“It's a no brainer to use Rubie. If you were to take Rubie away, I think I would quit that part of my job.”
// Challenge //
Manual processes and fragmented integrations blocked growth
Before Rubie, Cariina relied on manual CSV imports for student, parent, and staff rosters. Each school year, especially summers, became an operational nightmare requiring the team to export, cross-match, and manually update records for every school.
When they attempted SFTP connections through files.com, new problems emerged. Each Student Information System required specific file formats with exact column names. Some exported with quotation marks; others used “1” and “2” instead of “true” and “false.” There was no way to normalize data into a consistent format.
Integrations multiplied until the team lost track of which connected to which SIS. Cariina could only support three systems, primarily PowerSchool, because adapting to additional platforms required significant engineering effort. Outdated roster data meant forms ended up open to everyone, generating messy data with no clear root of the problem.
“We were running into a lot of duplicates, data issues... we couldn't work with a lot of SISs out there because we knew it was going to take a lot of our engineering team to adapt all of those exports.”
// Solution //
A single integration layer that normalizes any SIS data automatically
Cariina partnered with Rubie to bring order and automation to their data integration process, providing a scalable framework that could adapt to any school district's unique requirements. Instead of manually comparing formats, Rubie automatically surfaced schema variations, inconsistencies, and errors directly to end users, giving the team clarity and control without slowing them down.
Implementation was remarkably fast. Dani, who manages all SFTP operations despite not having a coding background, found the transition straightforward. Within a day of the initial conversation, the first playbook was configured and ready for testing. New playbooks for Cariina typically have a one-day turnaround.
“It was just using the system that was normalizing the data and giving me the output in the way that I wanted without me having to code the webhook. It was very user friendly.”
// Outcome //
Unlocked market expansion and transformed operational efficiency
Market expansion became possible overnight. Cariina grew from 30-40 schools to 113 using SFTP transfers, nearly 3x growth. They now support 23+ different SIS platforms, up from just 3. SIS compatibility is no longer a blocker for sales.
Long-standing challenges resolved. One Boston-area school had attempted to connect with Blackbaud for five years without success. Within weeks of implementing Rubie, Cariina established a working integration.
Operational burden shifted dramatically. Summers are no longer consumed by data work. The entire SFTP operation which previously required multiple team members is now managed by Dani alone.
“Rubie has opened the door for Cariina to work with more schools regardless of the system. We can make sure there's one source of truth for the rosters and we no longer have a blocker to continue growing.”