ESS SIMS 3 Year Contracts

[supportman]

I found staff were actually happy and very receptive as the system was so much better, more intuitive and less hassle. Take it slow, show them the parts they need now and build on it.

 

Absolutely, once the system is in place everyone was much happier.

 

I was actually talking about the preperation and discussions _before_ we moved. There was a lot of worried staff and SLT.

 

In the end, moving MIS was actually very easy. We had virtually no issues once it went live and all the discussion before seemed rather irrelevent.

 

The first day we went live, the overwhelming feedback was how easy it was to take registers on an app, or how nice it was to be able to use it on any device finally.

[Theblacksheep]

You can convert a schools MIS in 6 weeks easy, day-to-day usage is much easier for teachers.

 

The burden of work is with the more advanced MIS staff and admin teams. It's the timetablers wanting to use NovaT forever, the "X cant do their job now, give them all permissions", setting up marksheets, exam and end of year processes, the school changing communication systems, linking to tills, 3rd parties and payment systems etc that need a lot of coordinated work from the school, desire to move or acceptance of teething issues.

[supportman]

You can convert a schools MIS in 6 weeks easy, day-to-day usage is much easier for teachers.

The burden of work is with the more advanced MIS staff and admin teams. It's the timetablers wanting to use NovaT forever, the "X cant do their job now, give them all permissions", setting up marksheets, exam and end of year processes, the school changing communication systems, linking to tills, 3rd parties and payment systems etc that need a lot of coordinated work from the school, desire to move or acceptance of teething issues.

Yes for sure, all good points

 

Since we already did this MIS migration, I can tell you exact times:

 

- Timetable, Our guy used Nova T to design the timetable as it was still running, then built in Bromcom. Has since moved to timetabler.co.uk with same process - 2 days

- Marksheets - 2hr webinar training and all seemed to go smoothly. Training distributed to all staff who needed it in more condensed form.

- Exams - 2hr training smooth and no issues from a lady who used Sims for 10 years previously.

- Linking to till - 4hrs. We paid our company Biostore to do it for us. They came in and it didn't take long to change the ID's and infact fixed a lot of problems with the old Cunninghams system

- Payment systems - instant as we used Bromcoms inbuilt one. Maybe a few days to roll out the new parent portal ID's.

- Teething issues are ongoing but same with any system.

[7777newgeek]

Our SLT has been looking at their options as they don't want to be tied in for 3 years without having time to look around. The problem is they don't want to review until the new year and Arbor have an offer for buy now pay later, but you have to decide before the end of 2021 and then you have a 3 year deal from April and Bromcom can give us a 1 year deal but after that it rolls into a 5 year deal. Our SLT just don't feel comfortable with any of these options it feels like everyone is doing the same, has anyone been able to get a 1 year from SIMS?

[Steve101]

I had a conversation with ESS Sims yesterday as they phoned me after I made a request to carry on with 1 year renewals, they are not moving on the 3 year agreement.

[Primus]

Our SLT has been looking at their options as they don't want to be tied in for 3 years without having time to look around. The problem is they don't want to review until the new year and Arbor have an offer for buy now pay later, but you have to decide before the end of 2021 and then you have a 3 year deal from April and Bromcom can give us a 1 year deal but after that it rolls into a 5 year deal. Our SLT just don't feel comfortable with any of these options it feels like everyone is doing the same, has anyone been able to get a 1 year from SIMS?

 

Sadly, as I understand it right now, their only options are to move before April 1st and give notice of this before December 31st or stick with SIMS on a 3 year deal.

[localzuk]

Our SLT has been looking at their options as they don't want to be tied in for 3 years without having time to look around. The problem is they don't want to review until the new year and Arbor have an offer for buy now pay later, but you have to decide before the end of 2021 and then you have a 3 year deal from April and Bromcom can give us a 1 year deal but after that it rolls into a 5 year deal. Our SLT just don't feel comfortable with any of these options it feels like everyone is doing the same, has anyone been able to get a 1 year from SIMS?

All options seem to be mutli-year at this point, but at least if you sign a new agreement, you know what you're signing - rather than it changing randomly.

 

I suspect some might offer 1 year at the moment, but if you were moving to a new MIS I'm not sure that'd be a sensible thing to do anyway.

Edited November 18, 2021 by localzuk

[Primus]

I had a conversation with ESS Sims yesterday as they phoned me after I made a request to carry on with 1 year renewals, they are not moving on the 3 year agreement.

 

Have you got that in writing?

[garbage46]

Interesting that The Key have created a page of guidance because of this nonsense.

https://schoolleaders.thekeysupport.com/administration-and-management/financial-management/procurement-and-payment/renewing-mis-contracts-your-rights-and-responsibilities/

 

Also interesting that no reps for ESS SIMS or whatever have commented on this thread.

