Running a nursery takes a lot of time and effort, so it’s necessary to find ways to save time each day. One of the most recent developments in early education has been nursery management software. The platforms can make even the most dreaded administrative tasks easier and faster through automation. You and your staff then have more time and energy for other tasks that are more enjoyable and important.
Also called child care software, these platforms save much time in different ways, including:
- Managing staff schedules
- Calculating room ratios and attendance
- Simplifying the billing process
- Staff information
In this article, we’ll take you through each of these features and detail how they can take care of those boring tasks and give you more time each day.
Managing Staff Schedules
Making your staff’s jobs easier makes everyone feel better at the nursery. This is one place where saving time scales fast. Consider that if the software saves each staff member two hours a week, they’ll have more time for other tasks during their work hours.
Managing staff schedules is an essential part of running the nursery, but it can also be a headache. With digital nursery management software, you no longer need to rely on printed calendars or waiting until Sunday night to get your shifts for the week. Instead, the software digitalizes everyone’s schedules so swapping shifts is as easy as texting.
How can this feature save you time? When you’re searching for the right nursery management software, it can be helpful to consider how the software works. So, you can ask these questions to see how it works in the real world:
- If two of your staff want to trade shifts on a given day, how does that work in the app?
- What does it take to check your work schedule? Is the user interface accessible and easy to understand?
- How intuitive is the digital platform for your staff? In a perfect world, staff schedules should be close at hand and easy to access on mobile devices.
Calculate Room Ratios Fast
Calculating room ratios can also be a challenging task that takes up precious time. Charting it all out on paper or in a spreadsheet isn’t something you can do quickly. And what happens if a teacher calls in sick or you have more children on short notice? Now it’s necessary to re-calculate the ratios all over again.
On the other hand, digital nursery management software can take care of these calculations effectively and efficiently. The software automates the entire process. There are a couple of ways you can save time:
Auto-generate charts: the right software provides you with a dashboard that provides an overview of your classrooms. You can combine children’s attendance data along with staff schedules for accurate, easy-to-read charts. You know at a glance whether your classes meet the required ratios.
Create ratio projections & plan for the future: another way nursery management software can help is that the system gathers data over time. Once it has enough data, the software is able to analyze attendance numbers and find patterns of when you’re the busiest. The forecasting function allows you to project these patterns into the future to see your staffing needs for the coming weeks and months. You save time, and it’s no longer necessary to guess. You can be prepared in advance for what’s coming.
Automatic Billing Makes Business Finances a Breeze
Managing your nursery’s finances can take a significant amount of time. And it’s a huge source of stress. But the fact is that managing your finances is essential for the business.
The payment process isn’t only a mound of paperwork to deal with, but it’s also a potentially challenging subject that can strain relationships. However, nursery management software can take care of these tasks, too.
The software can create and send weekly invoices in a matter of minutes. It’s possible to send out auto-generated invoices to each family. They can review and pay right away or let the auto-process take care of it for them.
The process is simple and cuts down on the amount of time needed for this stressful task. Staff will be happy to have more time for essential work, and they can have more time with their families and friends.
Staff Profiles
Another task that takes time is managing staff requirements. However, nursery management software can help here, too. It’s possible to manage staff schedules, create staff rotas, and manage staff leave. Here are some features to look for:
Staff Profiles
- Full staff profile
- Leave management
- Qualifications summary
- Add entitlement notes
- Access leave types
- Add multiple past, present, and future employee contacts
Staff Worklog
- Keep track of staff’s worklogs including shifts, breaks, and absences
- Add additional information about sickness or holidays
- Automatically calculate total work hours per week
Staff Rota
- Input staff shifts, holidays, and sickness
- Share the rotas with staff
- Complete visibility where you may be understaffed
- Save money by never being overstaffed in the future
Staff Leave
- Track & log staff sickness
- Book & keep a record of staff holidays
- An instant overview of the full team’s leave
Nursery management software can take care of all this and more! You and your staff will love the extra time you have, knowing these and other tasks are fully automated.
What Other Benefits Does Nursery Management Software Provide?
Nursery management software also has other benefits in addition to saving you and your staff time.
Makes Business Easier to Manage
When you refine the process of managing your nursery, the entire experience is easier for you and everyone. It’s also less stressful and more productive.
In addition, you can provide your staff with the information and statistics they need for their work.
Save Time and Focus on Quality Care
Nursery management software also reduces the time it takes for administrative tasks. It’s possible to save as much as 75% of your time. That means you can have more control over the business and time to focus on providing the best educational experience possible for the children in your care.
Keep Everything in One Place
With software to manage your nursery business, you’ll find it works to keep your business more organized by keeping everything in one place. No more time will be wasted on lost staff calendars or other paperwork. Everything will be in the cloud and accessible across various devices.
Summing It Up
Nursery management software is a great way to cut down on tedious administrative tasks. You and your staff will have more time for more important work and to spend with the kids in your care.
