This is Why Educational Institutions in Pakistan Need a Campus Management System

Managing a university or college is a complex process and requires a robust system to handle the entire range of functions needed for the efficient operation of a university or college. Just like ERP software is used to manage the back-office functions of a company (such as Accounting, HR etc.), universities and colleges use CMS software (Campus Management Solution).

What is a CMS?

A Campus Management Solution (CMS) is an integrated solution that covers Admissions, Academics and Student Financials for Higher Education Institutions. A CMS manages information for the complete student lifecycle from initial application for admission through enrollment and finally, graduation.

By providing a single source of reconciled data for all major functions, a CMS allows the Higher Education Institution to monitor its performance and ensure that operations are smooth and efficient.

There are several existing CMS such as Oracle’s PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, SAP, Banner Student, etc. However, these international solutions are all very expensive to license and take at least one year to implement. They are also extremely costly to run, requiring a data center that operates 24/7 with staffing to match.

Low Adoption of CMS in Pakistan

It is likely for these reasons that very few universities in Pakistan have opted for these solutions. In fact, according to our survey, there are fewer than twenty universities that use the Oracle CMS and only one university on SAP while Banner Student has no footprint in Pakistan at all. That leaves the more than 3,000 other local Universities and Colleges without a proper CMS. These other Institutions are either running manual systems or some home built solution with very limited functionality.

This is a major problem for students who face long delays in the completion of routine requests such as their transcripts. Faculty members are forced to spend most of their time managing paper files. Finally, the university also has no secure repository of its own data on the academic and financial matters related to students.

Campus on Cloud by AlmusNet

Campus on Cloud is a product of AlmusNet, a Techlogix company. Techlogix has over 10 years of experience working in Higher Education and have implemented Campus Management Solution in more than 25 universities across 10 countries.

AlmusNet’s Campus on Cloud software is currently used by five universities and colleges: Rehman Medical Institute, CECOS University, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Rashid Latif Medical College, and MIA College in Australia.

Features of Campus on Cloud CMS

The key features of Campus on Cloud are listed below:

• Built for the Cloud (delivered on Microsoft Azure): Campus on Cloud used the Microsoft Cloud. This allows AlmusNet to deliver a complete solution: software, hardware, technology etc. in one bundled package. Cloud data center operation by Microsoft ensure round the clock availability of the system. Microsoft also takes responsibility for protection from cyber-security threats which are a major issue today.
• Relevant Feature Parity with Oracle: With its ten years of experience in Higher Education, the AlmusNet team has built a product which can compete feature by feature with renowned solutions such as Oracle PeopleSoft CMS. The AlmusNet team has also added in some feature missing in Oracle such as online Admissions Application which is a critical need for all Higher Education Institutions.
• User Experience: Software that is difficult to use doesn’t get used. This knowledge motivated the AlmusNet team to build software with a beautiful user interface: something that is both nice to see and simple and intuitive to use.
• Analytics for faculty & staff: A modern Higher Education Institution runs on data. Whether it is providing information to HEC for its annual ranking or using data for their own management, every Institution needs access to the highest quality of data to facilitate analysis and understanding. Campus on Cloud includes data analytics as part of the solution.
• Configurable Workflow: Every Institution runs a little differently. Whether is the Admissions process or how grades are finalized, every Institution has its own way of working. Campus on Cloud facilitates the Institution in configuring its work-flow and processes exactly as required.
• Quick implementation: Campus on Cloud can be implemented in three to six months depending on the Institution size and complexity. This rapid implementation makes sure that the benefits on Campus on Cloud can be very rapidly achieved.

Key Modules

Campus on Cloud has four key modules:

• Core: The core module manages the Administrative and Academic Structure of the Institution. This is also where the academic calendar (terms and sessions) is setup. Finally, all policy related matters are configured in the Policy Management module.
• Admissions: Covers the entire Admissions process. The Admissions module supports both online applications and paper based application. The online application can be completely customized to match the specific Admissions Form for the Institution. The Selection List and the Merit List can also be generated by Campus on Cloud based on the rules setup. These rules can also be specified for each individual campus/department etc. to reflect the different merit criteria for each program.
• Academics: The Academics module covers course management, scheduling of classes and exams, homework, quizzes and grade assignment as well as semester enrollment, course add/drop etc. It provides access to this information for all stakeholders: students, faculty and the administration.
• Financials: The Financials module allows the Institution to setup the fee structure as required and manages the collection of fees. It also includes a module for the management of Financial Aid.

ERP and LMS Integration

The complete IT landscape of a modern Higher Education Institution also includes other systems such as an ERP (to manage the Financials of the entire organization and its HR) and a Learning Management System (to manage the delivery of course contents to students). Campus on Cloud can be easily integrated with the leading ERP solutions (such as Microsoft, Oracle and SAP) as well as open source LMS solutions such as Sakai and Moodle. In addition, Campus on Cloud can also be integrated with Library Management Solutions such as Koha and scheduling solutions like Unitime. This ensures that Campus on Cloud can act as a hub for all campus related IT solutions.

About AlmusNet

AlmusNet is a spinoff launched by Techlogix. It’s a product focused company working exclusively in the Education sector. It leverages the 10 years of Higher Education experience at Techlogix.

Techlogix itself is a multinational software giant, headquartered in the United States. They also have three development centers in Pakistan and one over in the UAE. With 20+ years of experience in Enterprise Application Development, Techlogix has over 300 consultants worldwide and has served over 150 clients around the globe.