Recommend non Capita finance software for primary school wanting to use Arbor MIS

[TwistedHelixis]

One of my primary schools is desperate to move away from SIMS / FMS and really wants to use Arbor, but this doesn't come with a finance package.

 

This has been a sticking point for about 6 months now as FMS does pull information from SIMS, so we would be losing some functionality.

 

Is there anything similar to FMS but cloud based, or any recommendations?

 

Cheers

[Edu-IT]

Access Finance

https://www.theaccessgroup.com/education/finance/

 

Sage

https://www.dayta.co.uk/for-academies/sage-for-education/

 

Xero

https://www.thornewidgery.co.uk/xero-software/xfe/

[ticktock]

Sage works well in our MAT

[Liam]

We use psf hosted. Pricey though I think.

[Wubbalubbadub]

FMS Online is an option.

 

Or you have the others.. we still use on premise FMS and I hate it.. but our finance department seem somewhat reluctant to change.

[Meldrew]

FMS Online is an option.

 

Or you have the others.. we still use on premise FMS and I hate it.. but our finance department seem somewhat reluctant to change.

 

I hated FMS, until I saw PSF and then civica, then I realised it's actually not that bad.

 

Meldrew

[TwistedHelixis]

FMS Online is an option.

 

They do FMS online? is that the same as the onsite version?

[Edu-IT]

They do FMS online? is that the same as the onsite version?

It’s called SIMS Finance and it’s very different to FMS. It’s based on Capita Integra. On the whole it works, however, it’s not fully refined just yet in my opinion.

 

 

https://www.capita-sims.co.uk/products-and-services/sims-finance

[Wubbalubbadub]

Hi - I would recommend looking at HCSS (Access Education). They have a cloud based Budgeting, Finance and HR system.

 

Might be worth a look.

 

Best wishes

From what our business manager tells me, HCSS is the bee's knees... But she also said the price is so crazy she laughed the quote to the deleted items folder...

[paulkerton]

I had a demo of Access Finance and SIMS Finance (the FMS cloud replacement) back to back.

 

Let's put it like this, if the cost of Access Finance is double that of SIMS Finance, you're still going to make significant savings. It's the difference between buying a car, and buying a kit car, a spanner and a garage. SIMS Finance can do a lot of things Access Finance can do, but it seems to take a lot longer to do it.

 

Costs are far more than just the bottom line quotation. You have to account for ease of use, speed of use, ability to get things done and how long that is going to take in one product vs another. Like I've said before, you can pay £1000 for a product that'll automate a process for you, or you can do it yourself, but if doing it yourself costs £2000 worth of your time that you could use to do something else, the £1000 product represents a £1000 saving.

 

You also have to account for Capita ESS being sold, and the effect that may have in the future.

[Edu-IT]

You also have to account for Capita ESS being sold, and the effect that may have in the future.

It can only improve. I agree with what you’re saying having been in the same position.

 

I watched a demo on YouTube of Thorne Widgery and Xero. At £20 a month or something crazy like that, I certainly think it’s one I would look at in the future! Looks to do everything Access does and SIMS Finance at a much lower cost.

 

https://www.thornewidgery.co.uk/xero-software/

 

There’s lots of videos on YouTube to give you a taster.