FEATURE FOCUS: SOFTWARE IN SCHOOLS
Consolidating processes into a single system Following academisation back in April 2019, DEALT was able to implement specialist software, designed to significantly reduce the amount of time spent on long-winded administrative processes. At the time, no one was aware of what was around the corner.
Four years later, this software has proven invaluable. Via permissions-based access, senior leaders can ensure that the relevant members of staff are able to access all key information, reducing the amount of time spent physically walking around the school to find answers or getting embroiled in lengthy email chains. Similarly, by consolidating all back office processes into a single system, users have full visibility of the entire trust, how its performing and any concerning trends. At a time when identifying efficiency savings is crucial, the ability to drill down into where money is being spent, where KPIs are being hit or missed and view detailed performance reports can make a huge difference.
The same applies from a staff wellbeing perspective, it’s now far easier to track absences, amount of overtime worked, training requirements or areas in need of attention.
Better budgeting and auditing The implementation of the Access Finance and Budgets software has provided peace of mind to teachers, as they can see a clear and accurate view of their budget and how much money they have left to spend.
Prior to digitising this process, teachers had to ask their head of department or headteacher, who would then speak to the finance team. Not only was this process hugely inefficient, it hindered their ability to plan ahead and
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www.education-today.co.uk June 2023
understandably caused frustration. The software has also helped to simplify the end-of-year audit - a process that is notoriously stressful for finance teams. Given the challenges schools are facing around staffing and budgeting, it’s never been more important to streamline this process, reducing the amount of time it takes while also maintaining the same quality outcome. The right technology can make a huge difference to the auditing process, allowing auditors to access ‘read only’ versions of key documents remotely, as well as digitally logging all of the information that a finance team has
to submit. Not only does this minimise the time auditors spend on-site - cutting the overall fee, it also makes the entire process far less stressful for the trust.
While there’s no denying that the situation is challenging, it’s important that school leaders evaluate these processes, not only from a time- saving but also a staff-wellbeing perspective. With the right tools in place, teams can really focus on pupil outcomes, closing the knowledge gap, successfully identifying efficiency savings and preventing high staff turnover.
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