A few years ago, educational institutions ignored the use of LMS and ERP portals in the education sector. As a result, they manually managed all of their academic and non-academic work. But things have changed in recent years and institutions have realized the importance of using an ERP and LMS system to provide the best for students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders. With the help of school ERP systems, institutes can streamline their processes and accomplish their tasks more efficiently. To facilitate the work, a school ERP must have certain basic functions. To reap the maximum benefits from a school management system, educational institutions should consider the must-have features mentioned below.
Record Management
Lesson plans, student files, and other forms of School Analytics data need to be stored and recorded in the most effective manner possible. This procedure should be automated by a working ERP system to reduce manual involvement and guard against data entry mistakes.
Additionally, the user need to be able to correctly import and export student and employee data. It should look for duplicate or lost data while importing and exporting data.
Billing and Invoicing
Processing fees are an important task that School Analytics administrators perform on a regular basis. It usually requires a lot of manual work which can take hours. A robust school ERP system should provide a clear overview of tuition generation and payment due in one place.
Not only that, it must also be able to send professional looking invoices. It should also allow parents to easily pay online through integrated secure payment gateways.
Inventory tracking
School resources usually include books, computers, projectors, and furniture, just to name a few. A school ERP must track inventory to properly allocate these assets. This feature is also useful to know when maintenance may be needed and to receive notifications in case of out of stock.
Task planning
Without a number of distinct timetables, schools cannot operate properly. However, putting together these timetables frequently wears out the administration and staff. A school LES should therefore assist them in organising study-related tasks and extracurricular activities. On special or recurring school days, the programme should be able to monitor which teachers and classrooms each student is given.
The ERP system should also make it possible for the school to quickly build its own yearly academic calendar and deliver it to parents of pupils. They may use this function to remain current on their assignments, test dates, social plans, parent-teacher conferences, etc.
Student information
The integrated student portal offered by next-generation ERP software can provide students access to crucial data. Exam results, worksheets, tuition payments, assignments, supplemental materials, and other announcements may be found in this portal. Additionally, accessing their study materials after class and viewing a particular teacher’s schedule require student permission. Even if they miss one or two days of class, this feature aids students in staying on task.
Ease of Use
If end users, such as students, teachers, and school administrators, find it difficult to understand it, a great ERP system is useless. The system shouldn’t be overly complicated or cluttered. Therefore, check that the ERP you choose is simple to install and use. The user interface’s simplicity will have a positive impact on the school’s operational effectiveness.
Scalability
The school shouldn’t need to purchase a new ERP system each year because the current one can’t handle the growth of the school’s data. This can be expensive and useless for the purposes for which you originally purchased the software. Therefore, it would be best if you looked for an ERP that could support your school’s needs by offering continuous scalable updates each year.
Remote access
The management system of educational institutions with numerous branches in various cities should be centralised and remote-accessible. Additionally, remote access necessitates that educators and students have access to pertinent data from any location using web-enabled devices.
Data security and backup
All student and teacher information stored in school databases is confidential. The school management system that stores all this information must ensure complete data security. Data should also be backed up regularly for easy recovery in case of unwanted intrusion or theft.
Parent Portal
Parents may not be present at school with their children, but they are an integral part of the school ecosystem. The right ERP system should have a platform for parents to stay connected to their children’s academic progress and daily behavior.
The portal also aims to connect parents with their children’s teachers and school administrators. This feature provides parents with a sense of security, increasing their likelihood of actively participating in their child’s education.
Accessibility of mobile applications
We are in a century where everyone carries a smartphone and is more active on it than on their desktop or laptop computer. New era ERP software should have a responsive mobile app that is easy to download and provides real-time notifications.
App users should be able to view course content, exam results or attendance reports at the touch of a button. They should also have the ability to download their course files and e-books in readable formats.
Library management
The library is a corner of the school, with tons of data easily accessible for teachers and students. An effective ERP system should provide access to a library management module with functions such as searching, publishing and returning physical books and e-books. It should also support reading book barcodes and accessing the daily issue registry to automate the most time-consuming library tasks.
Transport management
If your transport information is not sorted, it can cause a lot of confusion. When looking for an ERP system, be sure to check if it has school bus management functionality. It should track each student’s itinerary, bus and driver information, and pick-up and drop-off times. It should also be able to keep parents informed about the safety of their children while traveling.
Final Words
Running a school can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have the right management tools. By purchasing an ERP system, you can free up valuable resources for elsewhere and significantly increase the efficiency of the school.
We hope this article helps you choose the ideal ERP for your institution, so you can focus less on reporting and more on building future leaders.
