You may choose to call it School ERP System/ Software can also be called School Management Software/ System or Integrated Educational ERP Solution. This post covers what you should expect in a good School ERP System / software.
Definitions:
What is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)?
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the integrated management of main business processes, often in real time and mediated by software and technology.
ERP is usually referred to as a category of business management software—typically a suite of integrated applications—that an organization can use to collect, store, manage, and interpret data from many business activities. Wikipedia
Read: Benefits of School Alumni Network & Alumni software
What is School ERP System/ Software?
A school Enterprise Resource Planning System/ Software is units of software designed for school business management, specially to manage all the administrative tasks of a school in an effective manner.
A School ERP System/ Software can also be called School Management Software/ System or Integrated Educational ERP Solution. School ERP System/ Software is designed & developed to streamline, automate, and simplify all the work processes in a school. From managing online admissions, daily attendance, assigning homework, assessments, examination management, timetable management, finance and payroll management, Result & Transcript, library, Communication system among all the users, aid in teaching, etc, the school ERP software offers various modules for complete campus administration & enables educators to make quick & thoughtful decisions that enhance student & faculty performance & drive institutional growth.
How to choose a School ERP System/ Software
Since School ERP System/ Software or School Management Software have become an integral part of education industry for the past couple of years. As schools realized the possibilities of management software, the demand for software vendors also increased in Nigeria and in the world.
There are good local educational management software vendors and good franchise in Nigeria. Also, with the aid of information technology, you can choose your School ERP/ School Management Software from any part of the world. The location may have little or no effect on the product usability.
Running a school that has up to 100 students without a school management system is like running a bank without a management system that can give clients transaction alerts, ATM systems, withdrawing cash at any branch of your choice.
If School ERP Software has become an important tool for educational institutions, then making a right choice in selecting School ERP System/ Software or School Management Software for you school is very important.
Read: How to Choose Good School Management Software
SUMMARY OF FEATURES IN SCHOOL SOFTWARE PRO ERP
| Human Resources | Generate ID Cards new | Examination | ||
| Student Admission | Hostel | Timetable | ||
| Student Attendance | Institute/Event Calendar | Full Accounting System | ||
| Messaging System | Student Information | Student Login | ||
| Parent Login | Employee/Teacher Login | Generate Certificates | ||
| Online exam | Transcript Generation | Assignment | ||
| Applicant Registration | Discussion | Library | ||
| GradeBook/ Report Card | API access | Inventory | ||
| Report Center | News Management | User Management | ||
| Custom Student Remarks | SMS integration | Customisable Dashboards | ||
| Data Management | Transport | Gallery | ||
| Blog | Group Project | Poll | ||
| Theme | Discipline | Custom Report | ||
| Payroll | Language support | File attachments | ||
| Custom URL | Well Secured | Good Analyses | ||
| Settings | Receipt Paper options | Subject based registration | ||
| PIN registration | Leave management | Privileges Management | ||
| Backup System | Unique ID | Google Login | ||
| Courses and Batches | Data export | POS, A3, A4 size Prints | ||
| BigBlueButton Video Meeting | Bulk Data Import | Remarks | ||
PLUGINS |
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| Alumni | Audit | Email integration | ||
| Payment Gateway | Reminder | Doc manager | ||
| Video Conferencing Integration | Form builder | Auto Timetable Generator | ||
IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER
The Features or Modules in a School ERP system/ Software. It is important to take your time to explore the features to see how elaborate they are.
You must consider if the software you are going for have the features that will manage school’s six (6) important stakeholders and students from admission to graduation and alumni.
Apart from features/ modules in the School Management Software/ System, another very important things school managers should consider are the after sales support, tutorials for the ERP features/ modules and ability to update the School ERP System to meet newer technology needs. Meeting the newer technology needs of schools is very importance as the School ERP Software features cannot be constant as the only thing that is constant in life is change.
Cost of the School Management Software/ System cannot be overlooked. As a decision-maker, you have a budget. It’s valuable to consider all options within your budget. Free school software options may not meet your needs and the most expensive options may not worth it. Several vendors have their prices based on reasons best known to them.
You need to take time to study the prices and relate it with the School ERP Software/ system quality.
Manage Six (6) Important School Stakeholders
Every school has six (6) important stakeholders that needs or gives your school information. Stakeholders that needs information from your school are School Management, Students, Parents, Alumnus, General Public and Government. You must consider if the software you are going for have the features that will manage students from admission to graduation and alumni.
This should be basic thing to know before going into details of how the features work. It is the foundation. It is good to choose School Management software that has these as you will have great need of it now and later in managing your school.
INQUIRY & ADMISSION MANAGEMENT
A good Online Admission Management System should be able to manage the followings: Manage Students details, Unique username to students, Saved contact details to send immediate alerts to parents, Customize the admission forms, Cloud Students Documents Management, Class/ Course/ Batch Allotment, Academic year records, Accept Admission fee where applicable.
