Last week, WhichMIS? took a stand at BETT. Here is our short review of our time there.
Last November, we at WhichMIS? decided to test the waters with our first-ever exhibition stand at the Schools and Academies Show in Birmingham. It was small—think shoe-box sized—but we were busy all day, proving there was real demand for independent MIS advice.
Encouraged by that success, we took the plunge and opted for a slightly larger stand at BETT at London’s ExCeL, partnering with our colleagues at Bramble Hub, experts in procurement frameworks (they describe themselves as thin-prime suppliers—but we’ll let them explain that one!).
SAAS Birmingham – November 2024 first and then we set off to BETT Show London – January 2025
We were amazed by the number of schools and MATs seeking advice and guidance.
Over three days, we spoke to more than 100 organisations, representing over 900 schools, with most conversations revolving around procurement and the first steps in changing MIS.
The key questions we always asked them were:
Why change? What is your current MIS not doing that you now need it to?
At every opportunity, we reiterated that:
WhichMIS? is completely agnostic – we don’t recommend any specific MIS but simply help schools identify the best system for their specific needs.
Our agnostic approach can be evidenced by the fact that we directed several schools to visit their current MIS providers stands so that they could see for themselves that the functionality they believed was missing from their MIS was already provided by the very MIS they were considering leaving!
We hear this regularly and completely understand how this can come about.
Many schools have had their current MIS for many years. When it was first purchased, excellent training would have been provided and there would have been staff ‘champions’ who knew everything the MIS could offer. Unfortunately, as time passed, some of this knowledge was being lost – either through lack of use of a particular piece of functionality, or from staff leaving and failing to pass on all their knowledge.
Over time, if the staff leaving only manage to pass on (say) 80% of their knowledge to their replacement, who then does the same when they leave and so on, the knowledge base gets terribly diluted until the school begins to believe that their MIS is missing functionality when it really isn’t…
This is why it is so important to make sure you have genuine reasons for considering a change of MIS rather than simply changing for the sake of changing.
Interestingly, whilst most of the schools actively looking to change MIS were currently using one major provider, we spoke to many schools using a range of different systems who were also considering a switch.
Many assumed there were only three main providers—SIMS, Arbor, and Bromcom – all of whom had impressive stands, but other suppliers, including Satchel One, Compass, IRIS and Juniper, were also present, showcasing their offerings.
Finance packages for both state and independent schools were a hot topic for several of the schools we spoke with, and we’ll be covering this in more detail in an upcoming post.
Another surprise was the number of standalone sixth forms and further education colleges looking for sector-specific MIS solutions—something we don’t currently cover, but we’re considering a dedicated section if interest continues to grow.
BETT also highlighted the increasing presence of international companies eyeing the UK market. With around 20 different MIS providers already available, one might wonder if there’s room for more – only time will tell!
As always, the BETT Fringe was in full swing, with drinks receptions and networking events kicking off at exhibitor stands (not ours!) before moving to various locations in and around ExCeL.
