With the introduction of automation and digitization in education, several managerial tasks have become automated over the years. At a time when digital technology is giving importance it is important for schools to transform themselves to meet this requirement. The school ERP is the gateway to this innovation along with the school LMS. ERP systems are comprehensive software solutions created to help organizations automate and manage a variety of processes. The introduction of the School ERP has helped the education sector explore newer heights. Understanding what is School ERP is crucial to utilize its benefits to its maximum potential.
The importance of ERP for Schools
Management of a school is not an easy task. It requires coordination between different departments and there should be transparency across the management as to who is responsible for what. Traditionally this has led to a lot of confusion in the fee management process, admission management system, student and staff attendance, and so on.
ERP systems provide a solution to these challenges by integrating all the key processes and functions of a school into a single platform, thereby improving overall efficiency and reducing manual labor. Additionally, ERP systems can help schools save time, reduce costs, and provide a better experience for students, teachers, and staff.
In this article, we will offer advice to schools on how to pick the best ERP system for their requirements. We will go into detail about the following major factors:
- Assessment of the school's needs
- Features to consider in an ERP system
- Vendor evaluation
- Implementation and deployment
- Ongoing maintenance and upgrades
It is the responsibility of the school to have clarity on how does ERP software work and ensure that every aspect of the road map is followed. Each of the steps outlined will contribute towards making it easy for the administration to implement the software and use it in the best possible manner.
Following this roadmap will help schools select the best ERP system for their needs and help them reach their objectives of increasing productivity, cutting costs, and improving the experience for all stakeholders.
Choosing the Right ERP System: A Step-by-Step Guide
Here is our step-by-step guide on how to assess and choose the right ERP system to align with your goals, processes, and technology infrastructure.
How to Assess Your School's Needs
Before selecting an ERP system, it is crucial to comprehend the particular needs and requirements of your school. For example, if you are a large school with lots of students taking admission, an admission management system needs to be put in place. This entails defining your goals and objectives, identifying key processes and functions, and evaluating the current technology infrastructure.
It is important to highlight that when assessing the needs of the school it is a responsibility of the administration to ensure that they are aware of how to manage ERP software once it is installed.Despite the fact that it is very easy to handle the software it is important for school administration to be aware of the best way to utilize the multiple functions present. The benefits of ERP in school can only be utilized when complete knowledge about its usage and implementation is present.
Identifying Key Processes & Functions Where ERP is Required
Finding the critical procedures and features that the ERP system should support is the first step in comprehending the requirements of your school. This might involve managing student data, administering exams, tracking attendance, and other student admission procedures. By identifying these key processes, you can better understand the functionality you need in your ERP system and what is essential for your school's operations.
Assessing Current Technology Infrastructure
The next step is to evaluate your current digital infrastructure after you have determined your key processes. This includes any current hardware and software you're using, as well as any data structures and systems that are already in place. You can assess whether a potential ERP system is compatible with your existing systems and whether it will integrate well by being aware of your current technological setup.
Defining Goals & Objectives
Decide on your school's goals and objectives. This includes long- and short-term objectives as well as your expectations for the ERP system. For example, do you want to improve student achievement, increase efficiency, or reduce manual processes? By defining your goals and objectives, you can ensure that the ERP system aligns with your school's vision and helps you achieve your desired outcomes. Teachmint achieves all these objectives because of its well Integrated School Platform, which combines a school ERP with a school LMS and a digital content platform.
Benefits of School ERP
One of the most efficient ways through which it becomes possible for any institution to understand the benefits of a school erp is by assessing what advantages it can provide. It also helps in providing clarity regarding how to manage erp and also who can manage erp on an everyday basis. The subsequent section outlines the several advantages that are associated with making use of this software.
Reduction in Costs
Management of costs is always one of the primary goals of every education institute. It is because of this reason that the school ERP system can be considered to be one of the most efficient ways of achieving the objective. This is because through the implementation of this technology it becomes possible to reduce the need for manpower.
In most cases the entire Technology can be utilized to conduct several activities and also maintain them efficiently everyday. It will also help in providing better quality education for the students and then show that through automation all kinds of errors are removed.
Immediate Decision Making
It is important to have divility to make immediate decisions when conducting everyday activities within online classes and even in offline classes, alongside management and administrative activities. The importance of ERP in management is considered to be indispensable because it allows for immediate decision making.
This is because through the use of ERP it becomes possible to generate bulk reports for different kinds of Administrative tasks. For example when online classes using ERP are conducted it becomes possible for the Teachers to have access to the list of students present, the modules being taught, the performance of the students in previous exams and so on in a single database making it easy to make decisions at a moment’s notice.
Less Paperwork
Another functional area of ERP is that it leads to less paperwork considering the fact that everything is mostly digital. Since it becomes easier to connect all the administrator information in a single database, the time taken to complete work also reduces.
Existing research has highlighted how using digitisation through the school ERP system becomes possible to at least reduce cost by 15%. The benefits of ERP in school also includes being able to have access to this information both in Saas and Clouds.
