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 കടപ്പാട്:education matters

Research conducted within educational institutions across Europe, including Ireland, reports that 88 pc of respondents said the way they work is out of date.

Research within educational institutions in Europe shows that, more than any other profession, the education sector is being “held back” by outdated working practices (compared to the public sector, financial services, legal, utilities/energy, healthcare, manufacturing and retail sectors).

The research, titled the ‘Ricoh Document Governance Index‘, was conducted on behalf of Ricoh by Coleman Parkes Research. It reveals the extent to which new technologies are impacting the way businesses in Europe – including educational institutions – are managing information, including the critical document processes that underpin everything from finance, HR and procurement to student records and admissions applications.

88 per cent of people in educational institutions surveyed said the way they work is out of date and could have a significant impact on their ability to deliver high quality education services.

77 per cent said that while they have access to the latest devices, their use is being hindered by back end legacy systems, meaning they may not be able to fully embrace mobile technologies like smartphones and tablets to use and share information effectively.

Chas Moloney (right), director, Ricoh UK and Ireland, said:

“With teachers and students increasingly expecting modern, mobile learning environments, it’s crucial the Irish education sector is able to keep up with new technologies and ways of working.

“Increasingly, educational institutions are competing on the basis of efficiency, value for money, and the quality of student services, all of which can be enhanced through technology if it is properly integrated and used throughout an organisation.”

In addition, with 89 per cent of education sector respondents saying they are being impacted by mobile working, the sector is under pressure to adopt new technologies to support this. But new mobile devices alone are not the answer to enhanced information sharing.

77 per cent of respondents said that, while they have access to some of the latest devices, their use is being hindered by back-end legacy systems, meaning they may not be able to fully embrace mobile technologies like smartphones and tablets to improve document workflows.

Without these devices properly integrated with document workflows, employees are still unable to share information effectively on the move, update student records in real time or securely submit information back to the network, resulting in potential duplication of effort and security breaches.

Another concern is that more than two thirds (73 per cent) of respondents in the education sector said they are investing in new technologies before fully realising the functionality of existing devices.

With budgets under increasing pressure, it is vital that educational institutions ensure they make the most of the existing technologies at their disposal and have the systems and workflows in place to benefit from their full functionality before deciding to invest in new equipment and devices.

“There is little benefit to buying new technology if it is not fully integrated within a school or university’s network, with staff able to access and process information, and share knowledge, in the right format, at the right time. For this to happen, organisations need to review their technology and document processes in tandem to ensure they are working together to support business objectives,” Mr Moloney said.

“For the education sector, optimised document processes mean classroom staff can be more productive and spend time delivering a richer learning experience, instead of spending valuable time finding and archiving records and documents.”