The penetration of technology across schools and the education industry as a whole while being extremely heartening is also something that keeps throwing up novel challenges and questions. One of the big questions or concerns that we have been hearing about lately is the tussle between choosing a local or in-house vendor to customize and manage school management software or going for a specialized, seasoned organization.
At the very outset, there are no right or wrong answers. Different organizations have different needs that require varied solutions. Having said that, there are still certain universal principles that tend to play a role in the way these scenarios play out for the schools when it comes to school management software. In this article, basis our experience at Schoolpad interacting and exchanging notes with various schools, we try to break down and understand these concerns and offer ideas based on our ground research, experience, and understanding.
Why The Conundrum?
A hyper-customized school management software caters to the specific requirements that schools think are unique to them. Most schools believe that these unique requirements cannot be suitably addressed by a generic product. And more importantly, by getting hyper-customized school management software, the schools believe they will get the much-needed edge that will become a key differentiator, and help them stay ahead of the competition.
The other reason why school managements tend to prefer local vendors is more obvious. Proximity and familiarity with the local or in-house vendors offer a sense of comfort and confidence. It creates a sense that by having the vendor close by, any issues that may arise or problems that schools may face with the software will be addressed more quickly and swiftly.
Also Read: People, Processes & Technology – The Three Pillars That Can Catalyse Your School’s Growth and Help You Build A Remarkable School!
The Schoolpad Perspective
While we understand and appreciate where the schools are coming from, our ground research and overall experience have thrown up interesting insights in this respect. When it comes to choosing between a local development team/product vendor and a seasoned, specialized player in the software management space, here are three things that schools must pause to consider :
1. Who Is the Product Manager?
The question is not as simple as it sounds. When schools favour a local vendor or an in-house development team because they want hyper-customized features as per their needs, what ends up happening is that the school owner/principal/IT head effectively becomes the product manager and the sole driver of all product innovations. It is entirely up to them to identify the issues their school is facing and then get the features designed or customized accordingly.
Tempting as this arrangement seems, it is unsustainable in the long term. In the short term, you as the owner or principal, or IT head may be able to focus your attention on identifying problems and driving innovations. But eventually, you will get busy in what is your main job, that is, driving the school’s growth. In such circumstances, product innovation will come to a grinding halt. Eventually, the system will stagnate and become nearly useless in the changing scenario. And ultimately all the investment that had gone into the initial development and innovation of the product will go down the drain.
Contrast this to a scenario where you onboard a seasoned, specialized, growth-oriented organization that is focused on driving innovation through its dedicated product managers, and offer you school management software that is constantly updated and always in sync with the evolving industry and your changing needs. Hyper-customization may seem like a great idea in the short term. But what drives true growth in our experience is the longevity of such systems which is best ensured when you allow seasoned professionals to handle innovations, development, and customization of your software while you focus on your core role, that is, spearheading your school’s growth story.
Also Read: Are You Afraid of Investing in a School Management Software?
2. The Eco-System Advantage</strong
In our experience at Schoolpad, one of the biggest advantages that a seasoned player brings in as opposed to a local vendor or in-house product development team is their ability to harness their client eco-system for innovative ideas. An organization that has a large number of schools as its clients has the benefit of diverse experience and exposure, which in turn gives them scope to work with a wide range of ideas that come from varied sources. As a school owner, one has limited experience with one’s issues and innovations. But with a bigger ecosystem in play, seasoned vendors may come up with revolutionary ideas that may not have been possible for a single school owner to think of, without the advantage of large-scale industry experience and data at hand. With a specialized organization as your vendor, you stand to benefit from all their research, development, innovation, and features that are above and beyond your own experience and thought process.
3. The Price Fallacy
Many schools tend to opt for local vendors because it seems cheaper. There is a one-time cost for setting up the system and then instead of paying a monthly fee like in the case of a specialized, bigger vendor, they opt for an annual maintenance contract system where a yearly fee covers any tweaking that may be needed.
On paper, this sounds more cost-effective than paying a fixed monthly fee. But in truth, it is anything but. The education industry and the technology that caters to it is a rapidly evolving landscape where things change constantly. A feature that is relevant today may become obsolete next week, and the only way to stay ahead is to constantly evolve, innovate and update. A seasoned, specialized, growth-oriented player ensures their software never stagnates or becomes obsolete. They stay abreast with the latest evolutions and keep their software in sync with them. This kind of constant innovation is impossible when you have an AMC model with a local vendor. As a result, the software you invested your time and money in, becomes obsolete, and with it, you not only lose your edge but also all of your investment. Setting up new systems is expensive, and in effect drives the cost way above what it would have been if you’d opted for a seasoned vendor with a monthly fee.
Also Read: Why every school needs an admission management system
As is evident from the above analysis, the choice between a seasoned player and a local vendor is not at all complicated. It is merely a matter of long-term vision versus short-term convenience. And a growth-oriented, future first school understands that what drives its success story and gives it a true edge is not just its software, but its long-term vision.
Want to understand how Schoolpad can play a role in your school’s long-term vision? Want to know how we can help you grow at an accelerated pace? Please feel free to get in touch with us at connect@schoolpad.in . You can also click on the request a demo link and one of our coaches will get in touch with you.
