What to ask in a school ERP demo

Start with the people and their scope

List the roles that will use the system and the records they should see. A principal, subject teacher, accounts operator and parent do not need identical screens. Ask the presenter to switch between identities instead of showing everything from one administrator login.

• Can a teacher see the right classes and students?
• How does a department head’s scope follow the configured reporting structure?
• Can a parent access only their own family’s records?
• What happens when a module or permission is disabled?

Follow one workflow from start to finish

Create a sample homework task, publish it, open the family view and check what arrives. Repeat with attendance and a fee receipt. Ask to see error handling as well as success: an old form, duplicate click or missing permission should have a clear outcome.

• Where does the task appear on the dashboard?
• Can you reach its source record directly?
• Who can change it, and what history is retained?
• Does a retry repeat a financial or communication effect?

Bring your real data formats

A spreadsheet import is not proven by a slide. Use synthetic rows in the same format as your records: classes, sections, guardians, opening balances and exam structures. Check rejected rows, duplicate handling and export before discussing migration.

Write down what is included

Separate software access from onboarding, messaging credits, payment-provider charges, data cleanup and ongoing support. Confirm which integrations are configured and which require another agreement. A product roadmap is useful context, but your rollout must stand on the functions available to you.

Test on the devices people use

Complete a task on a phone with the keyboard open. Try the navigation menu, back button, a long form, validation errors and a download. Then test a larger screen at the office. A responsive screenshot does not prove a usable workflow.