Support Advice hub TECHNOLOGY TIME-SAVERS
Many school business managers would like to spend more time on income generation, but there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. Jane Gibson, education expert at business software supplier The Access Group, says technology could be the answer
assisted his team’s income generation activities. ‘Technology has allowed our central team to create capacity, without hiring additional employees or adding to the workload of existing staff,’ he says. ‘Being able to use the data generated by our systems has been invaluable in saving time, allowing for regular monthly reports. This enables us to keep an eye on which income opportunities are working well, as well as identifying areas that might not be making the right impact.’
Whether you’re aiming to streamline and simplify fi nance and budgeting or HR and payroll, there are innovative software platforms out there to help. They allow you to free up staff to focus on creating additional income streams to support your educational offer.
Access data instantly When assessing school budgets ahead of any potential income generation, it is vital to get a clear picture of overall fi nances. Outdated systems or an over-reliance on spreadsheets can make it diffi cult to meet deadlines. It can also increase the risk of inaccuracies. However, by implementing
fi nance and budgeting software, you can quickly and easily access a wealth of data to inform decision-making. Debra Briault, chief operating
offi cer at the Circle Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust in Berkshire, says introducing cloud-based systems has saved her team a signifi cant amount
of time. ‘The new systems mean the team can be far more strategic in collating information,’ she reveals. ‘The ability to create bespoke
reports for our different stakeholders – from the school improvement team to the headteacher, and even my fellow business support colleagues – has made a huge difference, with the process taking only a matter of minutes.’
Monitor trends As well as accessing historic data, understanding your school’s future requirements for additional income is essential in order to make strong, strategic decisions. Again, technology can play a huge role in allowing staff to monitor trends and make forecasts quickly and easily, through the use of reporting suites and up-to-date dashboards. Christopher Dryer, director
of fi nance and operations at St Bartholomew’s CE Multi Academy Trust, Wolverhampton, says using technology has
Building a business case With regular income generation activity paused or not viable, priorities have shifted. Jonathan Davis, fi nance director at The Hawksmoor Learning Trust in Northamptonshire, says that many schools have grown accustomed to receiving income from lettings and have relied on this to cover core costs. The pandemic has shown this
policy to be fl awed as income streams have dried up, but the expense liabilities have remained. Additional income should be used for ‘nice-to- haves’, not essential core items. There will certainly be
increased scrutiny on how additional income streams are created, as well as where the resources are directed. Cloud-based technology
enables senior leadership teams or governors to view up-to-the- minute information about their school’s budget, helping them build a strong business case for introducing different methods of income generation.
FundEd SUMMER 2021 19
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