Software System Review: iSAMS

From time to time, Sage Consultancy is approached by international schools to help them assess, select, and implement school administrative and financial management software. This article is the third in a series of software reviews that we will publish during 2025. Future articles will explore other financial management, administrative, and operational software solutions. The purpose of the articles is to help support international schools in making informed technology decisions.

In today’s international school environment, integrated information systems are essential for streamlining operations, improving data accuracy, reducing redundancy, and supporting strategic decision-making. Schools are increasingly turning to enterprise-level School Information Systems (SIS) that unify academic, financial, and operational data on a centralized platform.

One such solution is iSAMS by IRIS – a proprietary, cloud-based, all-in-one MIS/SIS developed for independent and international schools. Used by over 1,500 schools across 90 countries and known for its modular design, iSAMS continues to gain momentum as a comprehensive platform in this sector.

This article presents our findings on the selection and implementation of iSAMS, drawing on direct consultancy experience, surveys, and interviews with school administrators. It aims to support school leadership teams in evaluating whether iSAMS is the right fit for their institution.

A Brief History of iSAMS

Founded in 2005, iSAMS launched as the first fully web-based school management system on the market. Its early development was guided by UK independent schools. Initially focused on British independent schools, iSAMS expanded globally by 2009, signing its first international school clients in Asia and the Middle East. The platform steadily grew in functionality and user base. iSAMS was acquired by the UK-based IRIS Software Group in 2020.

Core Functions and Modules

iSAMS is built on a single-database, 100% web-based architecture, delivered via the cloud (SaaS). This allows real-time data access, centralized updates, and enterprise-grade security across all modules. The system is highly modular and multilingual, allowing schools to enable modules as needed and operate in different languages. The platform’s modules cover the full spectrum of school operations, from student enrollment to end-of-year exams, timetabling, HR, academic reporting, student wellbeing, and financial accounting.

Key modules include:

• Admissions Management: A streamlined, paperless online process to manage foreign student enrollment. Online enquiry forms sync data with the MIS. Real-time reporting tracks applications, and automated email notifications can be sent to parents and staff. Consent can be captured at the time of enquiry for applicants via the Admissions Portal, supporting General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements.

• Student Information & Academic Administration: A complete set of modules supporting academics, including managing exams, tracking student performance, school reporting, and timetable management. This gives staff the tools to do their jobs efficiently. Specific features cover attendance tracking, timetabling, grade-books, and behavior tracking (via Reward & Conduct). iSAMS supports multiple curriculum frameworks, including the British National Curriculum, IB, and more. Recent updates also include US curriculum management support.

• HR & Payroll: A cloud-based solution for HR data, allowing staff self-service for personal information. The HR module covers general staff data well. However, payroll integration is the strongest for the UK. Schools in other countries often need a separate payroll system as iSAMS may not handle complex local tax calculations or payslip generation natively.

• Finance & Billing: The integrated Finance module (iFinance) manages tuition billing, invoicing, payments, and basic accounting. Multi-currency support is built-in, which is crucial for international schools. It handles installment plans, late fees, and integrates with online payment gateways via a dedicated Payments module. It eliminates duplicate data entry as student enrollment updates automatically flow into billing records. However, iSAMS’s finance module is not a full ERP and may lack advanced features like detailed budgeting, asset depreciation, or multi-entity consolidation. Complex financial operations might require integration with a dedicated accounting system, often using the API. Local tax compliance sometimes requires custom report tweaks.

• Communication & Portals: Provides multilingual mobile Apps and Student/Parent portals for iOS and Android devices. This improves communication by sending vital information and enhances stakeholder engagement with access to real-time data. Dedicated portals exist for students, parents, teachers, and administrators. The Student Portal allows students to see timetables, calendars, exam details, rewards, detentions, activities, and reports. The enhanced Parent Cloud Portal has been recently redesigned to improve the user experience and school-parent communication.

• Activities and Extras: Allows schools to manage co-curricular activities and track sign-ups.

• Reporting and Analytics: Includes tools for academic reporting (report cards, transcripts) and data analytics. iSAMS Central, driven by Microsoft Power BI, is the powerful solution for dashboarding and data visualization. It offers pre-built dashboards for areas like attendance, admissions, student conduct, wellbeing, and medical data. Central provides intuitive report building, powered by Natural Language AI (Q&A visualization). Users can delve into details, viewing school performance macro or micro. However, some users noted ad-hoc reporting could be more user-friendly, and leveraging Central may require Power BI expertise.

