Do you need to implement educational software?
A definitive guide to selecting the most suitable software for your school
22 min.What will this guide offer you?
Selecting a management system for your center is one of the most relevant decisions you will have to make. The implications that this decision entails in relation to work culture and good management practices make it worthwhile to conduct an in-depth investigation of the different existing alternatives. For this reason we have created this guide, which will give you a complete overview of the options currently available and recommends criteria to help you select the best solution for your current and future needs.
How to use this guide?
Use this free guide to learn about different technology options so you can:
• inform yourself
• evaluate
• compare
• select
This includes:
• Tips so you can identify your needs
• Functional aspects that you should consider when evaluating
• What tools and features to look for
Why buy educational center management software?
School management software can help you integrate:
- academic information
- communications between the center, teachers, students and families
- financial management
- the accounting
Having all information centralized helps simplify administrative tasks, allowing staff to focus on providing quality education instead of wasting time on day-to-day or repetitive processes.
Recommendation
Purchasing school management software can help improve school efficiency and ensure academic expectations are met, as well as being vital for an agile decision-making process.
Evaluate your needs
Before you begin exploring potential software solutions, you should analyze the processes you currently use to identify areas where software can help.
Use the following tips to identify your current weaknesses and needs:
- Define the problems you want to solve
- List your current and future needs, analyzing what priority each one has. Then define which are essential and which are desirable. This procedure will allow you to identify the main problems and align them with the system requirements that you are defining.
Do you want…
Know the results by year or course in real time?
Facilitate communications between stakeholders (students, family members, teachers, administrators) in a controlled and centralized manner?
Integrate with external systems that you use daily?
Reduce costs or errors due to duplication of data entry tasks?
Automate repetitive tasks?
Define what type of software you need
When it comes to managing educational centers, not all solutions are the same. If you want you can read What type of software do you need for your school?
Typically, companies rely primarily on one or more of the following management methods:
Papers and Excel
All centers start this way thanks to the great tool that is Excel spreadsheets, relying on manual processes and sharing the spreadsheets.
This method is not only difficult to keep up with growth , but it has little interaction between staff and normally each person applies their own criteria to create and maintain them.
Several separate systems
Data dispersed across individual, separate software solutions: one for academic management, one for billing and accounting, one for communications, one for payroll, etc. Or, they are likely to have expensive integrations between academic management and administration systems.
This method has the advantage that specialist systems can be used, but in addition to being very expensive, it does not guarantee the uniqueness of the data nor does it allow for a 360-degree view of the educational center.
A platform
A platform is a unified system that concentrates all the organization’s solutions and information in a single place. Each stakeholder will have a single version of the truth, ensuring that information is accurate, up-to-date, and entered efficiently.
Educational centers are more connected because they work collaboratively, have more control and reduce the risk of errors.
Academics, finance and accounting rely on a single source of data, minimizing errors and protecting profitability.
All the organization’s knowledge is in a single interconnected system and not in different people, thus guaranteeing security and maintenance over time.
Recommendation
Take into account the current moment of your company and where you want to go in the medium term. Many solutions are too simple and will not solve the problems you will have in a few years.
Select software that grows with you.
Enterprise Software Basics
In your research on solutions to manage educational centers you will see that there are several options to solve your problems and each solution will have different characteristics. Each provider will try to demonstrate its superiority but only you can decide which one best suits your current reality and your future expectations.
Here we will give you some tips so you can find the most suitable solution for you.
Simplicity to use 
Functionality
The goal of a management solution is to make your life easier, but ease of use should not be confused with limited or inflexible.
Try to select solutions that provide automation of the processes you use most and that give you the option to configure your institution’s processes according to your reality. This will not only save you resources, but you will do them faster and without errors.
Recommendation
It is important to find a correct balance between the simple and linear or the complex and variable.
If your educational center is small, a simple solution without automation will be enough. On the other hand, if your center is growing or manages a significant number of students, it will require automating more functionalities and implementing slightly more complex workflows, and there you will need a robust solution.
L O C A L S E R V ER CLOUD SYSTEM
Location:
The software and the licenses are installed on a local server.
local server.
Location:
Software is hosted on a central server, using only what is needed with the security of specialized companies in the cloud.
Adquisition:
Hardware must be purchased which implies high costs.
high costs
Adquisition:
No purchase is made, the cost of the hardware is outsourced. Thanks to the cloud, you only pay a monthly fee for what you use.
Maintenance:
Installation and maintenance of the system is
costly for the organization.
Maintenance:
Installation and maintenance of the system is
costly for the organization.
Update:
Costly upgrades
Update:
Upgrades included, low implementation
implementation.
Storage:
Limited storage depending on the server
acquired. The increase of space on local servers
servers involves purchasing new hardware.
hardware.
Storage:
With the high speed of computer changes
changes, frequent updates are vital.
are vital. Software as a Service includes
free frequent updates.
