The Top Benefits Of Investing In ERP Software For Your School

From managing timetables and finances to tracking student attendance, there’s plenty of admin involved in the day-to-day running of a school.

Luckily, this is where school enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can make a massive difference.

Also known as a student management system, ERP software is an efficient solution for managing all the moving parts that make up your school.

In this article, we take a closer look at:

First Things First, What Is School ERP Software?

Essentially, an ERP system is a type of software that makes it easier to run a school or business more efficiently.

These systems also use smart technology, which means that they can automate certain processes without needing input from a human.

Some of the features of ERP software include:

As you can see from the list above, the best ERP software helps your school enter the digital age.

By managing all of your day-to-day processes on one centralized and automated system, you’ll be able to improve your school’s efficiency, as well as save time and money.

The history behind school management ERP systems

ERP software has been around since the early 1960s.

It has evolved into a sophisticated solution that can be utilized in just about any business to increase the efficiency of its operations.

Many ERP systems are now cloud-based, which means that businesses can access information through any device using an internet connection.

Today, the best ERP software has powerful features that allow businesses to oversee company performance—everything from product development to human resources and marketing.

Within the context of the education system, ERP software allows you to oversee and manage every aspect of your institution from one central dashboard.

When you invest in an ERP system like Teach ‘n Go, you’re in the driver’s seat.

Our online school management system gives you insight into what classes are scheduled for the day, to cash flow predictions for the coming months—and so much more.

We’ll go into more detail about how our school management software can help improve your teaching business later in this article.

Why Should My School Invest in an ERP System?

Now that you have a better idea of what academic ERP software is, let’s take a closer look at how school management systems can benefit everyone involved in your teaching business.

Improved efficiency and productivity

For both teachers and school administrators, ERP software boosts productivity.

For example, instead of spending the first part of a lesson taking attendance manually, teachers can manage this task with just a few clicks on a phone, laptop, or tablet.

The smart nature of Teach ‘n Go, and its ability to automate essential processes, gives administrators and teachers more time to focus on what matters most.

When using ERP software, school administrators won’t need to manually send out reminders to parents about paying school fees.

Instead, an ERP system can be set up to automatically send out reminders when payments are due or overdue.

Here is an example of what overdue payments look like on Teach ‘n Go’s platform:

Teach ‘n Go also allows school staff to easily manage payments and view payment history in real-time.

This frees up time for staff to work on building and improving your school rather than being bogged down by tedious administration.

You can also manage and monitor your cash flow more effectively as our ERP software gives you insight into the fees you will receive in the future.

Enjoy better communication

Effective communication is the foundation of any relationship. This is especially true when it comes to your school’s relationship with students, teachers, and parents.

Bridging communication gaps with parents in particular helps ensure that students have access to the best possible learning environment.

Many ERP systems have communication tools like bulk SMS and email, allowing schools to keep parents in the loop.

When parents know what’s going on at school, they can help support and guide their children.

With an ERP system like Teach ‘n Go, teachers can access notes for each student, which helps them to better understand and cater to everyone’s learning needs.

If a teacher is absent or has left your school, other teachers can access their notes to know what coursework has been covered and where to pick up from.

Teach ‘n Go also allows you to easily store data related to student attendance, curriculum management, behavior, and class progress.

When students feel supported, their confidence and motivation can improve, which positively affects their performance.

Easier school data management

Before you invest in school management software, it’s important to understand that the best ERP systems are cloud-based.

This means that all the data relating to your school is accessible at any time and from anywhere.

This gives you complete control over every aspect of your school because you’ll be able to keep track of all your data in one place.

With this information at your fingertips, you can make more informed decisions, which benefits everyone involved in your school.

The entire data of a student’s life cycle can be captured in one place with a school ERP system, starting from pre-admission right through to alumni data.

When using Teach ‘n Go as your ERP system, you can use our cloud storage to store your school’s data. This may include:

Take a look at this example of the kind of student-related behavior data that can be collected and stored using Teach ‘n Go:

This is a great way to keep notes on student behavior to give teachers, administrators, and parents an overview of individual performance.

