A School Business Manager's tasks are never the same day to day, but they need systems that are easy to use and versatile. Running the financial and logistical operation at the school is a monumental task and any opportunity to save wasted time is always a bonus, so here’s a few tips on how to make sure your School Business Manager is getting the most out of the systems they use.
Can they perform even the most mundane of tasks with ease?
The ‘to-do’ list of a School Business Manager varies and can consist of progressive, exciting tasks that will aid the school's development but also the mundane but necessary tasks that often take up the most time. They allow the School Business Manager to become side-tracked and leave little or no time for the things that matter. Why not ask the School Business Manager the following questions; are the systems responsive or do they crash on a regular basis? Do they need several log-ins and passwords to access different systems for different tasks? Could the individual systems be amalgamated into one to speed up the process of completing these tasks?
Is automation possible and would it help?
Have you discussed with your School Business Manager the possibility of automation? Would automating any aspects of their workload help release time for them to focus on more complex tasks? Are there any daily reports or generic emails that could be automated instead of being produced manually? Would the possible benefits of this be felt if the School Business Manager was out of the office and the automated work was still sent out without delegation?
Does the systems allow for the autonomy that the School Business Manager needs?
Your School Business Manager wants to be able to work on and deliver their agenda without unnecessary chasing or hold-ups. Do they have all of the correct permissions and training that they need to not only use the systems but achieve what they need from them? Are they able to rely on the systems so that they can have paperless administration and records as well as make sure that important documents are not lost in an office tidy-up?
Can your School Business Manager access and update data when needed?
Your School Business Manager wants to make sure that they can track and manage every resource, from physical to financial and always be informed with the data in one place. Are they able to access invoices and other important documents with ease? Can they access and update Health and Safety Risk Assessments and Child Protection documents when needed? Are they able to easily share information and data with other relevant parties within the school and do not have to undertake lengthy extraction processes in order to do this?
Conclusions...
Making sure they can get the most out of the systems is vital in our current age of economies and efficiencies. If they can do this, more time can be allocated to vital tasks, such as securing funding and overseeing the physical and mental development of the school.
