Making a Digital Difference with Odyssea™ for MATs
Typically, 75% of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) budget today is spent on people costs. It begs the question: Is your MAT modernising its approach to people management, investing in its most valuable (and expensive) asset? Are your skilled people benefiting from a progressive digital revolution or evolution journey, or is your trust experiencing inertia—confused, stuck, or unsure how to begin.
No matter your MAT situation, de Novo is here to help. This article showcases the capabilities of Odyssea™ for MATs and emphasises the crucial role of people management in achieving overall MAT goals.
Learn how de Novo’s expertise, recently recognised with a ‘HR Tech Innovation’ award commendation, can support you on your journey to a digitally optimised future.
With the emphasis today placed upon quality pupil education and engaging pupil experiences, Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) across the nation are under pressure like never before. Expected to simultaneously ‘juggle’ other operational MAT priorities alongside the needs of their pupils with an aim to deliver a well-respected, compliant, successful, safe, and performant MAT that the community is proud of.
To achieve those aims the role of people management should not be forgotten, understated, or delayed in lieu of other items on the MAT agenda as it is the people working within a MAT that impact pupils and contribute to the goals of the organisation.
The seemingly never-ending list of operational priorities and activities that MAT leadership teams are expected to focus on can often cause an inadvertent negative impact on other equally important aspects, such as people management.
The Pressures Facing MATs Today
- Combatting increased threat of cybercrime
- Focusing on operational efficiencies and transparency
- Adhering to legislative compliance and GDPR constraints
- Pressures on funding, budgets, and MAT self-generating income
- Managing risk and the pressure to embrace cloud digital technologies
These classical MAT priorities will not be going away anytime soon, and no doubt the average MAT Leaders’ to-do list runs the risk of expanding still further and with a potential change in UK Government who knows what the future will bring.
To help dispel a few urban myths that may exist it is important to confirm that a large slice of MAT priorities and focus areas can be better addressed through the effective deployment and use of cloud enabled digital technology to complete much of the heavy lifting.
Without balancing the time and effort spent on the ‘digital agenda’ versus other operational matters a MAT might well run the risk of missing out on the advantages that a modern cloud enabled people solution brings to the operation but more importantly to the people.
The heavy lifting typically associated with preparing and executing a digital transformation can be reduced by de Novo’s Odyssea™ for MATs, a purpose-built strategic HR / Payroll people management solution powered by Oracle Cloud.
With such a high proportion (75%) of MAT operational budgets spent on people related costs it is essential that such a precious and valuable investment (MAT people) is properly managed alongside well thought out people experiences.
Odyssea™ for MATs brings industry ready profiles, functionality and default settings that are specifically purpose designed to enable a MAT to make a fast start to their people transformation. de Novo’s experience in the industry has been gained through other MAT people and finance focused transformation projects. That knowledge means that de Novo is essentially simplifying and breaking the barriers of inertia that might on occasion paralyse people management progress within a MAT.
Navigate your Cloud Journey with Confidence
This is where our Cloud Readiness Assessment (CRA) becomes invaluable. CRA is performed in partnership with a MAT and reviews the existing working approaches related to people management, with that research in mind de Novo can advise on recommended way forward – be that revolution or evolution. de Novo’s team of experts can guide a MAT on project delivery approaches, future target operating models, functional capability discussions, cloud solution demonstrations alongside building the funding business case and value proposition.
People management and strategic HR is an imperative benefiting those working in a MAT enterprise whether they are Employees, Teaching Professionals, Operational Managers, Governors, or Volunteers. People working in a MAT environment have an impact daily on pupils – the next generation that will guide the way – and it is vital that these people feel valued, connected, and aligned with the MAT vision.
Supported at every stage of their employment journey with connected HR solutions that are modern and engaging ensures a person record is entered once and leveraged across the employment lifecycle.
People Management Lifecycle
Introducing Odyssea™ for MATs
Odyssea™ for MATs is a fast start, modular solution for people management – a solution that comes predesigned to support the needs of the education industry to ease the burden and expedite the digital transformation journey.
Partnering with several MAT clients has enabled de Novo to co-design Odyssea™ for MAT to be a solution that enables a digital people transformation strategy supporting either a one-step revolution or a more pragmatic and phased evolution journey.
Key People Management Capabilities
- Delivering a Single Central Record (SCR) for people management
- Supporting efficient School Workforce Census management activities
- Pre-defined education industry absence management, payroll elements and pension schemes
- Position management for funding and budgeted headcount management activities
- Self-service HR with secure access to view and update information on any device with a browser
- Complete talent management to include mandatory and renewal training activity tracking
- Performance management monitoring and observation assessment tracking capabilities
- Unified cross-MAT organisation succession planning and talent pool management strategies
- Life event and career ‘Journey’ pathway checklists delivering cross-MAT process continuity
- End-to-end reporting and management information reporting with interactive dashboards
Navigating the Digital Transformation Journey
Advancing and modernising MAT people strategy or people management services will without doubt save time, money, improve efficiency, communication and collaboration across the organisation.
Whether the digital transformation is done in a single leap (revolution) or a series of purposeful steps (evolution) it is essential that progress occurs. Inertia is not acceptable.
Progress can begin with a CRA, a conversation that is supportive and not judgemental – it is about supporting a MAT on their own unique digital journey so that the organisation can better focus on delivering better educational outcomes for all.
It takes time to develop a mature, high performing people management strategy and that elevated view and ambition should not be set as a success measure from day one.
The digital people management journey takes time and requires the regular input of multiple parties to help ensure adoption, innovation, efficiency do not ‘scare or destabilise’ the MAT’s primary activities – namely, pupil education.
Value as a Service™ (VaaS™): Supporting MATs Beyond Implementation
de Novo provides additional aftercare and managed support services for MATs beyond the implementation process and the point of go-live with Value as a Service™ (VaaS™). VaaS™ helps MATs to continue maximising their Oracle Cloud solution capability beyond go-live de Novo’s innovative approach to delivery excellence continues forward into expert aftercare designed to ensure MATs feel supported at every step.
Unlocking Efficiency and Substantial Cost Savings for Multi-Academy Trusts
An optimised people management strategy will impact that 75% spend ensuring you are getting the most from that investment. Helping a MAT to save on:
- Expensive hiring though better succession and lateral talent planning
- Reducing ‘agency’ and ‘supply’ costs through alumni deployment
- Reducing on and off boarding cost and time with automation
- Time and effort to control people and position management budgeting
- Lost momentum in encouraging MAT culture and value messages
- Tracking timely people certification renewals
A modern people management strategy is the future, but it is not always easy to achieve or even prioritise. With de Novo, MATs can navigate the path toward a digitally transformed and optimised future for people management. Our proficiency and expertise in HR/People Management systems have earned us industry recognition, notably with de Novo Solutions receiving Commendation in the ‘HR Tech Innovation’ award category at the prestigious ERP Today Awards.
So, why not have a discussion with de Novos’ MAT experts and hear more about Odyssea™ for MATs, our past projects and learn how the CRA first step can ensure evolution becomes revolution and inertia is bypassed successfully.
Ready to embark on your journey to leading-edge People Management?
Unlock MAT Excellence with Odyssea™
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