Recording Data in Real-Time
Advantage associated with the use of the software is that it provides access to as many people as that is required. The data that is stored is mostly done in real time and as a result every department is updated and all new information is immediately Incorporated.
Maintaining effective and efficient communication
In most school ERP software modules it has been found that it can provide better communication regarding different aspects of maintaining class modules. One of the many reasons why this becomes possible is because the software provides individual portals that have access to notifications and information and even updates for all the stakeholders associated with the institutions.
Using these porters it becomes easier for the students to download or upload assignments and also have access to all kinds of information. The parents can also make use of these portals to provide fees and maintain bills alongside having access to the performance of their children.
As a result, on consideration of all these benefits it is evident that the use of school ERP software has many advantages associated with it. Not only it enables an education institution to be able to digitize themselves but also save cost by reducing the use of papers. All these aspects together make it an exciting feature to have.
The Top 15 Features to Consider in an ERP System
You can begin comparing the different features and functionalities that are offered by ERP systems once you have a clear understanding of the needs of your school. Some of the key features to consider are described in detail below:
Fee Management Software
Teachmint’s fee management system is one of the most advanced features of the school ERP software we provide. It offers a centralized platform for managing school fees, including fee collection, receipt generation, and payment status tracking. The administration also has the option to provide discounts to deserving students and keep track of which students pay their fees monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, or yearly and manage them separately. It even offers the administration to automate the process of sending reminder SMS when the fees is due.
Benefits associated with the Fee Management Software
It has already been established in the above sections regarding the importance of ERP in management. It allows for better assimilation of the several pieces of information that needs to be circulated daily and ensures the removal of errors from the system.
Considering the fact that the fee management software of teachment is one of the most advanced in the market, the following section outlines the advantages associated with using it.
Maintains Transparency
The most important advantage that the free management system provides is that it maintains transparency. Having complete visibility on what kind of free related transactions are being carried out ensures growing confidence in the system.
it allows for both the Institution and the parents to have clarity on what kind of payments are being made and keep track of the transactions. it also reduces any kind of chances of data being replicated and data redundancy created as a result. The lack of errors highlights the benefit of having the fee management system incorporated across the entire database.
Regular Updates and managing reminders
The use of the free management system also contributes towards highlighting how the parents can always be reminded about when and where a payment needs to be made. The system has been developed with specific tools of reminders and providing updates making it easier for the parents and the students to remain alert.
In most cases these are carried out by providing regular emails or text alerts regarding any kind of upcoming payments that require to be made. The payment can be anything including tuition fees to support fees or taking any additional classes. At this point the parents are also informed about any kind of complimentary classes that are being provided by the school or whether any payment is required for any activities to be held in the school.
Student Information Management System
Teachmint offers a centralized platform for storing and managing student data which is known as the Student Information System or SIS. Along with basic information like name, birthdate, and contact information, it also includes academic data like grades and test results. It helps create a detailed profile of the student in one place so that the staff can get all the information about a student at short notice.
Benefits of student information management system
In order to better understand the effectiveness of the student information management system it is important to understand the advantages associated with it. Having clarity on the advantages of using this method will also provide clarity on the benefits of a school ERP system as a whole.
Better evaluation of the students
One of the first advantages associated with the software is that it helps in evaluating the performance and progress of the students which is considered to be a very important part of student evaluation. It allows the teacher to understand the areas the student is suffering from and develop a curriculum accordingly.
When teachers have clarity on the strengths and weaknesses of the students it allows them to help the student groom and learn. It also makes it easier for them to understand what kind of approach is best suited to help the students understand any particular topic.
Making school operations easier
The use of this technical tool is also considered to help make the school operations easier as it manages multiple functions together. it allows for better automation of the records that are present and ensures that it is easily available.
It also allows for ensuring the school ERP modules are accessible and can be utilized when necessary. In most cases it allows the Educational Institutes to be able to manage multiple functions without any hindrance.
Admission Management
One of the biggest advantages of using Teachmint is that the school will have all its resources in one place. One of the most important processes regarding a school is the admission process. Teachmint’s admission management system can help automate this process immensely. It offers a very streamlined procedure for managing applications, getting in touch with candidates, and even helps schools set up a dedicated admission portal for their school. Read More - The Need for Admission Management System in School
Transport Management
Teachmint takes student safety quite seriously and in relation to that has introduced the Student Transport Management System. It is a centralized platform for managing school transportation, including route management, vehicle tracking, and maintain vehicle records. The administration will have a track of how many buses are running, their live location, which students get on at which stop, how many students regularly take the school bus, and so on.
Read More - Transport Management System - All You Need to Know
Attendance Management
Management of attendance is a crucial part of running a school because it defines the parameters of a student’s discipline and how much they understand. The tracking of student attendance and absences, as well as the management of related procedures like leave requests and approvals, is made quite simple with Teachmint. In fact, because of its integrated nature, Teachmint takes it one step further by allowing teachers to see which students are under the 75% mark and alerting them so that they do not fall under the required range.
