Choosing Bromcom
After coming to the end of their contract with their previous MIS supplier which they’d been with for many years, the trust reviewed several different providers – but they found Bromcom MIS was the best fit.
“We not only have a lot of schools but also a wide variety of schools – one has 56 pupils, another has over 2000, for example,” says Tim, “so we needed functionality and usability that would suit all of their needs.”
As well as the comprehensive functionality in Bromcom, they were also impressed by Bromcom AI which will streamline their processes.
“One of the main reasons we were so impressed with Bromcom is because it will enable our schools to do so much more on one platform.” Jo explained. “With Bromcom we can now reduce the number of third-party apps we use that covered the functionality and usability gaps from our previous MIS. This should save us money and make it easier for users as everything will be contained within one system.”
The onboarding process
Before switching, the trust’s central teams and schools were very nervous about moving to a new MIS, Tim says.
“We’d been with our previous supplier since the trust was created so we’d never switched MIS before. Switching MIS is also a far more significant change than changing HR or finance system, for instance, as it’s used by virtually every member of staff and everything feeds back to the MIS.”
One of their biggest concerns was how they would spread out the switching of their schools, but Tim and Jo agree the project management at Bromcom made it easy.
“Our Project Manager, Julie, and her colleagues Jonny and Mel were excellent. They formed a project structure for us, creating a timeline for each school migration, looking at dependencies internally and externally, and even helped us with our third-party systems.” Tim says.
“Throughout this entire process their support has been consistent,” Jo adds. “We could refer any queries from schools to the Bromcom team and we had regular communication and progress meetings with them. The support never dropped off.”
Speaking of support, Jo also mentioned our online documentation centre, chockful of comprehensive, easy-to-understand guides on how to use Bromcom:
“The resources are fantastic. The docs centre has really helped with my learning and has been one of the favourite things about switching to Bromcom.”
Their experience since going live
“Although it’s early days,” Jo says, “Bromcom has been received really positively so far. The MIS is quick and easy to use, so getting started with it has been straightforward and our schools are very excited about its functionality.”
Tim adds: “Most of the comments we’ve heard from schools are that it just works. There’s nothing worse than starting a new system and you don’t know how to use it. Bromcom looks great and navigating through the system, it just makes sense.”
Some schools have even put their new MIS’ functionality to the test shortly after going live, such as by putting on a parents’ evening, and reported back positive feedback.
Reflecting on their time with Bromcom so far, Jo shared she would say the following to a MAT (or school) thinking about switching MIS:
“The potential Bromcom MIS can unlock for your trust and schools is immense. Switching is a long project, but you’re supported the whole way through and the end result is worth it.”
You can find out more about Bromcom’s wide range of cloud-based solutions and how it benefits schools, trusts, and local authorities across the UK on our website. To learn how our products could work for your establishment, book a discovery call with our team.