• Integrations & API: iSAMS offers a comprehensive, well-documented API to connect with third-party systems. The iSAMS Marketplace lists pre-built integrations with platforms like ManageBac (for IB), Canvas, Google Classroom, and Microsoft Teams. This allows integration with specialized tools for areas like library management or alumni relations, or even local systems like fire alarms or biometric scanners to update data automatically.

Proprietary Platform: Benefits and Limitations

iSAMS is a proprietary system, meaning it's developed and maintained by a single vendor (IRIS).

Benefits of the Proprietary Model: Delivers a tightly integrated, "one-stop" solution with a consistent interface and data structure. Updates and enhancements are centrally managed by the vendor. The system is designed specifically for schools, aligning well with educational workflows. Continuous development adds new features based on school needs, available through regular updates. Security and data privacy are professionally managed, with enterprise-grade protocols and ISO 27001 accreditation. Schools appreciate having one vendor accountable. iSAMS consolidates functions, potentially eliminating multiple disparate systems. There's an established support network, a user community (the iCommunity forum), regional user groups, and dedicated support, including Customer Account Managers. Support teams often understand the international school context. Extended support hours cover various time zones. The vendor actively solicits feedback via channels like the Ideas Portal. A recent Data Protection module helps schools comply with GDPR, including Consent Management and support for Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR).

Limitations of the Proprietary Model: Customization is limited; schools generally cannot modify the source code. If a feature is missing, you must request it from iSAMS and wait for an update or use the API for a third-party solution. This creates vendor dependency. Data portability relies on provided tools or the API for migration. Proprietary systems have ongoing licensing costs; iSAMS's comprehensive package can be costly, especially for smaller schools on tight budgets, although some users find it "definitely worth the money" for the value delivered. Innovation is paced by the vendor's capacity and priorities. Regional gaps exist, such as native support for certain countries' regulatory reporting or local tax complexities for payroll, which may require custom exports or separate systems. While the API allows data access, leveraging it requires technical capacity.

International School Perspectives

International schools praise iSAMS for unifying campus operations, leading to data consistency and efficiency gains. Teachers and administrators value improved access to information. Its web-based and multilingual nature adapts to non-English-speaking regions. Schools chose iSAMS for a "much more web-based" solution with an open API, feeling like a "21st-century tool" compared to legacy systems.

Key Strengths from the field: Comprehensiveness covering nearly every administrative function. Tight data integration ensures instant updates across departments. Flexibility to grow by adding modules later. Focus on independent/international school needs like multi-currency, multi-language, and curriculum support. Strong customer support that understands their context.

Common challenges noted: Successful implementation requires significant change management as it affects the whole school. Schools underestimated training and process adjustments, sometimes leading to staff resistance or under-utilization. Aligning with local requirements (government reports, local accounting rules) can present gaps, sometimes requiring workarounds or pushing for new features. Cost is a concern, particularly for smaller schools. Some rely on iSAMS's roadmap for specific features and wish development was faster.

Mixed User Feedback: While many users highlight benefits like easy navigation for reports and clear support, the limited public reviews available (like on G2) show mixed experiences. One reviewer found it "clunky," "counterintuitive," requiring "loads of processes" for simple tasks, with difficulties in features like adding target grades, logging parent communication, taking registers, printing class lists, or controlling report output without contacting support. Another found it "complicated" with "glitches," and felt it looked dated. This highlights that user experience can vary and underscores the importance of training and change management.

Implementation Insights

Successful iSAMS rollout benefits from the following strategies:

• Senior Leadership Commitment is Critical: Adoption is a strategic initiative requiring engagement and resource allocation from all departments, championed by leadership.

• Don’t Over-Customize or Recreate Old Systems: Leverage iSAMS's native features and adapt school processes where possible. Over-customization adds burden and negates efficiencies. Flexibility in adapting to iSAMS's workflow leads to smoother implementations.

• Leverage Vendor Training & Train the Trainer: iSAMS offers extensive training (on-site, iUniversity online platform, documentation). Invest in training internal "super-users" in each department to train others and sustain knowledge.

• Ensure Technical Readiness: Having in-house IT expertise (or data managers) to work with APIs and data exports enhances capabilities like automated data extraction or custom dashboards. Technical planning is crucial for smooth data flows post-implementation.

• Rethink and Streamline Business Processes: Implementing iSAMS is an opportunity to review and improve workflows. Simplify processes before automating them. Adopting iSAMS can encourage cross-department collaboration.

• Cultural Adaptation and Change Management: Prepare staff for a shift in how systems work. Communicate early, set realistic timelines, and consider phased rollouts. Acknowledge the learning curve and encourage feedback. Patience and persistent support are key during the transition.

