What Does Student Management Software Integration Actually Mean?

Software integration is a matter of increasing concern for schools, as they come to embrace database-driven processes for improving their administrative practices.  There's no doubt that electronic and paperless processes can be a huge boon to schools, as well as saving a lot of money on the back end, but these systems bring their own challenges.

Proper software integration is a requirement for these electronic systems to work.  Every piece of software needs to be able to interface with the same databases, and therefore "talk" to each other reliably, for a paperless system to succeed.

Here are some of the major issues to consider:

Key Elements To Successful Student Management Software Integration

1 - A Single Database

Your primary database will be the heart of all your software integration efforts, so it's vital that it's centralized. Any piece of software that touches it should be able to make changes seamlessly, and based on the security policies you put in place.  

If your school is still using multiple databases and manually reconciling them, it's an invitation for bad data and improperly-functioning software.  

2 - Web Portal Integration

Software integration doesn't require a web portal, but it's a very good idea and will serve to tie your various software efforts together.  This gives you a single stable platform, and can often become the primary resource for administrators, teachers, and parents/students.  

A web portal also allows parents/students to make changes to their own information, when necessary.  Complaints about, for example, being forced to change their address multiple times will go away.  If the student moves, their parents log in and update their home address.  

Problem solved, and it reduces the burdens on your staff too.

3 - District-Wide Access

The other major component of a software integration project is ensuring that all schools and other systems within your district are all sharing the same information.  This becomes especially important when you're looking to integrate transportation systems into the overall database.

Bus routing and tracking software becomes far more effective when it's paired with RFID readers or in-bus GPS systems which have access to the online software packages.  Then day-to-day matters like student pickups and dropoffs can be documented concretely across every bus route.

Successful Software Integration Brings Big District-Wide Benefits

A major software upgrade can be an imposing proposition, but it brings long-term benefits and significant cost reductions.  If you'd like to know more, just contact Orbit Software for information!