Safety:
Safety depends on what is done locally by in-house or outsourced by in-house or outsourced personnel.
One mistake can leave all computers or servers in your network vulnerable.
Safety:
It is the responsibility of the software supplier,
usually being specialized in the cloud, its security will be of a good
in the cloud, its security will be of a good level.
No extra costs.
Backups:
Backups performed by internal personnel. Policies for backing up information, which are usually manual, must be applied.
Backups:
It is the responsibility of the supplier. It will normally have automated processes with multi-level security.
Limited storage:
In general, local servers have limited capacities and it is not easy to increase them.
Ilimited storage:
The cloud offers unlimited storage
that keeps up with the company’s growth
without changing anything.
Recommendation
It is important to find a correct balance between the simple and linear or the complex and variable.
If your educational center is small, a simple solution without automation will be enough. On the other hand, if your center is growing or manages a significant number of students, it will require automating more functionalities and implementing slightly more complex workflows, and there you will need a robust solution.
Security
Given the growing wave of attacks on business systems, it is important that you seriously consider the security aspects that each software offers.
We suggest you consider security from different angles, such as:
- Network Security: Type Firewall at the system location.
- Data security (Backups). Consider periodicity and verifications.
- User security. Possibility of auditing changes, defining Roles, etc.
- Access security: Power outages, disasters, etc.
Recommendation
The physical security measures used in cloud-based systems are much stricter than those typically in place on local servers.
Servers have multiple backups in geographically distributed locations that employ the same strict security measures. Additionally, these servers have special power supplies and backup generators that offer higher levels of security and stability in case of emergencies.
Data Ownership
In cloud-based systems, it is important to ensure that you as the customer are the legal owner of your data and can obtain a copy of it at any time.
It’s also important to make sure the contract guarantees support or tools for properly downloading the data you need to migrate to another provider if you decide to do so in the future.
Cost
In order to understand and analyze different options, it is important to know exactly the differences between each of them to know what each offers and thus be able to make a more accurate comparison.
When we talk about cost, we must consider the Total Acquisition Cost , understanding that this varies depending on the provider’s licensing model as well as its support options . Among them we find:
- Hardware
- Hardware Maintenance
- Operating systems maintenance
- Management Software Licenses
- Academic Software Licenses
- Management Software Support
- Academic Software Support
- Notification Software License
- Human Resources Software License
- Human Resources Software Support
The total acquisition cost can vary considerably depending on how the software is implemented and the internal skills required to support it. It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each licensing model. Each of them is explained in detail below.
Integrations
In today’s world, many systems have advanced to specialize in specific functions, thus achieving superior quality. In this way, through integrations it is possible to use the best of each of the worlds, using the best system for educational management together with the best system for financial management. This is only possible if you have the ability to have clean and affordable integrations so that data flows without any impediment.
Some examples:
- Educational and technological partners such as google classroom, moodle, microsoft teams
- Academic systems
- Communications app
- Sending email to those responsible for payment, staff and suppliers.
- Sending notifications by WhatsApp or Telegram
massive payments through banks - Bank account reconciliations
- Employee payroll settlement and electronic receipt systems
- Electronic billing
- Employee time capture
Recommendation
Always look for open systems that can easily integrate with industry-leading technologies.
Communications
Today’s students are digital natives, so we can say that their life is “digital”. If the communication is aligned with the daily life of the students or family members, their response will be much better.
Educational centers, in order not to be left behind, must accompany this digitalization process and the way in which it is communicated is an important ingredient. That is why centers must have the possibility of mass, group or individual messaging through a secure and controlled environment , which allows you to quickly send any type of notification to any member of your community.
In the case of schools, for example, family members must be able to consult and share information online about what happened that same day with their children from the comfort of their mobile phone, without having the hassle of logging in through a desktop computer.
Recommendation
It uses the latest technologies to communicate with students and families, generating them in an agile manner and with accurate data. That the academic data is generated from your academic system and your financial data from your management system is the best combination but that your communication is centralized in the same channel.
Accounting as a management tool
Accounting is necessary to comply with tax obligations.
Now, but is it also possible to use accounting for more than just settling taxes?
The answer is yes.
By applying a correct accounting definition and using a system that allows it, these data become valuable information for analysis and making better decisions!
Systems that manage to account directly from the operations and have the capacity to generate accounting entries according to good practices of “management accounting”, provide additional value as they will generate reliable information that will help managers and directors to make strategic decisions, planning of investments and cost control, which will result in better profitability.
Software customization
Many times you will need to customize the solution due to cases exclusive to your educational center that are totally necessary for your way of managing and provide a differential added value to your institution.
If you detect this, find out carefully the possibilities of each provider to allow this configuration as well as its cost. Keep in mind that a good supplier will always first help you analyze whether it complies with good administrative practices, offering you the best alternatives.
Recommendation
We suggest you select open systems that are easily extendable with personal characteristics of your company. Avoid closed systems with difficult or expensive customizations.
