love working along side them, and we use the software every day for routing, contacts, maps, etc.
Pros:
Customer service is top priority with [sensitive content hidden]! We love to work with them, they are terrific.
Cons:
I don't like the inability to change the direction in the route maps. I.E. will not let you drag without creating another stop.
First Year Experiencing Lynx
Comments: Once I began to learn the properties of the program, I found out how useful and easy Lynx is to use.
Pros:
How easy it is to access and use and the support that is provided for new users.
Cons:
Not knowing how to use all that is available.
Great Tool
Pros:
The ease of use along with the variety of features makes Lynx a necessary tool.
Cons:
The only thing I can think of improving would be the intuitiveness of the features.
Lynx is a must have!
Comments: Lynx software is easy to navigate and is 100% critical in my daily tasks. We would not be able to manage all of our school bus routes/trips without it. Our drivers find the route reports easy to read and absolutely necessary. We are able to bill out our trip tickets and organize all of our school field trips and extra curriculars very easily and quickly. And anytime I have a question or need help with a task I know that [sensitive content hidden] is only a phone call away!
Pros:
There's lots to love about this software but I most especially appreciate the customer service!
Cons:
I have been using Lynx for many years and haven't found something I dislike yet!
Lyx is Super!
Comments: The product is solid and can do so much with a short learning curve which makes it easy to get up and running. Makes my job easier.
Pros:
The ease of use for me makes it effective, I can formulate routes move students and create rosters with ease as well as optimize routes with minimal hassle.
Cons:
I can't really say anything I dislike about it.
Wisconsin Rapids Lynx
Pros:
The lynx program is very easy to use. Easy to look students up, easy to move around
Cons:
the least part of the program is that we wish we could click on a button or a tab to print all the route sheets instead of having to go into each route and printing them
Lynx Software Response
2 years ago
Good morning! In regards to the cons. You can actually do this in Lynx. Just select the routes in the routes pane, then right click and select the report you wish to print for the selected routes. Please contact us if you have any questions on how to do this. Thank you!
Nekoosa Lynx
Comments: Lynx and their staff have always been more than helpful if we have a problem. The issues have been minimal.
Pros:
We like all the features that Lynx provides. Lynx is very easy to use. It was easy to integrate into our business.
Cons:
The only thing that I wish was possible, is that we could print all the routes at once instead of individually.
Lynx Software Response
2 years ago
Good morning Ann! Yes, you can print all of the routes at once in Lynx. Please give us a call and we'll show you how to do it. Thank you! Joe
Great product
Comments: Was great they are still using the product
Pros:
Easy to use, does what it supposed to do. Field trips is a pluse. Easy access for users on field trip requests
Cons:
Have none did what it said it would do. Nothing
I recommend Lynx !!
Comments: In the time that I have been using Lynx I have no complaints. Lynx is very easy to use . I still have more to explore with the many features that Lynx has to offer.
Pros:
This software is awesome to use for routing for school busing. being able to change route times by minutes for all the stop at one time. Setting up the times for a route with just one step. different options for how you want the routes displayed with certain information to be shown.
Cons:
at this time I have no issues. Lynx has been great.
Lynx Software Response
2 years ago
Thank you so much for the kind words Karen!
Lynx software is great! Customer service is AWESOME!
Comments: The customer service with Lynx is second to none. We are a unique school district client with multiple contractors and with the relationship we have with our Lynx team, we are very satisfied with the products, updates, customer service and day-to-day operations.
Pros:
It allows us to organize our school bus routes and manage riders.
Cons:
Because of the historical processes used in our district of many bus contractors, it is difficult to use the managment tools and maps to find the most efficient routes. This is due, mostly to our process, not Lynx's capability. Lynx has the capability to provide this function for us... but our contractors require some different recordkeeping which prohibits this function to work as it should. I wish there was a way around it. We just have not come up with anything viable yet.
Lynx makes Student, driver and Fleet Management a breeze!
Comments: Lynx is my one-stop-shop for Transportation Management of students, buses, drivers, weather, reports, and chartering. I've been working with this software for over 6 years. in that time I have never waited longer than a half hour for an email or phone call when I've requested help. Usually, it's 0-5 minutes. Lynx is an excellent program I have come to trust and rely upon.
Pros:
What I like most about this software is its ability to manage all the areas of Student Transportation. Transportation is so much more than just knowing where to pick-up and drop-off students. It's maintaining & licensing a large fleet of buses, & keeping track of drivers, their licensing and physicals. Lynx covers these areas and so much more! It also provides weather reports, zoning, school calendars, and detailed reports for DPI and school districts.
Cons:
My only con would be the learning curve to master this software. That being said, the basic operation of creating routes and adding students, buses, and drivers is easy enough for novices. Lynx offers dozens of FAQ tutorial videos that make learning the software a breeze. Plus help is always only a phone call or email away!
Easy routing for short notice routes.
Comments: LYNX has solved just about every problem we could have imagined to have when it comes to routing students. It has more options and items than we would ever use. I sure beats the large map and strings that was used before!