Improved billing and finances

When it comes to administrative tasks like managing school finances and fee payments, Teach ‘n Go is the ideal platform to invest in.

Not only can you add pricing methods and payment dates to student profiles, but billing amounts will automatically be calculated when a learner is added to a class or lesson.

This also creates better transparency among parents and school administrators because everyone knows exactly which amounts need to be paid and when.

Rather than having your staff spend hours on the math involved in the financial aspect of your school, you can save time and money by automating these processes.

In addition to managing payments and pricing your courses, Teach ‘n Go’s ERP system allows you to:

Having your billing processes completely automated by a school management system cuts costs and improves the efficiency of your financial department.

Sophisticated reporting

It’s vital that you know what’s going on within your school at all times.

You also need to be able to see how your school has progressed and how it’s likely to perform in the future.

Having access to this information helps you make more informed decisions about your resources and allows you to make more accurate predictions.

With Teach ‘n Go, you can create detailed reports based on the data captured within the system.

Reports can include anything from student progress and attendance management to the payment history of each parent.

Better learning outcomes

Students deserve to grow and thrive in the best possible learning environment—and investing in a school management system can play a significant role in helping you achieve this.

An ERP system helps schools deliver learning experiences that are tailored to students’ needs.

This will undoubtedly help improve academic performance across your teaching business.

Because students can access course material, lesson notes, and resources online, a school ERP system creates a better virtual learning experience—if your school offers it.

Teach ‘n Go allows students to stay organized with calendars that display lesson schedules and homework assignments.

With our class notes features, they can also reach teachers with questions anytime.

Stay organized

Because a school ERP system allows you to store everything in one place, you'll enjoy better organization within your educational institution.

For example, with Teach ‘n Go, all of your school data is stored in easy-to-read tables that simplify your processes.

Every student, teacher, and parent will have a detailed profile where you can store contact details, payment preferences, and more.

This is an example of what a profile looks like on Teach ‘n Go’s ERP system:

Keep track of your prospects

If your marketing efforts have led to you generating new interest in your school, you need to be able to keep track of any prospective students.

Converting prospects into students is simple when you have a school ERP system, as you can track leads from the moment they enter your funnel to the moment they enrol.

On Teach ‘n Go’s platform, you can categorize prospects by marking them as contacted, qualified, or disqualified—helping you streamline your lead acquisition process.

Take scheduling to a new level

When you use ERP software like Teach ‘n Go, scheduling classes is simple and straightforward.

With online calendars and capturing information in simple forms, teachers can schedule months’ worth of classes in minutes—yet another tedious task that an ERP can automate.

This is an example of what class scheduling looks like on the Teach ‘n Go platform:

Class and exam scheduling can be accessed in real-time from anywhere, allowing you to manage your school with ease.

With an easy-to-navigate scheduler, teachers can spend less time managing calendars and more time adding value to students.

Teach ‘n Go also allows you to schedule lessons on recurring or custom days, and you can easily assign a teacher, location, and students from one dashboard.

How Do I Choose the Right ERP Software for My School?

Now that you know what school ERP software is and how it can benefit your school, here are some points to think about when comparing various school management systems.

Consider pricing

To make sure that the ERP system you choose is suited to your school’s budget, compare pricing before you make a final decision.

You can also approach ERP software providers and ask them to give you a free demo of their software.

Cloud-based is your best option

Cloud-based software allows you to access the platform from anywhere in the world.

For schools, this means students can access resources and class notes whenever they need to.

Data security

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduced in 2018 requires schools to put measures in place to protect student and parent data.

Your school is accountable for protecting this sensitive information, and certain laws are in place about how much data you can collect.

The best school ERP software will be GDPR compliant, meaning it allows you to collect and store data in a way that is legal, confidential, and safe.

Teach ‘n Go protects school data by:

Scalability

As your school grows, so should the software you invest in.

You need an ERP that suits your current size and remains effective as you scale.

To ensure continued effectiveness, make sure there are no limits to the number of students or data you can store or manage on the platform.