A management system must accompany the institution in each of its areas, allowing everything that is done today to be carried out, but also new ways of doing things, which will possibly make administrative processes more efficient. For this reason, it is very important to understand each of the functionalities that the system allows, not only looking at today, but also at a possible future.
Depending on the size and complexity of your projects, you will need systems with different characteristics.
Small companies
For those who only need to organize a small center, there are many systems available on the market that solve academic issues and can be used to issue monthly payment invoices.
These systems work well when you are small, as they are very easy to use, they are disconnected and usually do not count or control actions much
Software features
Medium businesses
If you need to manage a larger center, with more students and educators, more need for collaboration and compliance control, you will need an enterprise-grade solution. In these cases, relying on massive processes will make repetitive tasks easier.
A suitable solution for medium-sized educational centers should offer the following characteristics:
ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT
ACADEMIC
EVALUATION
Flexible and fully configurable evaluation notebook
Evaluation by specific competencies and key competencies
Rubrics with self- and peer-assessment
Tool to create online questionnaires and exams
ACADEMIC
PLANNING
Creation of groups, schedules and assignment of teachers
Didactic programming and link with planning
Class planning by week and units
Class schedules, events, tutorials and meetings
learning reports and analytics
Custom reports according to regulations
Reports on attendance, incidents, monitoring and skills
Attendance statistics at the center, stage, group and student level
Analysis by competencies and evaluation criteria
newsletter generator
Customizable newsletters at the center level
Linking data directly from the teachers' evaluation notebook
PDF export and possibility of sending to students and families
Assistance and incidents
Control and registration tool for teachers
Notification and visualization to families and students
Analysis of the center's attendance by students, groups and subjects.
Create, send and manage authorizations of all types
communication with students and families
Individual and group messages
Sending history and read receipt
Native app for families and students (iOS & Android). Teacher-family communication
Sending circulars, files, documents, events and meetings
Portal for students, families and teachers
ADMINISTRATION
SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION
Role-based permissions, which can be configured at the level of each user.
A user can be assigned to more than one role.
Administrators can define what information each user can see based on their permissions.
STUDENT MANAGEMENT
Contract with each student where the contracted products are defined.
Definition of prices and discounts by smart brother.
Mass generation of recurring fees and incorporation of non-recurring extracurricular services.
fINANCE
Automatic identification of collections in the center's bank accounts and generation of the collection in the system.
Automatic assignment of the charge to the invoice.
Automatic bank reconciliation.
Automatic generation of interest for late payment.
ACCOUNTING
Automatic accounting of scholarships and discounts.
Intelligence that allows the allocation of cost centers automatically.
Real-time access to accounting data and information on center costs.
Automatic accrual of expenses.
REPORTS
Reports in real time
Scheduled reports with automatic sending by email.
Consultation of reports based on permission levels.
dashboards and INDICAtorS
Boards defined by roles.
Expense comparison graphs.
Late paymentrepresented graphically.
Performance indicators
attachments
Upload and download any document efficiently.
Secure, unlimited photo storage.
Capture, store and share photos from a smartphone, tablet or computer.
HUMAN resources
Staff pick
Complete employee information and contacts.
Payroll calculation and issuance of salary receipts.
Cálculo de nómina y emisión de recibos de sueldos.
Issuance of payments integrated into treasury.
Taking times on the center clock.
Implementation and support
Implementation
Business systems are developed so that the business processes used are managed in the most efficient way, and have a parameterization layer that allows the system to adapt to the business flows of each company.
This parameterization is carried out by the provider’s consultants, who through meetings with the client verify or modify the system’s business flows. Depending on the degree of verticalization that the system already has included, the implementation time that each system will require will depend.
It is advisable to look for software that already has the processes parameterized and that has an implementation time of days instead of months.
Recommendation
We recommend a system that has a clear implementation strategy, with measurable timelines, that can be implemented quickly and that has an online learning platform, supporting documentation and live training sessions with a consultant.
Stages of an implementation
Survey of company requirements
The company defines its software needs related to each functionality so that this serves as a basis for how the system should function in each functionality.
Parametrization
Los expertos parametrizan en el sistema los flujos de negocio requeridos por el centro educativo.
Functionality verification
Mediante casos de uso seleccionados por el cliente, se deberá verificar el comportamiento del sistema, y el estricto cumplimiento del sistema de los requerimientos definidos.
Training
La capacitación del personal del equipo que utilizará el sistema diariamente es vital para el éxito de la implementación.
Una correcta capacitación se soporta básicamente en 3 pilares:
- Capacitación en vivo con un experto
- Aprendizaje audiovisual en línea
- Documentación de apoyo en sistema de aprendizaje en línea
Recommendation
Systems for medium and large companies have many functionalities and processes and require several training sessions with users.
It is advisable to train trainers within companies so that knowledge remains within and that minor queries can be addressed internally.