Guide · Getting started
Spreadsheets or school software — which, and when
Plenty of institutions do well with spreadsheets — one computer, one person in charge. Trouble starts when several people share the work, guardians must be told things, and results take days to make.
Checked against the boards' rules on
This guide is written by BDEducationManager — management software for Bangladesh's schools, colleges, madrasas and coaching centres — admission, results, fees, attendance and SMS in one place. See the software
Job by job
| Job | Excel | School software |
|---|---|---|
| Several people at once | Copies of the file go round; which is the latest is hard to tell | Everyone on the same data, each with their own login |
| Results | A broken formula means wrong results; papers and the 4th subject done by hand | Marks in, GPA and merit out — by the board's rules |
| Receipts | Numbers and copies kept by hand | Numbered receipts, dues worked out |
| Telling guardians | A separate SMS service and lists | SMS from the lists, each with name and dues |
| Who changed what | No way to know | Every change recorded |
| If the computer dies | Without a backup, everything is lost | Data on the server, backed up nightly |
| Cost | Next to nothing | A monthly bill |
When a spreadsheet is enough
- Few students, and one person doing the work
- No regular SMS to guardians
- Simple results — one exam, one mark
When it is time for software
- The office, teachers and the accountant all enter data
- Results take days, and mistakes turn up after publishing
- Finding who owes what means going through the books
- Guardians need word of absences, dues or results
Moving from a spreadsheet
Your old student list comes in from Excel at once — a ready template, and a check that shows mistakes first; up to 2,000 students at a time. After moving, lists, receipts and reports still download to Excel.
Questions
Does moving to software mean no more spreadsheets?
No. Lists, receipts and reports download to Excel for use as before.
How long does the move take?
Signing up takes minutes; choosing your type makes the classes, subjects and exams; then bring the lists in from Excel and start.
Start your institution today
Sign up in minutes and start today. Want to see it first, or have a question? Call or write — we will show you.