SchoolManager
NO, I would not invest in SchoolManager. Lacking experience in administration, I don’t think I could add any value to this venture aside from capital. However, the product does differentiate itself from the rest of the market by combining a learning management system (e.g. Moodle, Blackboard) with a student management system (e.g. BCeSIS). From the administration’s point of view, this product reduces struck work by eliminating the need to re-enter data from one system to another. However, administrators (and accountants) would also need to consider annual costs of this product (including staff training, IT support, etc.) compared to the status quo before they make a decision. If costs outweigh benefits, administrators will not purchase the product and its market shares are reduced.
On the technical side, the product must be compatible with existing student management systems. For example, in B.C. secondary schools, the software would have to be compatible with BCeSIS. Its reliability is average at the very best and I am skeptical to have LMS features built on top of the foundation. They could replace BCeSIS, but I think the government and BCeSIS have a long-term contract that may be very expensive to buy out. Different provinces and states will have different existing SMS, and SchoolManager would need to be compatible (or replace) them. If SchoolManager cannot address these issues, its market shares will further be reduced.
Posted in: Week 03: Analyst Bootcamp
mariefrancehetu 11:18 am on May 26, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Colin,
You bring up a good point when you say that investing in a venture does not simply mean with capital. When I reviewed my elevator pitch, I realized that the pitch could be viewed from a student perspective (investing the time to engage in a learning experience), a teacher perspective (investing energy and time into teaching as a volunteer), a higer learning instititution (investing the space for wrokshops) or as a capital investor. I think it is very important the elevator pitch is quite clear about what type of investors they seek.