Pros:
I am able to create routes with ease and have them in a very timely manner. We do auxiliary routes at times and they need to be set up for a short period of time and this program allows me to do this without any real problems. Creating new students and moving current students within the system is easy and fast. Modifying any routes can be done in a timely manner and have the results for the driver before they leave the office.
Cons:
At times when I move a student with an alternate address, it does not follow. This is not the fault of the program. There is a button to click that i just sometimes forget to click and it brings in the home address instead. The box pops up and tells me what to do but it doesn't always get clicked.
Alternatives Considered:
I Love Lynx
Comments: Lynx is used for nearly every aspect of managing Phoenix Elementary's transportation department. From routing, student data management, driver data management, vehicle maintenance record keeping, and much more.
Pros:
Lynx is easy to learn and to use. Lynx is a capable routing software for school buses and Lynx is great for student data management.
Cons:
The route maps and directions we're not user friendly. However the developers created a new map function and now the maps and directions are easy to ride and very accurate.
Easy to use
Comments: Over all it's serves our purpose well. I am able to look up students quickly, adjust routes easily and geocode addresses for accurate mileage readings.
Pros:
It is easy to use / navigate. Easy to add and remove riders from routes. Helps greatly with the DPI reporting a the end of the year. I know I don't utilize the software to it's full potential.
Cons:
There have been improvements recently that resolved a couple of minor issues I had with the software. The way the phone numbers come in from Skyward are a little off. Quite a few of my students have no phone number entries so I have to go to Skyward to find them under the emergency contact page. And the wording could be adjusted as well for the phone numbers to match what they are labeled in Skyward.
Lynx Software Response
5 years ago
Good morning Ronda! Please contact us if you are having any issues with the sync with Skyward. Often times it's just a simple change in the configuration that will solve the issue. Thank you!
Great product with constant improvements
Comments: Lynx overall is a a great product and the company offers exceptional support. You always get the same people who get to know you and your needs. Response is fast and courteous. They listen and make improvements constantly.
Pros:
Being able to get to information in the quickest way possible is key especially when dealing with student transportation. Lynx allows you to get at student data from several different points. Lynx also allows enough data to be put into each students profile so that any special situation can be notated.
Cons:
This is not really a con, but know that this software along with any other is not a magic bullet, where you just upload a bunch of data and voila! it works. You will need to spend time to ensure that your data is correctly spelled, names of streets are correct, and geo-coding is accurate. Once data is set up correctly, keeping it that way is a breeze.
Incomparable and Unbeatable Customer Service
Pros:
As a relatively new administrator of this software suite, I'm more than likely to call technical support during times of high need. (Think monthly report time, the start of the new school year, etc.) I usually call very early in the morning and it's not uncommon that someone answers the phone! My questions are usually one the expert on the other end of the phone can guide me through in just a few minutes and I'm back in business and on my way for the day.
Cons:
I wish the application could be run in a native Mac Operating System environment. It would be great if this were simply a web page that one accessed the data base and did all of the work on the front end through that interface.
Lynx Software Response
5 years ago
Good morning Dave! Yes, we are working on a strictly web based version for those of you who don't want to install a Windows application. Stay tuned!
Lynx Software
Comments: I have a positive experience with this software generally. For the money, it is one of the best systems we have found. The support is fast and very efficient if you have any problems.
Pros:
Very easy to use, very reasonable cost and support is very very good
Cons:
The software does not have an undo button. Therefore there may be extra time spent undoing things and putting them back to what it was if you remember what you did wrong or lost. This is the greatest obstacle to this software. Also sometimes the stop route for calculating route time has some glitches to it after geocoding is done.
Lynx Software Response
5 years ago
Good morning Scott! Please let us know any additional features you would like to have. We are always looking for new tools to provide to our customers.
Love Routing with Lynx
Comments:
Daily routing is great and being able to bring up student information quickly is a real asset.
Also, calling in for help from [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] is so simple and they are so helpful in quickly helping me solve my problems.
Pros:
i love the ease of finding closest routes & adding students.
Cons:
The fact that it does not transfer from computer to computer without updating. Would like an online version.
Lynx Software Response
5 years ago
Hi Jamie! We appreciate your review. Lynx is a fully multi-user application so you should not have to update anything to see changes on other computers. Please call us if something isn't working correctly. Thank you!!
LYNX Transportation Routing Software
Comments: It has been a very positive experience in the terms of ease of use of the products many features.
Pros:
Overall ease of set-up and use. This product has all the tools necessary for our district to create and manage all of our transportation routing and vehicle maintenance. We have experience great customer service and technical support since our initial start-up.
Cons:
Establishing right and left hand turns (Route via's). I don't like that they appear as bus stops on our route sheet documents.
Review
Pros:
Customer service, optimization, field trip billing, easy student sync files, all-in-one solution
Cons:
Route vias, lack of driver directions, no right side pickup/turnaround option, issues with Windows 10
Lynx Software Response
5 years ago
Good morning Jeff! Thank you for the review! Lynx does have driver directions, right side pickup and turnaround options. Feel free to contact us to find out to implement them. Also, if you are having any issues with Windows 10 we would like to know about it. We recommend all users to be running the latest version of Windows with Lynx.