[woodham]

I should have it in writing tomorrow

[paulkerton]

That was just one school though. 1st April is 4.5 months from now, and your single migration took 3 months

 

No, the migration didn't take 3 months, the whole process did, including meeting each MIS provider did.

The answer is to attempt to speed up the process and not take 3 months to do it. Look what we all managed during the March to Easter window last year in terms of IT. A crisis made of questionable tactics could produce something special again.

[Primus]

I'd also say, as someone who's been through this process with one school already and is currently managing the process across the rest of the schools in the trust, it's more than worth it!

[localzuk]

Heh, loving the adverts on the thread at the moment.

[fiza]

If any schools are being successful in pushing for 1 year renewals for SIMS can you please confirm in this thread? We then have some more sway with ESS that they have done it for other schools. At least a 1 year renewal then gives us some breathing space.

[colly72]

I've tried twice this week to contact Bromcom about a potential move from SIMS. No reply to completed website contact form and then a phone call to query why nobody had contacted me, to have an apology and a promise of a call today but guess what, no call.

 

I'm guessing they are busy but not a great first impression!

[vikpaw]

I don't see what ESS would gain from agreeing to that. If you want a 1 year not 3 year, it is because you're wanting to leave but I'm sure many schools faced with having to migrate in 4 months will instead sign for three year with the intention of re-evaluating at the end. By the time that happens, ESS (think they) will have bought time with their clunky RDP/web version and superseded it with a new "proper" online version and schools will love them again.

You might be wanting to leave or you might want to avoid a mandatory tender process. Given the comments here it seems they lacked some foresight for them to force people into having to re-evaluate. It is a significant change.

 

It's not easy to rush to tender or make a decision. I know people have done it, but that was why i was asking what the feeling was with school management. Are they :

 

1) accepting it - i'm sure there's plenty that would have just kept renewing year on year anyway (assuming they can legally)

2) bending over backwards to get it to 1 year

3) having crisis meetings to start a tender

 

?

You can convert a schools MIS in 6 weeks easy, day-to-day usage is much easier for teachers.

 

The burden of work is with the more advanced MIS staff and admin teams. It's the timetablers wanting to use NovaT forever, the "X cant do their job now, give them all permissions", setting up marksheets, exam and end of year processes, the school changing communication systems, linking to tills, 3rd parties and payment systems etc that need a lot of coordinated work from the school, desire to move or acceptance of teething issues.

Exactly. I've found the issues are with the power users, heads of curriculum/assessment, timetablers, admin, finance. Quite often, we find getting report templates sorted takes ages, and they take it as an opportunity to make changes. This then drags the overall process across a whole year.

Heh, loving the adverts on the thread at the moment.

Adverts Please flag any commercial posts though

 

 

 

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[Steve21]

Thank you for your correspondence received on 11 November 2021.

 

The Department for Education have been informed by multiple schools and Academy Trusts of a recent letter that has been issued by the ParentPay Group who have recently taken over ESS. Their intention is to extend the usual 1-year contract to a 3-year contract.

 

We are currently looking into this situation and would encourage all schools to pause before agreeing to this new contract.

 

Yours sincerely

Schools Commercial Team

 

From our SBM from another school she has talked to. Our LEA has a meeting booked in with ESS/ParentPay tomorrow too, so hopefully will hear some more!

 

Steve

 

Steve

[garbage46]

From our SBM from another school she has talked to. Our LEA has a meeting booked in with ESS/ParentPay tomorrow too, so hopefully will hear some more!

 

Steve

 

Steve

 

Just came to post the same thing

[lordasb]

I had a meeting today with our rep from ESS, no movement from the 3 year offering.

 

The only item I did get confirmation of is that 3rd party subscriptions via ESS do not have the same 3 year renewal term. This effects 2 line items from our renewal. You would be wise to confirm which line items are affected for your renewal.

They also confirmed the same applies for the enhanced support services from ESS which we purchase, being linked to a 3 year term.

 

If there is anything else i will update the post.

[localzuk]

Reminder to any companies :

Oh, I mean the banner ads.

[enjay]

Oh, I mean the banner ads.

 

I don't normally look at them (sorry Edugeek!) but now I do, I see they are for a SIMS competitor. Brilliant!

[Steve101]

Have you got that in writing?

 

Why would I need that in writing?

[Primus]

Why would I need that in writing?

 

Sorry I misread your original post, I thought you'd got them to agree to a 1 year contract.

[Tech13]

Hi all,

 

I thought I'd get involved here. Does anyone have the link to the DFE guidance stating to pause this process while discssions are had so I can share this with our team?

 

Thanks!

[Zoom7000]

From our SBM from another school she has talked to. Our LEA has a meeting booked in with ESS/ParentPay tomorrow too, so hopefully will hear some more!

 

Steve

 

Steve

 

It'll be interesting to see if the DfE/ESFA are able to stop ESS from forcing this change on schools.