Management Information Systems are the backbone of educational institutions, helping them to make informed decisions, streamline operations, and enhance overall efficiency. In the past, MIS was primarily about data storage and reporting, but it has since evolved into a multifaceted ecosystem. Today, MIS encompasses a wide array of functions, including student information management, financial administration, communication, parental engagement, analytics, and supporting the school development plan.

Last week, over 250 of you brilliant people participated in our online MIS Discovery Sessions, thank you so much for supporting our events. Everyone from MIS managers and finance officers, to support partners and headteachers attended – there’s just so much interest in what’s possible in the world of MIS right now.

The Ever-Evolving World of MIS

One of the key reasons for MIS’s continuous evolution is its adaptability to changing educational needs. As technology advances and educational methodologies evolve, MIS systems have had to keep pace. This adaptability is essential in helping educational institutions meet the ever-changing demands of students, parents, and regulatory bodies.

Looking Ahead

The world of MIS is poised for even more exciting developments in the future. With advancements in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cloud computing, MIS will continue to transform the way educational institutions operate. It will empower educators and leaders to make data-driven decisions, personalize learning experiences, and improve overall educational outcomes.

Engaging in the World of MIS

Nick and I have both worked in this area for over 20 years now and love how it continues to innovate – as it should! If MIS is your thing then you can:

1. Join our ‘Future of MIS’ LinkedIn Group: Our online community, ‘Future of MIS,’ on LinkedIn is a hub for like-minded individuals. Here, we share insights, discuss trends, and connect with professionals who share your passion for MIS. Join us here.

2. Access Discovery Session Recordings: In our recent MIS Discovery Sessions, we had the privilege of hearing from industry leaders Bromcom, Arbor Education, and IRIS Education. These sessions are a treasure trove of knowledge, and you can access the recordings to gain valuable insights into the latest developments in MIS:

Bromcom MIS Discovery Session

Arbor MIS Discovery Session

IRIS Ed:gen MIS Discovery Session

3. Explore Our #FinnemoreFireside Chats: We’ve had the privilege of sitting down with edtech and MIS thought leaders to discuss the future of MIS in education. These insightful conversations are available on our blog, offering you a chance to hear from experts in the field. Explore our Fireside Chats here.

On the back of a LOT of requests from schools, academies, partners and MATS, this September we were pleased to independently host a series of MIS Discovery Sessions.

Who were the Sessions for?

What did the Discovery Sessions cover?

Bromcom MIS Discovery Session

Arbor MIS Discovery Session

IRIS Ed:gen MIS Discovery Session

Following on from our first fireside with the Senior Product Director at IRIS Software in November 2020, we’re delighted to welcome Winston Poyton back for a follow-up conversation – especially given so much has changed in the world of school management systems in the last 12 months alone.

In this fireside chat, Nick and Winston discuss:

• Developments across the IRIS business since our last Q&A session when iSAMS had only just been added to the portfolio
• How IRIS is busy reinforcing its education credentials through building relationships and listening
• Their thought leadership work including this webinar with Lord Jim Knight, and their recently published whitepaper “Are Education Management Systems Future-Fit?”
• The wellbeing challenges faced by schools – especially in the light of Covid – and how technology can help
• The ways in which the MAT landscape continues to evolve and why academies are demanding more
• Innovation and what this means: it’s not just about new tech, but new ways of doing things
• How IRIS is working hard to make sure their customer experience is as intuitive and friction-free as possible

We’ve split the interview into 3 parts to make it easier to digest. Enjoy!

Continuing our series of edtech thought leader interviews, I recently caught up with Martin Hall, Senior Product Manager for MIS at RM.

Having spoken with almost all other major MIS suppliers in England, I’ve been wanting to speak with RM on their plans for the Integris solution for a while. RM Integris is the second-largest MIS supplier in England in terms of market share, and RM also offers an ecosystem of other school management solutions which work alongside their MIS, including their own finance solution.

In part 1 of this fireside chat, we discuss:

• How RM has changed over the years, having started as a couple of people building servers in their garage to becoming a global education company
• The 3 key pillars of business for RM, and their plans to invest in their Integris MIS and finance solutions
• How customers expectations have changed, and how RM works with them to allow them to focus on students’ progress – the most important thing
• Where RM are currently with their Integris MIS: how it works with RM Unify, what’s their partner strategy, plans for growth into new system areas (such as HR, compliance, safeguarding, etc.) and also into new phases and markets
• Their approach to future development

In part 2 we cover:

• RM’s focus on the MIS market and current competitor solutions
• What makes RM Integris different
• How the market might change in the future given recent consolidation and acquisitions
• How support has changed, especially as businesses such as SBS and Strictly Education have been acquired by one owner
• The role of LAs v the new role of Trusts: how MATs act and work differently, using data centrally and intelligently

Finally, in part 3 I ask:

• Where does Martin see the MIS market going in 5-years time?
• Can and should data be used to inform policy?
• How does RM work in partnership with schools and academies?
• How can edtech suppliers get better at delivering disruptive, and is this a good thing?

