Is Open Source ERP a Good Solution for Schools?

The biggest problems in trying to add new technology in your school generally lies in understanding what kinds of software are available and how they will help. Without proper understanding, it is just impossible to overcome your school’s challenges. There are several new terms to go through. Some of them are just jargon words that refer to any abstract ideas, whereas others are the legitimate names for the important software.

What’s ERP Software?

Open Source ERP software or Enterprise Resource Planner is the software that manages the business processes for the company, organization and, in your case, education institutions.

How it started?

Open source school ERP software started as the database management solution for the schools, for managing the student information, teachers, academic results, and more but later it extended their branches towards offering different other services that includes student and staff attendance, school fees, academic results, GPS tracking of school buses and more.

How do Open Source ERPs manage the business processes?

Well, ERP features many different “applications” and tools, which work together seamlessly for connecting the departments and bringing data from various departments together in one database. So, whatever task you want to complete — whether it is compiling the year-end report and checking out the status of Accounts Receivable — the ERPs put this information you want right on your screen.

Usage of ERP software in education isn’t a new concept; they were used full-fledged in some major corporations and biggest industries, just to ease their management procedure. With development of technology & widespread demand of computing, the concepts have led to an increased popularity of the ERP software solutions in many other industries such as educational institutes.

What role does the cloud technology play?

The cloud-based ERP software is the school software, which works on the internet connection. Data will be stored on the cloud servers that is backed up & maintained by service provider, and not by the school. Advancements in the mobile technology and simple availability of internet have made mobile app version for open source School ERP very popular. The school apps are accessible easily and offer important information & services at a fingertip of the user.

ERPs over the Traditional management system

Thus, what gives the educational ERP an edge over traditional way of management? Surely, it is the efficiency and time factor, which places this software ahead of their traditional methods. To manage funds in the institution or tracking them in the report sounds like a rocket science when done manually. Lots of the productive time goes in meeting such type of the specific requirements. Furthermore, management of lots of basic operations such as inventory, finance, HR, or other services sometimes appears to be a complex task. The school ERP software implementation will ensure that institutions function at the maximum potential.

Limitations of the education ERP system

Obviously, there’s another side of the coin too! Even though management of the institution is accessible within a single click of a mouse, there are a few limitations that will prevent the institutions to select school ERP software for the better management. Let us look at some of them,

●        Cost of ERP software, its planning & implementation, configuration, customization, and more can be too much for the lesser profit-driven educational institutes.

●        Most of the ERPs are tough to learn & use. With complicated user interface, which needs thorough training, it needs participation of the users.

●        Failure of ERP software in education will be measured in achievement of the Return on Investment or ROI. When ERP implementation does not yield enough ROI, it will be the failure.

Reasons why ERP software implementation in school fails

Often it is seen that Enterprise resource planning or ERP fails in the schools & colleges. Now, the question comes up is why does it happen in the first place. There are many instances where we’ve seen that school ERP software functioning brilliantly in an educational institution & not doing well in another.

Lack of clarity regarding its objectives

In many cases where the institutions fail in implementing the ERP software properly, it’s seen that they don’t have the right goal behind the usage.  It’s important you have a clear idea on the problems you’re looking to target just by implementing this software in question. Also, you must know financial benefits, which you will expect from same. Suppose you don’t have these goals set clearly you may just expect results to stay vague. It is a reason why you have to be clear about such things at a first stage in implementing ERP itself. You must not at all be suffering from dilemma about whether your educational institution requires ERP software. It must be solved before you bought a product itself, and let alone implementing this. It’s important you have a clear idea about the time in which you want to see the results. Suppose you don’t have the right target in hand then end aim becomes the moving one and it is actually a good thing necessarily.

Not training users properly

Suppose you want the ERP software implementation to be highly successful, you have to train the users who will handle the processes properly. Normally, when you are implementing such things in the short period of time then gaps in training will be created. You must take enough time to train your staff when handling of school ERP is concerned. You have to understand a fact that doesn’t matter what system you use it’s always automate most of your work that you are doing and it will have a significant effect on your departments. Also, it is very important that you choose the right ERP software that is simple to use and Entab offers the best school management software. For more details visit their website and find the range of products.

Thinking it as cost and not investment

Often schools treat the ERP software as a cost rather than thinking this as a worthy investment. In many cases, schools don’t realize a simple fact that ERP software they’re using now will yield higher dividends across the line. It can only accrue them the profits. In place of that, they will look to reduce costs and for this, they will look for the lowest quotes on an offer. In this way, they will end up selecting the service provider who isn’t always on the scratch & their ERP software fails.

Handle the changes

In a few cases, schools generally fail in implementing the ERP software correctly for simple reason that they cannot manage changes that generally happen due to. When any new system gets implemented in the school, there will always be certain changes. Intelligent thing you can do is adapting to such changes but that doesn’t happen always. In many cases, people are quite busy in finding faults with their new system & stating how much good their older system was. Being an organization, you decided to upgrade your system and, thus it is important you hold up the end of the bargain.

Managing project poorly

Being a school, you may fail to implement the school ERP software properly if you cannot manage an overall project in a way it has to be done. It’s true that it is not very easy but still it is something that has to be done for ERP software implementation to be the successful one.

It is the right time for all the educational organization to take the smarter route. Re-organize their management systems to match the upcoming technology in each aspect of life. The ineffective use of school ERP solution can be avoided! Think about the above considerations when selecting the open source school ERP software package. Let Entab help you out to choose from the different available management platforms.