Learning portals

• Portals provide easy access to course materials; materials can be posted on a course Web site or learning portal where students can obtain materials quickly and easily.
• Students/trainees can study anytime and anywhere there is Internet access.
• Learning materials are accessible to a wider audience.
• Educators and students can regularly join distributed conferences via information infrastructures that provide an instant network of contacts with useful skills, as well as real-time answers to their questions.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) for school districts and municipalities

• ERP for school district and municipalities addresses issues such as financial requirements (fixed assets, etc.), human resources (HR), and especially supply chain management (SCM) to ensure that supplies and materials are properly distributed and accounted for.

Student information systems (SISs)

• An SIS allows administrators to track key educational levers (e.g., student performance).
• SISs provide capabilities for storing student tests and other assessment scores, building student schedules, tracking student attendance, and managing many other student-related data needs.

Learning management systems (LMSs)

• Instructors and teachers can use Web-based programs in classrooms.
• Virtual learning allows post-secondary institutions to use Internet-based technology to conduct lessons and coursework electronically.
• You can manage learning needs tied to government or industry regulations and automatically cascade targeted training to the appropriate employee or employee level.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

• The use of CRM software is becoming more popular for schools. While the audience is different, the principles that businesses use CRM for are analogous for the educational services sector. CRM allows administrators to track students, which can be used to develop short- and long-term strategic plans.

• You risk non-compliance with government or industry-imposed regulations and standards.
• Using disparate systems to capture and store data can leave you unable to transform large amounts of data into valuable or useable information, which greatly reduces an institution’s effectiveness and its ability to provide an overview of its activities and account of its success.
• In business, it is more difficult for employees to update their job skills and further their careers without the use of learning technology.
• In educational institutions, the pace of learning is slower without the use of education technology and learning tools.
• The absence of proper training through technology can lead to skill gaps in key positions, which can affect overall profitability.

• Determine which functional aspects of a Education solution are priorities for your business.
• Evaluate and understand the functionality that addresses Education requirements.
• Find the Education solutions that are most likely to serve your business.