ERP for educational institutions
In the market lot’s of course planner, student tracking systems, attendance management system, lms are available as open source, but, still education segment lack of any good complete erp solution. There are a few paid solutions web based and desktop based as well are available. These erps are unable to capture big market and persuade school management to buy their products. Some time these don’t fulfill all the requirements of schools and more of the times it’s about cost.
More of the educational institutions have their unique requirements and it’s very difficult to create a generic solution which can cater to all needs of more of the institutions. www.shcoolsonweb.com have tried to provide such a solution, but still it does not contains all the modules required. From my 6years of experience in education industry, i feel lack of a good open source or cost effective erp for educational institutions, the generic one.
A complete erp solution for educational institutions will have lot’s of modules to fill all the requirements, I can list a few
- Admission Management
- Entrance exams management
- Student Management
- Identity card/biometric solution management
- Attendance Management
- Teachers time table management
- Employee Management
- class/course management
- Exam management
- Marks sheet publishing
- Parents-teacher meet management
- Events Management
- sports management
- vehicle management
- hostel management
- house management
- Accounts management
- Payroll Management
- Fees Management
- Library Management
- Laboratory Management
- News letter management
- News Management
- Notice board management
- Article management
- Discussion Forums Management
- Photo gallery managment
- Inventory management
- Point of sale
- Asset management
- Alumni management
really overwhelming list of modules. In this list, fees management, course/class management and exam management modules are very difficult to be generic as each institutions across the globe have their unique requirements. It’s very difficult to crate all these modules in a generic fashion by a single entity and even if that is created successfully it will not be cost effective.
We’ve to think of a different model for such a big system. If you see all the modules, we can separate it in to three major section according to their needs.
Basic modules : these modules are very basic entities of the system and needs to work this system. It can include, student management, fees management system, class/course management system educational institutions erp can start with these basic modules. They will provide a bare minimum facility of getting students report class wise and collecting fees.
Moderately required : these management systems are moderately required and these will add some core functionalities. for example employee management, attendance management, exam management, vehicle management, library management, marks sheet publishing, hostel management, accounts, payroll, admission management these modules will all add a unique facility for institutions. But any institution can opt to not use that facility and still continue to use erp. Adding any of these module will be a step towards automation and institutes can go to any level of automation.
Optional modules : these modules are really optional and doesn’t add in any core facility to institutions. These are a value additions to institutions. news letter management , event management, news management, article management, discussion forums, Alumni management etc.
Even today i don’t know any such erp which provides these full list of modules. The one “Literom” by “dreamteam technologies, India” is a close match, but still some are missing. In increasing facility of networking and information technologies, every one wants to be connected every time and it is possible to provide information of students activities to parents instantly. So, it is even now required erp to be accessible in both intranet and internet.
Education industry is a growing at fast pace and have numerous options of business. But, having good solution matching every ones needs is a must.
In my opinion an erp and specifically open source erp can be planned by starting with very basic modules and a plug and play functionality for other modules. With this model, any institution can start with basic modules and that will provide a bare minimum support to management like students in classes and fees reports. Adding each of moderately required modules will provide a new core functionality and institution will move from less automation to full automation. But a strong community is required to develop such a big solution.
I wish, to have such a community support to develop this solution and provide facility to educational institutions of any size to move towards automation and get benefited by innovations in IT sectors and communities.
thanks