Using FMS in 2024

[ajw2024]

Hi..Looking for ideas and need to pick brains!

 

I have recently moved to to LA maintained school over 2 sites.

Having come from An Academy Trust using PSF, I need to get a system for my new school that doesn't involve paper forms being printed, signed, scanned, emailed, printed off again etc.

 

Can anyone share their experiences/ procedures for getting electronic order requisitions through to the finance office via the correct authorisations (budget holder)? Also a system for recording Deliveries.

I was thinking some kind of Microsoft form or share point documents.... but I thought I'd see what others have done. No point re-inventing the wheel!

 

TIA

[gethmyster]

A previous school used a MS Form and Power Automate to pass orders for approval (it has a built in approval system) this was just by the Head / Deputy (Primary School) as the rules were you had to get approval from the budget holder before submitting but it did send them an email when it was submitted so there was time for them to stop it if they needed too but no reason it couldn't be two stage budget holder, then head. Once approved it send the order to the office to process as usual no paper involved. I wasn't there long enough after it was implemented to know what the feedback was, sorry. Or what audit thought of it.

 

Power Automate is really powerfully so I'm sure it would be doable but how much support and maintaining it would need long term would be my concern depending on skills and support. Off the shelf might just be easier?

[jthompson]

I've tried using Power Automate for something similar, but I find that if an approver doesn't actually action anything or misses the email, then the Power Automate flow will eventually time out and create a bit of a mess of things with some requests efectively left in limbo.