Your Guide to Buying School Compliance &  Premises Management Software

Premises Management Software

Sure, meeting compliance standards is essential for any school or MAT, but the right premises management software can do far more than just keep you out of trouble. With responsibility across an entire estate, you want to have every confidence that the on-site teams are providing a safe, compliant, and suitable learning environment. You also want to be sure that resources invested across the estate are being put towards the most critical needs.

A comprehensive software solution can empower you to transform your entire estate management, freeing up valuable time and resources for those big-picture projects.

Choosing the Right Solution is Crucial

Choosing the right premises management solution is crucial, as the wrong software may merely serve as a glorified reminder system with minimal real-world efficiency gains. Schools, MATs, LAs, and Dioceses face unique premises management challenges. They must ensure sites are safe, have adequate oversight of needs, and can demonstrate compliance to multiple stakeholders. These needs are complex, and the nuances are often only fully grasped by seasoned professionals within the education property sector.

The future of education relies on premises management solutions that go beyond simple reminders or basic RAG statuses. Look for a platform designed specifically for the educational environment, one that eliminates the need for manual reporting or spreadsheets, and is tailored to the unique challenges faced by schools or a trust.

The best providers will set up the platform for you and offer a straightforward onboarding process, allowing your entire school or trust to be up and running within weeks, not months. The platform should be intuitive and easy to use, even for those who are less tech-savvy.

Prioritise solutions that offer a comprehensive suite of tools tailored to the specific needs of MATs.

The Essential Toolkit

So, what sets modern premises management software apart from the clunky platforms of the past? The answer lies in a suite of integrated modules that target the core pain points faced by educational estates:

• Capital Programme Manager
  A good premises management solution should enable a MAT to design, implement, and monitor a full capital programme within the platform, so you can manage budgets, assess feasibility, and track progress through live reporting.
  
  
• Asset Manager
  Ensure it can maintain a comprehensive asset register, tracking condition, lifecycle costs, and replacement schedules to inform long-term financial planning.
  
  
• Strategic Survey Tool
  For efficient management of your portfolio, a survey tool integrated with your solution is a must-have. Look for platforms that automate a priority list by considering condition, suitability, and regulatory requirements. This saves time and money while providing standardised reports for every school, giving you a clear understanding of real needs across your MAT.
  
  
• Project Manager (Small Works)
  The leading solutions will include a module that allows a school to confidently manage smaller projects while ensuring full compliance and safety. It should also offer safeguards to first assess competency, then follow best practices, and maintain a complete audit trail to ensure compliance.
  
  
• Helpdesk
  The backbone of a platform, ensure yours can streamline communication with stakeholders (e.g. schools, contractors, consultants). It must be able to log issues, track progress, collaborate seamlessly, and archive project-related communications.
  
  
• Contractors Database
  Make sure you choose a vendor that has pre-vetted contractors, easily searchable by trade, location, and services.
  
  
• Sites Module
  A central repository for site information, documents, key contacts, and other relevant building data.
  
  
• Compliance Focused Modules
  Ensure the solution you choose goes beyond mere checklists, offering effortless management of routine tasks and testing requirements:
  
  
• Site Manager Tests: A site manager testing module should ask questions and simplify daily statutory testing with guided, mobile-friendly tools, automatic logging, and reminders.

• Specialist Contractor Tests: Ideally a separate module from the site manager tests, this tool should be able to maintain a compliant testing regime with reminders, performance tracking, and a full audit trail.

• • PPM Tests: A good PPM module will allow you to create planned preventative test reminders. 
    

The First Complete Solution

From supporting site safety to optimising funding decisions across an estate, Statlog is the first all-in-one solution that has you covered for all areas of education premises management.

Contact us today for a no-obligation demonstration!!