As an MIS supplier, we’re often asked ‘Why Bromcom’? What is it that makes us stand out in the marketplace and why should a customer choose Bromcom over another MIS Provider. The answer to that varies based on the organisation, be that a Primary, Secondary, MAT, All-Through, et cetera. However there are some key themes that are important to everyone.
1. Value for Money – One-Stop Shop
Let’s face it, schools are under increasing financial pressure and whilst value for money has always been on the radar of any discerning buyer, for some schools this is now a question of survival. That’s part of the reason we developed our One-Stop-Shop methodology. Our combination of one SLA, all functionality and all data in one place, has won over countless schools and saved them thousands of pounds by reducing additional license charges. There’s no need to transfer data back and forth between different systems and you have a single point of reference for information and reporting.
2. A Modern, User Friendly Interface – For 2020 and Beyond
It’s hard to ignore the user interface of an MIS as it’s something you’ll see and work with on a daily basis. However, it’s not normally on the list of requirements from the outset. It’s generally something that finds it’s way into the conversation once schools start having demos. Stakeholders will note things they like and dislike. Whether the product looked easy to use and so on. These are worth noting as a poor or dated user interface will increase training overheads, slow down your transition and limit effectiveness in the long run.
When it comes to Bromcom, staff can quickly get up and running with our straightforward and intuitive user interface that’s been refreshed for 2020. A wide variety of tasks are extremely easy to access via the global search tool or the main dashboard. In many cases, a user can do all their work without even touching the menu system. Furthermore, our WalkMe tool shows users how to carry out tasks in the system, taking them through each click, step by step. We want our users to get the best out of our MIS, so they can spend time doing what matters most.
3. Powerful Analytics – With Embedded Power BI
It’s fair to say that the majority of schools on the most widely used MIS in the UK, do not have any access to analytics. Schools have been limited to running off static attendance reports or trying to make do with some manual calculations in Excel spreadsheets. A modern MIS can do far more than this and it should all be at your fingertips.
Our analytic dashboards are proving a real hit for schools. Demographics and pupil KPIs such as attendance, behaviour and attainment are available at every level. It’s easy to drill down from charts to tables, see the individual students and export lists if necessary. Rather than being limited to static figures, the dashboards demonstrate trends and ensure you’re aware of dips in behaviour or increases in persistent absentees. If you want to design your own dashboards, Bromcom provides a secure feed to Microsoft Power BI, an industry standard interactive reporting tool. Our integrated Power BI viewer is totally unique, allowing schools to display their customised dashboards within the MIS.
4. Integrated Finance – Enter Once and Use Anywhere
Seeing as the bulk of an average school’s budget is spent on staff, it makes sense to have a Finance product that can access your Personnel data. Bromcom Finance is a robust, Cloud-Based accounting system that is fully integrated with our MIS, making it a truly unique offering in the marketplace. Rather than having to jump between applications, Finance is accessible within the same interface, just like any other part of the system. Just like the MIS, you can drill down into each item and investigate in more detail. Make use of multiple tabs to improve workflow, just like when you’re browsing a website.
Primary Features
6. Primary Assessment – With a Built-in Primary Tracker
Many Primary Schools want a simple and straightforward approach to tracking. That’s why we created a wizard to roll out an assessment system based on simple questions. It comes with a variety of analysis features and built in reports, so you don’t have to be an expert to get great results.
Secondary Features
7. Fully Developed Secondary School Functionality – The Most Popular Choice in the UK
When it comes to a Cloud Based MIS, over 70% of Secondary Schools in the UK have chosen Bromcom. We’ve been providing Secondary School software for decades and our MIS has the most extensive functionality out of the box. Bromcom is the only Cloud-Based MIS to have its own built-in and integrated timetabling software, not to mention the vast array of analytics and automation features.
Multi Academy Trust Features
8. MAT-Wide Reporting – Accessible Centrally with Embedded Power BI
MAT Vision offers a highly detailed view of your Trust via totally unique dashboards. Vision automatically collates data from all your sites, producing a secure dataset with everything you need at top level. With a wide array of analytics built-in, users can assess a variety of KPI’s related to Attendance, Behaviour, Exclusions and so on. Vision is fast and scalable, utilising the latest in cloud technology that can effortlessly handle entire Local Authorities in a single dataset. Drill into data tables and export to Excel with the click of a button. No other MIS features a built in Power BI viewer and secure data feed for the ultimate in customisability. Power BI Dashboards can be centrally generated and controlled, without the need for expensive Power BI Pro licensing.
9. Scalability – A Proven Product for All Sizes of MAT
When it comes to MATs, we have the experience to work at scale and grow with your organisation. Whether that’s migrating schools on a large scale, or adapting our support offering to account for your internal processes, we can help you take the next step. Our MAT Relationship managers can provide advice and direction, sharing our experiences and accounting for your requirements. Our Product Developers are always listening, taking on your requests and embedding them into the software. We provide a flexible solution like no other and always work in partnership with our clients.
10. Central Distribution – Easy Sharing of Resources
Our MIS is built with MATs in mind so we have a distribution repository for sharing items such as Assessment Templates and Reports. This makes life much easier and save hour and hours of work when it comes to the standardisation and deployment of essential processes.
In all, there’s a fair amount that makes Bromcom stand out from the crowd and thus far, I’ve only really covered the product itself. We’ve produced this checklist as a challenge to our prospective clients to find another supplier that can deliver all the above. So if you’re in the market for a new MIS, why not take a look at our offering and see how it compares.