• Utilize the iSAMS Community: Engage with the iCommunity forum and regional user groups to share tips and best practices. This provides a support network beyond the vendor.

Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

• Comprehensive, Education-Specific Design: Purpose-built for schools, covering numerous functions in one integrated system.

• Cloud-Based and Globally Accessible: Accessible securely from anywhere, ideal for international schools with diverse user locations or multiple campuses. Automatic updates and no local server maintenance needed.

• Multi-Lingual, Multi-Currency Support: Interface supports multiple languages; finance module handles multi-currency transactions.

• Robust Portals and Mobile Apps: User-friendly portals for parents, students, teachers, and administrators, with dedicated mobile apps. Enhanced Parent Cloud Portal launched.

• Strong Reporting and Data Security: Offers reporting tools, advanced analytics via iSAMS Central (Power BI, AI-powered), and enterprise-grade data security with ISO 27001 accreditation.

• Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Regular feature expansion based on feedback (Ideas Portal), including wellbeing, API, AI, Data Protection module (GDPR Consent Management & DSAR support), US Curriculum support, and the enhanced Parent Cloud Portal. Updates rolled out to all clients.

• Integration-Friendly (Open API): Comprehensive and well-documented API allows connections with third-party systems (LMS, Google/Microsoft, etc.).

Cons:

• Limited Customization & Vendor Dependency: Configuration is available, but deep modification of the underlying system is not. Reliance on the vendor's development roadmap.

• Regional Gaps in Functionality: Certain region-specific needs (e.g., local tax for payroll, advanced accounting, specific regulatory reporting) may require external systems or workarounds. US GPA transcript support was added recently.

• Reporting and Analytics Customization: While improved with Central, ad-hoc reporting can be challenging. Leveraging Power BI may require expertise.

• Potential Need for External Add-ons: May need augmentation by specialized external tools (library, alumni CRM, etc.). Integration is possible, but multiple systems may still be needed.

• Implementation and Configuration Effort: Initial setup, data migration, and configuration can be labor-intensive. Requires thorough planning and can be a "pain point" during the project phase. Requires significant change management.

• Cost: The comprehensive package can be costly, particularly for smaller schools. Acquisition, implementation, and staffing costs must all be planned and budgeted.

• Usability/Complexity: Some users find the system clunky, counterintuitive, and complicated for certain tasks.

(Note: Many cons can be managed with the right strategies, such as investing in training, leveraging the API, or adapting internal processes. The significance of these points varies by school.)

Is iSAMS Right for Your School?

iSAMS is likely a good fit for international schools that:

• Are medium to large in size.

• Need to unify disparate systems and streamline operations across departments.

• Are prepared for significant organizational change and process improvement, not just a tech installation.

• Will build or invest in internal technical and training capacity (e.g., data managers, API users, power users).

• Value a reliable, integrated, vendor-supported solution over extreme customization or building bespoke systems.

iSAMS may not suit schools that require:

• Extensive bespoke development or deep customization that cannot be handled via configuration or API integrations.

• Keeping core third-party systems they cannot replace, and would therefore not utilize much of iSAMS's integrated functionality.

• Instant turnkey reporting or niche modules out-of-the-box for every unique requirement without any configuration or adaptation.

• Prioritize extreme simplicity or highly intuitive interfaces for all tasks, as some users have found aspects clunky or complicated.

Final Thoughts from SAGE Consultancy

When implemented strategically, iSAMS delivers substantial value to international schools. Success depends on approaching adoption as a process improvement initiative, leveraging the opportunity to streamline workflows, improve data practices, and break down information silos. Key factors include strong strategic planning, visible leadership support, cross-functional training, and a willingness to adapt internal processes. SAGE recommends hiring or appointing a dedicated full time project coordinator to be the point person liaising with iSAMS and internal teams, monitoring the project throughout the implementation and into the "go live" period.

It’s crucial to proactively address iSAMS’s limitations. No MIS is a silver bullet; knowing where supplementation is needed (e.g., integrating specialized solutions for complex local finance or niche functions via the API) is part of the strategy.

For international schools that fit the profile discussed, iSAMS by IRIS can be a transformative solution that centralizes data, improves efficiency, and enhances stakeholder experience. Due diligence and thoughtful implementation are critical. With the right approach, iSAMS can become the "invisible backbone" that allows schools to focus more on education and less on administration.

Sage Consultancy is dedicated to assisting international schools in selecting and implementing the right financial management solutions. Our expertise in school finance and operations ensures that institutions can make informed decisions that align with their long-term financial goals. Whether schools choose Veracross or another solution, we provide the necessary guidance to optimize financial management processes, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and sustainability in international school operations.