In the pre-pandemic times, schools operated with in-person interactions and physical classrooms. However, with the coronavirus outbreak; remote learning emerged at the forefront. As per UNESCO’s reports, the pandemic disrupted studies of 1.6 billion students across the globe. However, COVID-19 also ushered in the era of digital transformation of the education sector. As a result, online and hybrid learning models started gaining prominence and have been picking up pace ever since!
This was also the time when schools started treading on the path of automation. They have been utilizing ERP software to bridge the teaching-learning as well as the physical-digital gaps. It is projected that this will transition will sustain and automation will emerge to be the new normal for schools in the times ahead!
According to a recent report by Modor Intelligence, the global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) market size for schools was valued at $8.05 billion in the year 2020 and is anticipated to be valued at $18.82 billion by 2026 and will grow at a CAGR of 16.2%. The study also highlights that the APAC region especially India is the fastest-growing market. It further points out that the schools are keen to join the ERP bandwagon and this trend will boom in the times to come. Hence, it can be rightly said that automation is gradually emerging to be the new normal of schools!
The new-age solution of automation plays an integral role in seamless school management by reducing redundancy of data entry with the assistance of a centralized database system. By adopting ERP software, schools have an opportunity to work with a data-driven approach and remote manage operations in a smooth manner. The tech solution further helps the educational institutions to cater to the requirements of both the students and the parents. The learners not only have access to superior educational experiences but even the parents are updated on their child’s progress in school and the ongoing activities in real-time. With this technology, schools have been able to achieve their vision of turning paperless in the truest sense!
This is prompting them to adopt various tools and solutions with the sole aim to streamline the operations, offer high-end learning experiences, bridge the learning-teaching gap as well as bring parents closer to their children’s school life-
Automation as a solution has enhanced the educational experiences for students at significant levels. It offers streamlined and tech-savvy learning for students by dividing lesson plans as per their classes. The software even offers customization of lesson plans as per their exam schedules along with a comprehensive status report so that parents can easily track their child’s progress.
Gone are the days when hard-bound report cards were provided to the parents in PTMs. In the present tech-savvy times, ERP software has paved the way for innovations in the traditional report card format. It has brought about customization and flexibility to the report cards as well as offers in-depth analysis of exam results for effective school management. Teachers are now able to mark grades in the online space using their credentials. Furthermore, with the power of automation, the class register, team reports as well as performance analysis reports are automatically generated by the platforms. The pictorial representation of the students’ performance via graphs and charts in the report cards further provides demarcated subject-wise performance analysis. The e-report cards come with easy availability and accessibility for the parents and the teachers who can, later on, leverage these for the identification of the students who are lagging behind and offer them the needed assistance.
Harnessing the potential of automation, schools can effectively communicate with parents and other staff members in real-time via multiple channels. The ERP software regularly updates parents about school circulars and notices as well as offers instant message delivery report acknowledgment. The messages can be personalized using varied data formats. They can also be customized for the parents to select a particular class and section and have access to the desired information. The communications management ability of the automation-enabled platforms with their multi try mechanism offer cutting-edge services of 100% message delivery and reduced communication gaps.
The solution helps in seamless management of one of the complex processes, that is, the transportation system of schools. With the power of automation, school transportation authorities can track the movement of the entire bus fleet online and share real-time updates to the parents instantly. The GPS tracking system enabled by robust architecture provides accurate information. This further enables the parents to easily track the school bus and gather information about the exact location of the school bus as well as their child. The tracker also reports the accurate vehicle start and off time along with stoppage duration and fuel calculation, along with the speed of the bus. Hence, the safety of the children is ensured and the parents can monitor the movement of the school bus in real-time.
One of the noteworthy ways in which automation is upscaling the operations of schools is by facilitating the significant process of fee collection. Schools fees can now be paid online from multiple sources such as fee counter payment, kiosks, POS, Parents log in, etc. wherein the exact amount and component structure such as tuition fee, admission fee, books, labs, other services, etc. are clearly communicated to the parents. The ERP software also sends timely reminders along with payment links to the parents so that they can pay the fees without any delay. This cutting-edge technology seamlessly integrates with payment gateways and offers various options of fees payment via credit card, debit card, or net banking to the parents.
COVID-19 had a major role to play in accelerating the pace of automation adoption in schools. Adorning the role of school management solutions, it is transforming them digitally. The solution has emerged to be a blessing in disguise and has helped in effectively closing the gaps between the schools, parents, and students amidst the present times when physical education has taken a backseat and online along with hybrid learning accompanied with virtual classrooms have taken the centre stage. It is due to automation that schools have been able to eliminate paperwork. The solution has also brought parents closer to their child’s school life. Offering a myriad of benefits and witnessing a surge in its adoption, it would be appropriate to say that automation is emerging to be the new normal for schools!
Kanhaiya is the Founder & CEO of Infogem Web Solutions Pvt Ltd, Kanhaiya leads the company’s business development initiatives as well as overall execution excellence.
School Canvas ERP software solution is equipped with high end modules that help education institutions to manage the entire workflows from a single platform.
Society is fragmenting into two parallel realities. In one reality, you have infinite upside and opportunity. In the other reality, you’ll continue to see the gap between your standard of living and those at the top grow more and more.
Society is fragmenting into two parallel realities. In one reality, you have infinite upside and opportunity. In the other reality, you’ll continue to see the gap between your standard of living and those at the top grow more and more.
Society is fragmenting into two parallel realities. In one reality, you have infinite upside and opportunity. In the other reality, you’ll continue to see the gap between your standard of living and those at the top grow more and more.