The Ultimate Software Audit Template For Your Charter School
Your team deserves efficient & effective systems
As a school leader, you know that the right software frees your team from hours of busy work and keeps your charter school humming along smoothly. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. The wrong software systems, or more likely too many systems, confuses your team, adds hours to onboarding, and siphons away your operating dollars.
That's where software audits come in. A software audit is a systematic review of your school's software systems to assess their effectiveness, efficiency, and indispensability. By doing so, you can pinpoint any areas that need improvement, hunt for overlap, and make necessary changes.
At CheckBox Pro, we want to make it simple for you to audit your software. So we made a template. (we love templates)
Unpacking the Software Audit Template
Now that you’ve downloaded the template, let’s walk through the most notable considerations you’ll make when auditing.
The Purpose & Goal of the System
What is the purpose of the software system? We pre-filled the template with scenarios CheckBox Pro sees every week when working with school leaders. The most notable are Payroll, Gradebooks, Curriculum & Assessment, Communications, Enrollment, and District Reporting. After you’ve identified the purpose of each piece of software, next write the ideal outcome of using the software. For example, your enrollment software Schoolmint’s goal is to make the application, lottery, and registration process organized and hassle-free for staff and prospective families.
The Cost
The next obvious question is how much the system costs on an annual basis. Instead of just looking at the base number, dig deeper to see if there are hidden fees or costs like training, maintenance, or implementation.
The Usage
When thinking about system usage ask not only how many team members are using the system, but also how often is it being used. There could be accounting software that is utilized by only one team member, but it is crucial in maintaining the accuracy of your books on a daily basis.
Efficiency
The simple way to judge efficiency is to ask “Does this system save us time or money?” You can weigh the cost of the software against the number of man-hours it saves you. If it doesn’t save you time or money, scrap it!
Accuracy
A reliable software system should consistently provide accurate information and data, ensuring that school administrators can make informed decisions based on reliable data. Does this system struggle to provide real-time accurate data?
Security
Ensuring the security of school data is of utmost importance when evaluating software systems. Schools must assess whether the software provides robust security features such as encryption, and user authentication in order to protect student and staff data.
Strengths
Many schools have abandoned a system due to a negative experience, only to be disappointed once again by a competing system. That’s why it's important to first understand what the system does well so that you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Some strengths may include user-friendly interfaces, robust functionality, seamless integration with other systems, comprehensive reporting capabilities, easy data management, or excellent customer support.
Opportunities for Improvement
All software systems have shortcomings. Take time to record how a system lets you down or could be improved. Two common issues are integrations and user experience. Integration issues can hinder seamless data flow between different software systems, leading to inefficiencies and data discrepancies. Additionally, a subpar user interface can negatively impact user experience and productivity.
The Verdict
After you have weighed all the pros and cons, decide whether or not your team should continue using the system or if you need to implement an alternative. We hope this template saves you time not only in your audit but in the school years to come as you effectively leverage software systems for your organization.
