Educational educations are undeniably complex ecosystems, with multiple moving parts and large volumes of data. Some of the biggest challenges schools and colleges face are recording the presence of students, understanding teacher schedules and improving transparency between the school walls and parents. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software can solve many of these complexities, however, it still requires administration to manually input data. For instance, a simple roll call, one of the most recognizable aspects of schools, involves manually recording a student’s presence or absence into the software. Therefore, an added feature can give educational institutions an edge when it comes to streamlining their processes: an RFID for school ERPs.
What is an RFID device?
Radio Frequency Identification is a system that records objects through the identification of radio waves. RFID devices are, in fact, so sophisticated that they can record every single unique object even when exposed to hundreds at a time. It can also read signals from several feet away, allowing it to track students over a large radius. RFID for school processes has multiple applications.
Here are some of the benefits of RFID technology and why you should integrate it with your school’s ERP.
1. Quicker and more accurate attendance
RFID chips can easily be inserted into students’ ID cards, making it possible to track their attendance with zero effort. An RFID reader placed at the entrance of a school/college or a classroom can detect each student’s presence as soon as they walk into a class. This data can then be transmitted into the ERP system to record the student’s attendance. With this technology, manually checking the attendance for each student will become redundant. This will ultimately save teachers a lot of time in each class, allowing them to use each class period more efficiently. It will also eliminate any human error in taking down attendance, leading to a completely accurate picture of a student’s attendance.
2. Great security within the campus
Every parent’s greatest concern when choosing a school is the safety of their child. RFID-embedded ID cards enable schools to track the movement of every single student within their campus. As soon as a child enters or exits the campus, their activity will be recorded through RFID. This gives parents a greater sense of comfort, knowing that their child is safe within the campus. It can also become a feature that gives a school an edge, since more parents will be willing to enroll their child in a school with advanced security features.
3. Faster library checkouts
RFID can be embedded in ID cards and on book covers to make school/college library systems more efficient. As soon as a student checks out a book, it will be recorded on the school ERP system. Edumate’s RFID library module, for example, uses barcode technology with a unique serial number that can easily be implemented to track books more efficiently. The benefits of RFID technology in college libraries is twofold. First, it allows schools to track the availability of certain books, which student had last checked out the book and whether it is overdue. Second, RFID readers can track whether a book was taken out from the library – and by whom – even if it wasn’t properly checked out. This can prevent theft of books from the library and track the usage of books from the library.
4. Alerts parents to their child’s activities
Most parents lose visibility of their child’s activities once the child enters the school gates. RFID devices can change that. These devices can be integrated with a school’s ERP system to automatically send alerts to parents whenever an unusual activity is detected. If a child is not present during a certain class, enters school late or leaves class early, parents can be alerted through a simple text message. If a parent is aware of the reason behind it, they can confirm with the school that the child has the parent’s permission. If they are unaware of it, they can immediately contact the school’s administration and ask them to look into it. Knowing that they have greater visibility into their child’s activities at school can help give parents greater peace of mind.
5. Planning and reviewing class schedules
Almost every school ERP system already has an inbuilt record of class schedules across grades and subjects. RFID can be an excellent way to improve the efficiency of these schedules. RFID devices can transmit the number of students attending each class and track the various schedules students might have. This can quickly identify clashes in school schedules (both for teachers and for students), make it easier to switch around timetables and identify classes which are getting low attendance. This is one of the advantages of RFID, which can help school staff optimize time tables and improve student attendance.
6. Improve accuracy of salary disbursement
Almost every institution has a direct correlation between the number of hours a teacher has punched in and the salary that they receive. If a teacher has attended fewer classes than they are required to, they might be subjected to a reduction in their total pay. On the other hand, if they have worked overtime, they will be compensated for it through a bonus. Calculating this often requires HR staff to manually input the number of hours worked by each teacher and the number of classes they have taken. Understandably, this is a very time-intensive effort and might result in inaccuracies. The advantages of RFID devices are that they can automatically track and record teacher activity. The number of hours that a teacher has worked overtime, for example, will automatically be displayed, making it much easier for HR teams to calculate monthly payrolls.
The benefits of RFID technology are numerous. They can increase security of students, improve payroll processing and give parents a greater sense of visibility. If you are considering investing in it for your school, these are just some of the advantages of RFID you can expect.
iTech India has been providing customized software solutions since 2003. We specialize in Education ERP with a product portfolio built on best practices. We have distinct product offerings for different segments from schools, colleges and coaching institutes. With a large team of technically qualified professionals and mentored by educational experts and technology architects, we are recognized for our cutting-edge ERP solutions. Speak to us today to know more about how our solutions can fit your needs.
