A few weeks ago, I watched a class teacher in Surat nearly cry in frustration. She had just spent 40 minutes trying to upload exam marks into the school's newly purchased ERP system. Every time she hit save, the page timed out, deleting her work. The principal looked at me and said, "They told us this was the best software on the market."
Choosing a new school ERP is a massive decision. But most principals get swept away by slick sales presentations and glossy brochures. Having built Anubodha from the ground up by sitting in classrooms, here are the 7 hard questions you need to ask vendors before signing that contract.
1. "What happens when the WiFi drops?"
In many Indian classrooms, internet connectivity is a suggestion, not a guarantee. If the teacher's app stops working the moment the signal drops, the software is useless. Ask the vendor if their teacher portal works entirely offline and syncs later. If they say no, prepare for complaints.
2. "What is the actual, unhidden cost?"
Many legacy ERPs play a bait-and-switch game. They quote a low initially entry price, only to hit you later with fees for "SMS gateway credits, "mobile app activation," or "custom reporting." Demand a flat, inclusive SaaS price.
3. "If we decide to leave next year, how do we get our data back?"
Some vendors purposefully construct their databases to make it impossible to export your own student histories, effectively holding your school hostage. Demand a clause that guarantees complete data export capabilities at any time, at zero cost.
4. "Are you truly DPDPA 2023 compliant?"
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act is no joke. Ask where their servers are geographically located. If student data is being shipped to servers outside India, or if they cannot explain their encryption policy simply, they are putting your trust at risk.
5. "Can I see exactly what the teacher sees?"
Sales reps love showing the massive, colorful admin dashboards. Stop them. Ask to see the exact screen a teacher must use to mark attendance. If it looks like a 1990s Excel spreadsheet, your teachers will hate it.
6. "How do you handle parent communication?"
Forcing parents in tier-2 cities to download a 50MB app often fails. We repeatedly see apps deleted for phone space. Ask if the system integrates native communication through WhatsApp and SMS in regional languages like Gujarati or Hindi. Meet parents where they already are.
7. "Can I call your support team right now?"
When the fee collection module crashes on the 1st of the month, you cannot afford to submit an email ticket and wait 48 hours for a reply. Ask for their average resolution time during peak morning hours.
By asking these 7 questions, you will quickly separate the modern, empathetic platforms from the outdated legacy software companies. We built Anubodha explicitly to answer "Yes" to every one of these questions. We would love to show you how.