Alexandra Uifalean
November 25th, 2019
Education has moved in leaps and bounds. Gone are the days when we had piles of student-related sheets with academic records, financial records, medical details, etc. on our desks. Nowadays, more and more schools recognize the advantages of school management systems, and how easy it is to manage all of the information under a simple to use platform.
And it’s not just that. Schools can better handle registrations, admissions, billing and invoicing, lesson planning, payroll, student progress, and many more. All thanks to integrated ERP that automates processes, making them effortless and more efficient.
In this article, we’ll talk about the main features you should look for in school ERP software to help you make the best decision.
But first things first.
ERP stands for enterprise resource planning and it’s a centralized system for successfully running a business.
The goal of a student information system is to help schools plan how to use their resources and manage processes effectively and efficiently. By automating processes and back-office functions that slow people down, schools start running smoothly—a.k.a. your business becomes more profitable.
The ERP system is the heartbeat of a cloud-based school. Manage your information with ease and all under the one umbrella.
The short answer is everybody involved in the school environment when you have a school management system that sits at the top of the tree.
Because it’s a complete all-in-one solution, it integrates all of the processes needed to run a business with a single system. It handles everything from course scheduling, timetables, materials, alerts, communication, payment information, invoicing and a lot more.
Let’s have a look at who reaps the benefits of a school ERP software and how:
Students learn better when they’re in a consistent, predictable and well-organized environment. A management system can strengthen a school’s relationship with its students, creating a learning environment where they can thrive.
Using the ERP system, students can:
Reach out to their teachers and peers whey they have doubts and queries
Easily view their timetable
Check out lesson notes and download course material
Plus, teachers can use ERP systems to praise positive behaviour and suggest students where they need to improve. By efficiently tracking students’ results, schools are setting them up for success.
In this day and age, tech helps to ensure seamless cooperation between a school and parents. ERPs usually have a dedicated parent portal where they provide transparent and structured information on every student. You can also use them to keep families updated by sending out regular, automated emails and notifications.
Thanks to it, parents can:
Get an accurate view of how their kids are performing in class
Use the system to manage online payments, check out invoices and stay up to date with due fees
Check real-time tracking of children transport
Teachers have a lot on their plates, and manual work takes a lot of time, energy and resources. No wonder stress gets to them and they experience burnout.
A robust ERP software helps teachers streamline school-related processes. They can use the automated features to update students and course materials, making the learning process more comfortable.
Thanks to it, teachers can:
Easily monitor, manage and assess student performance and behavior in the classroom
Update lesson records in real-time, ensuring nobody misses out on tasks and assignments
Better connect with students and parents
Focus more on teaching
Schools deal with many challenges on a daily basis when it comes to administration. ERP reduces the burden on administrative departments that are overwhelmed by dull, time-consuming processes. Simply put, it’s the best solution to increase efficiency and deliver timely services to the school.
Thanks to it, the staff can:
Automate repetitive processes and execute them without error
Free up their time and prioritize projects
If you want to get the best out of ERP system and make school life easier, you need to look for some crucial features. These features are the backbone of the platform and here are nine we think you shouldn’t miss:
You should never neglect usability and user-friendliness when you’re introducing new software to your customers. Easy to use technology increases the chances of successful adoption and can boost the ROI of your business.
When we designed Teach ’n Go, we focused on what schools and training businesses need and left out the clutter and complexity. We came up with a school management software that’s intuitive, easy to install and navigate. Plus, we’re always there when you need us.
Time management in schools is essential. Having access to teachers’ schedules helps schools stay organized and on track. An appointment scheduling tool is vital when managing multiple teachers, students, and activities. Without a solid teacher scheduling platform - it becomes cluttered, and the faster you grow - the harder it gets to manage.
Also, school ERP software allows users to schedule lessons on custom o recurring days, assign teachers and class locations.
Everyone needs to be serious about tracking attendance—not only of the staff but also of the students. Having a system that has clear attendance history keeps teachers in the loop and helps them identify students who are struggling or falling behind.
Every ERP should have a dedicated section for the family. What better way to build up transparent relationships than giving parents access to their child’s up-to-date schedule, attendance and behaviour? One of the best things about ERP software is that it easily connects parents to teachers and school admins, improving relationships.
Since we’re talking about online education, users need to have access to course materials online. A stellar school ERP allows students to view lesson notes and download course material uploaded by the teacher. This way, they can stay on top of school matters when they’re not at school.
Say goodbye to endless phone calls that keep you away from finishing other projects. School ERP software does a great job when it comes to keeping everyone updated. Whether it’s sending out personalized emails and messages or setting up notifications and alerts, you can always reach the right people in no time.
Changing the classroom at the last minute? Quickly notify all users at the touch of a button, and keep them in the loop for any real-time changes that you may have.
Teach ’n Go sends customized, automated notifications letting parents know about children’s progress, as well as their payment records.
In 2020, management software needs to have a mobile presence. A mobile app should work seamlessly on all devices, giving users all the features at their fingertips. This not only increases the availability of the software but also boosts work efficiency.
An ERP software mobile app must have real-time notifications and alerts, outstanding chat functionality and seamless integration.
In a world where everyone has a mobile phone in their hand a little too long, it's vital that you have a platform that makes it super easy for users to be able to access course content - whether they are at home, on the bus or in the local park! Making it easy for users will result in a more active student.
A school’s well-being depends on how well it’s handling the fee generation and payment process. A robust billing system is essential to manage errors and have a clear overview of what has been paid and what’s due.
A School ERP system should allow online, secure payments through a payment gateway so that parents can pay their fees directly to the school’s account through PayPal or credit card. Combined payments are also useful: linking students of the same family on one invoice makes the billing process shorter and easier.
Since we’re talking about 💰, sending out professionally-looking invoices is as important as watering your plants (yes, when you’re on holiday, too). Luckily, an ERP software does it for you, making invoicing painless and straightforward.
A fully functional school ERP software should successfully export and import data. This way, you can transfer student or employee details into and out of the system anytime you want. Plus, you’ll never have to re-enter attendance, student, class and grade information, or deal with duplicate content and losing data.
In a world where the educational environment is constantly changing, ERP software has been revolutionizing school administration. By connecting separate and complex technologies all into one, it eliminates the need for buying costly, incompatible tools—which saves you money in the long run.
We’ve seen how it serves everyone involved in the academic process: the administrators, teachers, students, staff and parents. Business owners will find ERP software helpful for one big reason: it gives them the ability to see what’s happening in their training business at any time.
Whatever you do, pick the one that suits your needs.
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Tip: Choose School Owner/Administrator if you're setting up a school for the first time on Teach 'n Go.
