Tell us about the company
EdSmart started in 2014 as a digital solution for paperwork coming home from school to parents requiring action. Launched by two parents who are still the founders and supported by investors. Since then we have worked with our schools customers in 8 countries to build out the technology and to widen our remit. We now digitise administrative and communication processes inside K-12 schools that are slowing down the important work of running the school and teaching students. EdSmart is a cloud-based software-as-a-service platform, at its heart, a digital forms, workflow and process automation solution specifically designed with and for K-12 schools.
We have state-of-the-art solutions for absentee management, excursion management, emergency management, staff development processes and digital approval workflows with a strong product roadmap that will, in time, digitise all the administrative areas of a school that cannot be digitised with the school’s current systems. We call EdSmart a School Organisation System. We help organise all those difficult and repetitive tasks that run a school’s day-to-day activities.
When we started we set out to create a digital technology that could be deployed in any school in the world with online access. We have secured customers in single schools, international schools, school networks and Ministries of Education. We welcome customers anywhere in the world and integrate with most Student Information Systems and many Learning Management Systems too. If we don’t integrate yet, we’ll get the ball rolling.
What initiatives are you working on currently
We’re currently working on building the capability of our users through adult short form learning within our EdSmart Academy. We now have two levels of self-training that are designed to be easy-to-learn and fun and engaging along the way.
Another large initiative is the roll-out of EdSmart to the Department of Education South Australia. After a successful Pilot and development phase, EdSmart is due to commence roll-out in the second half of 2021.
What are the benefits for educational establishments using your product/s
The benefits for schools and school systems in using EdSmart are the obvious ones, save time and save money by going digital. There are also less obvious but possibly more important ones, EdSmart also helps reduce risk. Because data is securely moved between systems, there is no double-handling so important compliance data maintains its integrity. EdSmart also adheres to the data and privacy standards of the regions in which we operate and data security is absolutely baked in to the platform. And of course, those schools using paper where they could be digital, can switch to EdSmart and save trees and the environment.
Another subtle benefit is that when EdSmart is deployed the time to receive compliance responses from parents to important requests for information dramatically reduces. Forms requests that took days or weeks to receive the data, typically take hours. This increases the efficiency of a school’s administration function.
What products/solutions are best suited for teachers? How will these products/solutions help teachers become more effective?
EdSmart is used by administrators and teachers. All levels of the platform are relevant to teachers. We help teachers become more effective by eliminating the paper chasing around permissions and other forms from parents. This is time that is given back to the teaching and learning process.
As a staff member a teacher will also require professional development or special leave.EdSmart is an organised way to submit Professional Development and other leave requests, with relevant workflows. Again, saving time in applying and approving the leave digitally means less worry, more productivity.
How has the current pandemic affected how you operate / what have you had to change? What lessons did you learn?
EdSmart is considered by its school users to be a heavy duty worker in the school. It is a platform users log into everyday to drive and keep an eye across the day-to-day activity of the school and to organise all the data connected with the activity.
During COVID-19 the use of EdSmart changed dramatically as school leaders realised they could use the platform to keep their school community up-to-date easily and formally about the progress of the virus and the implications for their school. Head Teachers and Principals would message the whole school about the latest that was expected of families and how they would be supported. And were able to easily share resources within each message.
EdSmart’s digital forms were also used for notifications about COVID and who would /would not be attending school. This data was then fed back to schools Student information Systems. Schools had access to live data at a time of crisis, which helped school leaders make better decisions at a time when conditions were changing fast.
We experienced a four-fold increase in the peak previous usage of the platform and we learned that whilst EdSmart day-to-day is a workhorse in a school environment, quietly sitting in the background, during a crisis it truly shines. The capacity to instantly communicate with parents, students and staff in a formal channel, is unrivalled. Schools used this capacity to help keep their school communities safe and to properly care for them.
What do you think the top edtech trends do you see emerging this year
The top trends we see emerging in Edtech this year will be around the areas that broke down when COVID-19 got underway. How well did the school’s communication channels to their school community function during COVID-19? Were they sufficient to keep the school community together, cooperative and cohesive? Secure and formal digital channels to the school community will become a priority
Learning Management Systems will continue to be vital and will need to integrate to other technologies for efficiency.
Technologies that are developed specifically for schools and work with them on product development - so customer co-creation will become increasingly important. Many schools took advantage of free technology when COVID-19 struck but the lack of customer care and support has led to sub-optimal deployment and value to the school. Some freemium product was just not worth the effort.
Schools will increasingly develop Technology Procurement Frameworks so that they can make quality technology purchasing decisions that align with the schools values and priorities. Free is not necessarily good. And if it isn’t properly supported it can have negative consequences in a school environment where data privacy and security is vital.
