Managing school information

HAVING AN EASY to use payroll and administration system that works is extremely important in running a school effectively. So what exactly is the difference between outsourcing the schools’ payroll system and keeping everything in house; and what are the benefits of having a single, easy-to-use software package to manage all school related information from anywhere in the school?

Payroll systems

Payroll is an essential aspect of all businesses and one that schools need to ensure is done right. For example, every school needs a process to track staff hours, days worked and overtime. Schools also need to be able to track client billing hours, expenses and the in-depth functions that affect the daily running of a school.

As a result, a payroll system can be anything from a simple spreadsheet, to a fully automated program which is integrated to all other aspects of your computing environment.

An important decision schools must make when selecting a payroll system is whether outsourcing the system or selecting an in-house operation represents the most costeffective approach.

By outsourcing its payroll duties a school is contracting a third party to perform all payroll tasks, while having an in-house system allocates payroll duties and control to internal staff.

Many schools outsource their payroll system because the specialist companies offering this service provide knowledge and expertise in the intricacies of school payroll requirements. There are, however, schools that advocate the in-house option, as it’s through using your own staff that you may get a real insight into what your school needs. 16

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Chris Partridge, operations manager at online payroll service SmartPayroll says there are both positive and negative aspects to keeping your payroll in-house, or outsourcing it.

“If you outsource your payroll system there are none of the admin costs of running the software in house, but it can be more expensive because of the customised service,” she says. “Yet if you keep everything in house it can be much more cost effective and reports – such as leave balances – can be accessed at any time. The downside is that someone from the school has to run the pays, even if it only takes a few minutes.”

Administration software

Administration software packages allow staff to access and manage student records, assessment details, attendance, curriculum and timetabling, as well as provide information on staff schedules, library resources, finances and assets in one single software package.

The software can be installed on school computers, or can be hosted offsite with schools accessing the required information from a website, saving valuable computer space.

Having this information at your fingertips from a single software package provides a number of benefits, including time saving when searching for detailed information, it allows for collaboration and reduces risk.

Jeremy Dombroski, managing director of school administration software provider Musac, says having single software packages to manage all school related information from anywhere in the school gets the most out of administration duties making work more efficient and in control. “A single software package to manage all school information is a single point of call to aid in optimising administrative processes in the school,” he says. “As a result you don’t have to deal with inter-vendor interoperability and integration issues.” Ultimately, however, every school is different and it is important to consider each payroll and administration software package and choose the one that best suits your schools’ needs. By Leah Odgers

“As a result you don’t have to deal with inter-vendor interoperability and integration issues.”

– Jeremy Dombroski

New payroll system launching soon

The Ministry of Education is introducing a new payroll system in mid-2010 that will manage the pay for 110,000 school staff across the country.

Talent2, an Australian based provider of payroll and human resources services, has been chosen to implement the new systems and service, and will establish facilities in Christchurch and Auckland to operate the new payroll.

Kevin Wilson, the deputy secretary of schooling’s principal adviser, says the new service will deliver greater efficiencies, reduce technical risk, and provide schools with a future-proofed service.

“School staff will be provided with online training covering the major elements of the service. In addition to the online training, user documentation will be provided describing all schools payroll processes and services.”

“Payroll is a very specialised area and services companies such as Talent2 and Datacom have many years experience of providing such services at competitive prices. A full tender process was carried out by the Ministry in recent years and identified a full range of both financial and non financial benefits in outsourcing payroll services versus running these in house,” he says.

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