Admission Enquiry Feature
The inquiry feature/ module should be in analytical information display, where admin can view all the applications regarding new admission, enquiries of parents/students about Classes/ courses, also linked the academic year to get a complete admission flow for the year.
Read: Polytechnics / Universities Management System
GRADE BOOK or RESULT MANAGEMENT
No matter the type of your school (Primary, Secondary, Group of Schools, Polytechnic or University), a good School ERP System need to have Grade Book or Result Management system that should manage and present students result as the school would want it. Student’s Result sheet Management systems should be customizable and able to handle and present dynamic report. For example, a school that has a Nursery school result sheet different from Primary school exam report or secondary schools report, the school ERP systems should handle them.
Some features of a good Student Result Management Software are, import marks and records into the grade book software easily, Reports centre, Remark Bank to select from, Allows any number of exams in a term, Automated grading, Subject, Exam or Term Remarks, Head Teacher Remarks, Teacher Remarks and Principal Remarks, Have different grading systems for different classes (Nursery, Primary & Secondary), Select student data you want to display in final report sheet, Auto insert School seal, Principal Signature and more, Auto insert School logo, student passport, Single and Bulk report printing, Bulk marks Import, Generate full session (Term 1, Term 2, Term 3) report in one report.
FINANCE or FEE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The fee collection process in school and colleges is a complex procedure as the fee structure for every student and every class is different. Using a manual procedure leaves ample opportunity for human error, making an already complex process more tedious and challenging. A good School ERP system/ Software is streamlining the process – making it easier and faster for employees as well as parents and present a good report for management.
Fee receipts are an essential final step of any fee payment process that indicates the closing of the fee payment process. Fee Receipt issuing should be in soft or hard copy.
Ability to compared financial records over periods, weeks, months and years.
NOTIFICATION or COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
A good School Management Software/ system should bring the stakeholders together with easy and more than one two-way communication system. School management, employees, students, parents and potential students are to have seamless communication tools at little or no cost.
Some of the communication tools are Email, SMS, internal messaging, Push messaging, etc.
SCHOOL MOBILE App
In the world of mobile, a good School ERP System/ Software should have a mobile app that should manage the essential and most used features of the School Management Software. School ERP Mobile App suppose to be in your school name, color, logo for all user-types; Admin, Teachers, Students & Parents. To take attendance, students can view timetable, parents can view attendance, principal and admins can send messages & announcements etc. Students interact with teachers through messages, View & pay fees online, View results, Get notified about exams, fee dues and other alerts instantly.
HUMAN RESOURCES
In schools and educational institutes, the human resource management software/ system is one of the most critical functions. This is the reason that when selecting a perfect school ERP software, it is important to consider software that offers a combination of automated processes that connect human resource management and information technology in a seamless manner.
Key solutions: Bulk employee import option allows uploading details of employees in fractions of seconds, Payroll setup can be done for variations of earnings and deductions. Instant amount changes in payroll is supported, Payroll can be collectively assigned to employees sharing similar pay structure and frequency, HR Admin or the employee with privileges can generate payslips based on payment frequency.
SCHOOL CLOUD-BASED/ ONLINE App
In most cases, it is seen that these products are Cloud-based platforms. This means that the users of these systems can automate, monitor, and manage all their work from wherever they want and whenever they want to. This, in turn, makes sure that they are able to make the most of their workflow. Once the basic data gets uploaded on such a system your staff and faculty members are able to do a lot of work with comfort and ease that they would have otherwise found tedious and boring. This eventually reduces the chances of mistakes as well. Obviously, it gets better when you choose the high-end systems.
CERTIFICATE GENERATION
Certificate Generation Software/ System for school is an automated, highly customizable, easy to use and quick to produce plug-in or module or feature of a school management software/ system. The certificate generation module brings the process of generating certificates into a new age in an institution or school.
A good school management software/ system should automate students and employees certificate generation. It should be an important feature for a school management software or other ERP or technology that are able to generate custom certificates quickly and easily, after checking that they are authorized to do so.
ID CARD MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
With the ID Card Generation Software/ System for schools / institutions can create templates for student and employee ID cards as required. Design one side or both, add background images, barcode, include custom and system data using field codes and much more with the new ID card generator. ID cards can be generated in bulk or individually for each user in 2 sizes – A4 Canvas or in ID card size.
AFFORDABLE ERP
School/ institutions have budget and it’s valuable to consider all options a school management software/ system within your budget. Free school software options may not meet your needs and the most expensive options may not be worth of it. Several vendors have their prices based on reasons best known to them.
You need to take time to study the prices and relate it with the product quality.
In conclusion, school management software/ system or ERP is a vital tool in educational institution management and there are lots of good and affordable ERP in the market today that will match your school need. Some may need third party software integration where an institution has special need. School Software Pro is a good School ERP system in Nigeria that will match your institution needs.