6 Reasons Why Attendance Reports are Important? | Teachmint
Examination Management
Exam management is an integral part of running a school and managing that with software ensures there are no overlaps and overseeing them is easy. This includes exam creation, scheduling, grading, and analysis. Since the school ERP is intertwined with the school LMS, all of these processes can be automated.
Read More - Exam Management System
Library Management
The school administration can manage the school library, including book tracking, issue and return using Teachmint’s Library management system. It can help the school make sure that all the books that belong to the school are returned at the right time and even has a provision to issue fines if not.
Benefits of Inventory Management System
Considering the fact that in the last few years more preference has been provided by education institutes to the use of inventory management systems it is important to have clarity regarding how and in what ways it is beneficial.
The given section outlines the major advantages that are associated with the use of this strategic tool.
East Remote Access
One of the first advantages that can be highlighted in this case is the easy remote access. Teachers and students can both have easy access from their own positions even if they are not at schools. as a result this advantage mix it easier to manage the multiple functions and duties of the teachers even when not in the classroom,
Reduces Misplacement
Using this software also ensures that any kind of misplacement is easily avoided, this is because the software ensures that all kinds of inventories are stored based on the size and any other parameter that has been provided. It reduces the chances of error and ensures that it becomes easy to locate the inventories that the teachers or administrative individuals may be looking for easily.
Human Resource Management
Assessing staff attendance and managing their leaves is as important as doing the same for students. Teachmint’s HRMS portal is ideal for this since it offers biometric authentication. This is connected to the attendance management system and so the staff attendance can be managed accordingly. It requires hardly any human involvement, and in emergency situations where the teacher cannot apply for leave themselves, the administrators can step in and do it for them. This makes the entire process smooth and transparent. It is because of this reason that the question of who can manage ERP is easily eliminated because the HR department is well aware of how to manage handling this software.
The presence of HR management is of utmost importance because it helps in bridging the gap that may be present between the employees performance and the strategic objectives of the organization. When using the ERP systems it becomes easy for the organization to have complete knowledge present about the position of each of its employees.Through the use of the ERP software it also becomes easier for the HR manager In contributing towards easy strategizing and decision making and also Information sharing. The ERP software contributes and makes communication easier and allows the managers to be able to share information immediately.
Reporting and Analytics
Insights into student progress, analysis of data, and customizable report card generation are all important aspects of education. It helps keep track of students’ academic progress in real-time on an objective level. It helps the administrators and teachers assess students and help them out where they seem to be lacking. Performance management is an integral part of student management in general, and the easier it is, the better it is to improve academic achievements.
ID Card Generator
ID cards are essential to a school ecosystem, both for students and staff alike. An ID card allows the respective stakeholder to be identified as part of the institution both inside and outside the school premises. Therefore making the process of ID card generation simple is quite important as it can save time and effort. Teachmint’s ID card generator automates the process of creating ID cards by taking information present within the school directory and putting all the essential information together in the required format to be printed out. Also Read - Importance of ID Cards in School
Website Builder
Every school must have their very own dedicated website if they want to expand its operations in the long run. It is the modern face of the school and it is the first thing people search for. This is why Teachmint has come up with a Website Builder that makes building a website simpler. There is no need for coding, a trained software developer, or even design skills. There are templates to choose from, out of which the admins can choose the tone of the website and decide what goes where.
Benefits of the Website Builder Aspect
It is evident from the above section that website builders are considered to be a life saver considering the fact that businesses are choosing the correct option. There are several reasons that can be highlighted regarding why the website builder aspect is considered to be an important part of the ERP software.
In the section below all detailed outline has been provided regarding the several benefits that are associated with the tool of website builder.
Easy E-Commerce Integration
One of the first benefits is that this website builder comprises multiple features and themes that allows an institution to easily develop a website based on their choice. It also comprises several other associated tools that makes it more flexible and thereby makes eCommerce integration seamless.
It has a very easy and optimized desktop and mobile interface present that allows it to easily organize the inventory and track performance. It also makes it easy to ensure that designs can be easily changed when required.
Cost-Effective
One of the most important advantages that it provides is that it is a cost effective approach. This means that when using the website builder tool it becomes possible to easily manage all the basic requirements of maintaining the website without any additional help.
Considering the fact that this is an integral part of the ERP software, educational institutes are not required to pay extra if they want to create any changes to how a website may look.
Time Saver
Another major advantage is that it helps in saving time considering the fact that this still allows in creating professional looking websites easily within minutes. at the same time it also allows to adjust the specifics of the website based on the needs of the administration. In this way it becomes easier to develop professional looking content in no time.
Roles and Permissions
Every administrator in the school has their own role to play, but assigning tasks needs to be done efficiently to ensure the smooth running of the school. It is therefore very important that every administrator has access to the information they require (view/manage access). This is done using Roles and Permissions.
Conclusion
ERP systems are available everywhere today in multiple domains, which is why choosing one that is specifically tailored to a school system is so important. Teachmint is an Integrated School Platform which combines the multiple advantages of having a school-specific ERP solution with a learning management system dedicated to the school environment. It has a digital content platform with over 520 hours of content. Seamlessly integrate your school into the future with Teachmint.
