A school ERP software is a set of tools and functions that allow easy management of day-to-day school activities that are administrative as well as non-administrative in nature. It is a cloud-based system that allows the schools and teachers to digitise the school operations and regular work leading to improved efficiency. It also allows seamless connection of various school departments and centralises the data of these departments into one database.

Thus, a comprehensive school ERP software transforms the traditional operating ways of a school by streamlining its operations end-to-end. Moreover, it gives an edge to the current-age schools over its competitors by fulfilling their requirements. However, before you think of adding technology to your school, it is essential to understand what ERP software should offer and how it can be useful for your school. Read on to know more about it.

Every year schools get a lot of queries related to admissions. Handling and addressing so many queries related to different classes on a real-time basis is extremely difficult. However, a smart school ERP software can be helpful as mentioned below -

Managing enquiries is an essential part of the school admission procedure. The absence of proper enquiry management can result in losing potential admissions.

Enquiries can come in through multiple channels and platforms for a school or its branches. A school ERP software should enable consolidating of all these queries and information such that it becomes manageable for the admissions staff.

Having a system in place allows the school to resolve the queries of the applicants in real-time leading to a better conversion rate.

A good ERP for schools can assist the school in the automation of the entire admission cycle. Parents can fill out the admission application form online and pay the school fee conveniently in a secure way.

It also allows the parents to upload the required documents online thereby reducing the involved paperwork. Thus, this results in a positive experience not only for the school but for the parents as well.

Once parents have applied for admission, it is obvious on their part to be eager to know about the status of their application. Normally, in a traditional setting, the parent may be required to call or visit the institute to know the updates.

However, a good school ERP software provides a feature for the parents or applicants to check the status of an admission application.

Thus, this makes it easier for students to prepare for the next step once they know the existing status of their admission application.

In fact, some good software also notifies the parents when the school is open for admission, thereby reducing their efforts to keep checking the school website for the same.

During the entire admission cycle, parents may have their own set of queries. And, in absence of correct information, there is always a possibility of misunderstanding which may lead to a reduction in the rate of admission. But, an ERP for schools can allow the parents to easily communicate with the school representatives through in-app chats. Moreover, it also allows the parents to book an appointment with the school, thereby bringing in more transparency.

Additionally, it also allows the school to easily manage all the appointments and tasks.

A school has to deal with fee payment of admission form more than enrollment fees as a large number of applicants apply to the school but not all are enrolled.

In the absence of school ERP software, parents and students are expected to stand in queues in the admissions office to make payments and collect the receipts or other necessary paperwork.

This is not only cumbersome for parents and students but also for the schools because of the time and effort involved.

Instead, with the help of software implementation, the parents or students can conveniently pay the school fees. And good software definitely facilitates an easy, safe and secure payment gateway.

An ERP for schools provides detailed reports as per the requirements of the school. These reports can turn out to be very beneficial for the school management when it comes to decision-making.

Thus, the above-mentioned functions give us a glimpse of how a school ERP softwareassists the school in its day-to-day activities. Now, let us look at the advantages of implementing it in school.

If a school still thinks it is better off not having a school ERP software, then it's time to rethink. By not having software in place, schools can lose out on the following ways of streamlining their operations -

Implementation of a school ERP software can significantly minimise the cost and efforts involved in the manual management of school processes.

Schools have to deal with a large amount of data. Handling such a large amount of data manually will not only lead to delays but there is a high possibility of error due to the human factor involved.

A school is required to keep a record of a lot of information that includes the documents of the students, admission application forms, fee receipts, etc. However, an ERP for schoolsenables the cloud-based storage of information. Thus, it is not only safe and reliable but it doesn't even require a backup.

As a consequence, the school is saved from keeping and maintaining the piles of documents and its manual entry as well.

A school ERP softwareallows various departments to work in unison by automating the sharing of information. Therefore, when a particular department feeds some information, it is easily accessible by other departments.

This significantly reduces the time required by other departments to enter the same information again. Moreover, as the data is maintained in real-time, it can easily be accessed by other concerned departments as soon as the information is entered into the system.

A School ERP software enables centralised storage and processing of the collected school data. This significantly reduces the possibility of error that comes along with handling the data manually.

A school ERP software enables various stakeholders to communicate with each other and share recent updates and relevant information. Not only within the school, but the software also assists the school in connecting with parents and the students.

The queries of the applicants can be resolved in real-time and the school can save itself from losing out on potential leads.

A school ERP software is definitely a boon. But before selecting software, the school should be aware of the features that it must provide.

While looking for a school ERP software, the school should check for the following features-

A good school ERP software provides the school staff and teachers with multiple-user login based on their roles.

This allows the school staff and faculty to easily manage the activities assigned to them using their own login access at the same time without any hassles.

The user interface of the school ERP software should be smooth and seamless so that it is easy for the users to use. This is all the more essential while the school is transitioning to digitising its institution as it reduces the training time required.

A user-friendly software can make the transition easier for employees who are still hesitant to embrace technology when it comes to their day-to-day work.

As all the schools are not the same, customizable modules of school ERP software can be tailored as per the requirements.

The best part of a cloud-based school ERP softwareis the schools do not have to take a backup of the data as it is saved on the cloud and not on decentralised systems.

Thus, whenever, any kind of data is required, it can be easily retrieved thereby ensuring the security of the valuable school information.

With school ERP software, the school can generate multiple useful reports which considerably reduce the time involved in maintaining or preparing them manually. This leads to the school having a competitive edge over others due to analysing power that it can derive from the reports generated.

In-app communication and notifications bring in much-needed transparency to communication between the school and the parents.

It saves a lot of time and effort on the part of parents as they are not required to be glued to the school app or website all the time. And it also allows the school to notify the parents regarding any important event easily.

Thus a school ERP software is a powerful tool for any school that simplifies its processes and allows efficient utilisation of its resources.

The above-mentioned information will help you understand the features that an ERP for schools must have. Based on this, the school should also evaluate its requirements. For this, the school can ask for feedback from the school teachers, staff, students and parents.

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