Step 1: List the processes you want to replace
Before looking at any software, write down every spreadsheet, paper form and WhatsApp group your team uses today — enrolment forms, the class list, the fee tracker, the attendance sheet, the make-up lesson log. Note who uses each one and what goes wrong. This becomes your requirements list and stops you being sold features you will not use.
Step 2: Make sure it fits your type of institution
A system designed for a K-12 school will frustrate a tuition centre, and vice versa. Check the vendor has customers like you:
- Tuition centres: per-lesson billing, make-up credits, classes by MOE level and subject. More
- Enrichment centres: trials, packages and credits, holiday camps. More
- Preschools: check-in/out, daily reports, subsidy-aware billing. More
- PEIs: course intakes, student contracts, student pass tracking. More
- International schools: admissions pipeline, IB / IGCSE grading. More
Step 3: Check PDPA safeguards and data hosting
You remain responsible for the personal data of students and parents under the Personal Data Protection Act, even when a vendor stores it. Ask for: role-based access control, audit logs, encryption in transit and at rest, two-factor login for staff, regular backups, a written data processing agreement, and where the data is hosted. Hosting in Singapore avoids having to manage overseas transfer requirements. Read our PDPA guide for schools.
Step 4: Confirm PayNow and GIRO support
Most Singapore parents prefer PayNow. Check that invoices include a PayNow QR with the amount and reference, and that payments are matched to invoices automatically — otherwise your admin team will still be reconciling screenshots. For recurring fees, GIRO support reduces late payments.
Step 5: Check it follows the Singapore calendar
Term-based billing, holiday camps and recurring class schedules all depend on the calendar. The software should handle four school terms, school holidays and Singapore's gazetted public holidays without manual workarounds.
Step 6: Ask about migration, training and support
Switching systems fails most often at migration. Ask who imports your existing data, how outstanding balances and credits are carried over, how long go-live takes, and whether support is available during Singapore office hours and before term starts.
Step 7: Compare the three-year total cost
Compare subscription fees, setup and migration fees, payment processing fees, SMS or add-on charges, and price increases over three years — not just the first-year price. Check whether the solution is pre-approved under the Productivity Solutions Grant. See what school management software costs.
Requirements checklist
| Area | Must-have | Nice-to-have |
|---|---|---|
| Students | Guardian records, enrolment history, custom fields | Online enrolment forms, document storage |
| Fees | Auto invoices, PayNow QR, reminders, receipts | GIRO, card payments, accounting export |
| Attendance | Mobile marking, parent absence alerts | QR / kiosk check-in |
| Scheduling | Clash detection, public holidays | Make-up booking, multi-branch view |
| Parents | iOS & Android app, announcements | E-consent, multilingual notices |
| Security | Role-based access, audit log, encryption, SG hosting | SSO, two-factor authentication |
| Vendor | Local support, data export on exit | PSG pre-approval |
Questions to ask every vendor
- Where is our data hosted, and can we export all of it if we leave?
- Will you sign a data processing agreement covering PDPA obligations?
- How do PayNow payments get matched to invoices?
- Who handles our data migration, and what does it cost?
- What is included in the price, and what are the add-ons?
- How much notice do you give before price increases?
- Can we speak to a Singapore customer similar to us?
Red flags
- No clear answer on where data is stored.
- No way to export your data, or an export fee.
- Payments that require manual reconciliation.
- Long lock-in contracts before you have used the system.
- Demos that only use the vendor's sample data, never yours.