2020 was a busy year in the world of MIS!

Juniper Education Group acquired Pupil Asset and SISRA amongst others.  The Key Support Services has bolstered its position in the school MIS sector by adding Arbor Education to their portfolio alongside ScholarPack.  IRIS Software Group has acquired iSAMS Ltd which is a great addition to the solutions they already offer the education sector. And finally, Montagu announced they intend to acquire SIMS from Capita, and also invest in ParentPay with the goal of bringing SIMS into the ParentPay Group.

Following on from our initial chat in the Spring, Phil Neal and I caught up towards the end of the year to discuss the various changes that had happened across the sector, and get his views on what might happen next.

We’ve broken the interview down into parts to make it easier to digest. Enjoy!

How important is human contact?

When lockdown happened back in March, like many other businesses, our business lost all in-person contact with the outside world (and it was hard!).

But as humans we all want to deal with other humans; it’s so important to have a real face and a real person behind your solutions.

It’s for that reason we set up online chats with various people in our industry to talk trends, try to make future predictions in a changing world, and generally shoot the breeze. We’ve been sharing the recordings and the response has been great, I think everyone wants to get to know the faces behind the companies too!

So thank you James Weatherill, Richard Harley, Ali Guryel, Winston Poyton and Barry Anns for giving us an insight into the school MIS market which has seen some big changes this year.

Thanks to Mark Tadman, Guthrie Denniston and Martin Baker for talking to us about all the things you do alongside the MIS solutions and the ways in which you help schools.

And finally thank you Phil Neal, Joshua Perry and Graham Reed for your views and ideas on what might happen next and the big trends in edtech.

Nick and I have thoroughly enjoyed making the series, here’s to many more in 2021!

Last week I took the opportunity to have a virtual get together with thought leader Graham Reed to talk all things edtech.

Graham has a diverse background and knows the MIS and epayments sectors particularly well. Amongst other things, we discussed:

• What made Graham start Omega Pegasus
• What’s driving more market movement than ever to challenger cloud solutions
• Views on recent acquisitions, and Graham’s predictions for the future of MIS
• The future of the e-payments sector which Graham knows well, including potential new players and innovations
• Graham’s separate app projects, and the thinking behind creating them

Please note: We chat about the future of MIS and how challenger solutions might look to compete by working with adjacent solutions, in particular epayments systems. However, this was recorded a few days before it was announced that Montagu intended to acquire/invest in both SIMS and ParentPay so things have changed!

Lots of insightful stuff was discussed so we’ve split the interview out into separate parts below – enjoy!

Nick

Last month IRIS Software Group, one of the UK’s largest privately held software companies, announced it has acquired iSAMS, a leading, fully integrated, online school management system. I caught up with Winston Poyton, the Senior Product Director there, to talk about their education strategy and their most recent acquisition.

IRIS already has 11,000+ school customers, and their overall goal is to take the pain out of processes and let professionals working in schools focus on the work they love.

Some of the things we discuss include:

• What’s important to IRIS right now, and what are your plans in the education sector?
• What’s your strategy for IRIS and iSAMS? How does it sit with the other solutions you offer to schools?
• Who do you feel is your main threat, and what makes you different?
• How do you think the forthcoming sale of Capita ESS (SIMS) will affect the education market?
• Where do you see the future of MIS, what will make the difference, and what needs to change?

With so much change going on in the UK MIS sector, I thought it was time to have a conversation with one of the big MIS support teams to understand how their business is changing too.

Last week I had a virtual get together with Director of School Business Services Ltd, Mark Tadman, to talk about how his company supports schools in their use of MIS, amongst other things. Mark and Tina started the business back in 2008 and have always been clear that the goal is to provide schools with the freedom to teach; with their managed services and budget planning software, they aim to save taxpayers money and allow schools to focus on teaching on learning.

Some of the questions we discuss include:

• In what ways has the business changed recently (especially around MIS)?
• Do you think that commercial school service teams are going to have to expand on the types of solutions supported?
• With the change in the MIS and tracker market, how does this affect your vision and strategy?
• Who do you think will be the winners in the MIS space?
• Do you feel the Capita SIMS FM agreement with Local Authorities will stay in place even if someone does buy SIMS?
• How would you make it a more competitive and innovative market?

We’ve split it into three parts to make it easier to digest. Hope you like it, and we’d welcome your comments.