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Blackbaud Education Management Solutions vs. PathFactory

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Blackbaud Education Management Solutions

    Score7.1 out of 10
    N/ABlackbaud Education Management Solutions is a unified student management system for K–12 private schools. Blackbaud Enrollment Management System™: Gives schools and families the ability to track admissions progress from first impressions all the way through the application process to acceptance, enrollment, and tuition payment. Blackbaud Learning Management System™: Track students' academic performance and progression…N/A

    PathFactory

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/APathFactory enables you to unlock B2B revenue with AI-powered content intelligence which allows you to generate personalized, engaging, and conversion-focused experiences across the entire B2B buyer journey. Per the vendor, you can accelerate deal velocity and grow your pipeline by recommending the next-best assets for individual buyers and target accounts alike.N/A
    Pricing
    Blackbaud Education Management SolutionsPathFactory
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Blackbaud Education Management SolutionsPathFactory
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Blackbaud Education Management SolutionsPathFactory
    Considered Both Products
    Blackbaud
    No answer on this topic
    PathFactory
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    73%
    Would buy again
    11 Answers
    93%
    Would buy again
    67 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    85%
    Delivers good value for the price
    11 Answers
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    50 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    87%
    Happy with the feature set
    13 Answers
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    67 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    45 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    83%
    Implementation went as expected
    10 Answers
    92%
    Implementation went as expected
    47 Answers
    Features
    Blackbaud Education Management SolutionsPathFactory
    Content Publishing
    Comparison of Content Publishing features of Blackbaud Education Management Solutions and PathFactory
    Feature
    Blackbaud Education Management Solutions
    -
    Ratings
    PathFactory
    8.2
    158 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Content hub00 Ratings8.4150 Ratings
    Forms / Gated content00 Ratings7.5150 Ratings
    Embedded CTAs00 Ratings8.0135 Ratings
    Content distribution00 Ratings9.09 Ratings
    Content promotion00 Ratings9.06 Ratings
    Content automation00 Ratings7.0120 Ratings
    Content Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Content Reporting & Analytics features of Blackbaud Education Management Solutions and PathFactory
    Feature
    Blackbaud Education Management Solutions
    -
    Ratings
    PathFactory
    8.2
    158 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Audience profiling and targeting00 Ratings7.7132 Ratings
    Closed-loop tracking and reporting00 Ratings7.8125 Ratings
    Content performance analytics00 Ratings8.3157 Ratings
    Campaign optimization dashboard00 Ratings8.98 Ratings
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    Blackbaud Education Management SolutionsPathFactory
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    Score9.9 out of 10
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    Score10 out of 10
    Enterprises
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    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Blackbaud Education Management SolutionsPathFactory
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.0
    (120 ratings)
    8.5
    (158 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.5
    (9 ratings)
    9.0
    (7 ratings)
    Usability
    6.5
    (7 ratings)
    9.3
    (3 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (8 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (8 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.0
    (115 ratings)
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (7 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (7 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    7.0
    (21 ratings)
    9.3
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.6
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Blackbaud Education Management SolutionsPathFactory
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Blackbaud
    A good, and constantly improving solution for private schools. I don't know that a lot of its functionality would be well suited to public schools, but maybe? The integration with other Blackbaud software is a huge plus for us, as we have several of their other products including their flagship Raiser's Edge. Smaller schools may not need the sophistication of Blackbaud solutions, and it is not an inexpensive option.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PathFactory
    It's a great tool if you want to create experiences on web and share content with your audience - especially if you want to create bingeable content. For a microsite, I would like to see more modules that build up a page, and great examples for inspiration
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Blackbaud
    • Seamless integration between the LMS, EMS and SIS modules
    • Real-time, effective chat support helps me not only with urgent needs but also to work through possibilities for increasing how we use the product.
    • Feature upgrades monthly that respond to voiced needs from users
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PathFactory
    • Create Visually appealing performance report
    • Give more in-depth information about performance metrics than most alternatives
    • Ability to track performance over time and compare this performance across time periods
    • Provide and send auto-run reports to top level management based on predefined criteria and timeframes
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Blackbaud
    • Forms - lack of conditional questions
    • Gradebook -lack of links to assignments
    • Not being able to customize displays, for example, Grading tab - we just finished 1st semester and teachers could only see the current quarter but not the 1st one which is still part of the first semester. Lack of customization in assessments.
    • Scheduling- even though re-running generating schedules, we're still getting a high number of unscheduled students. Lack of being able to limit the number of scheduled classes in a row for teachers.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PathFactory
    • Microsite was very hard to build ourselves. Changing the site can be really confusing and is not always intuitive. We have trouble knowing how to update items to get it to work the way we want it to.
    • Better instructions on how to customize tracks and use the different tools.
    • Users that come in without UTM parameters should still be included in all data reporting.
    • The reporting is confusing.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Blackbaud
    It is a solid product. We have some issues with the capabilities of the website building components and the out dated technology behind its communications software but overall Blackbaud Education Management Software services to combine numerous functions into one product.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PathFactory
    We have seen a lot of value from our team's use of Path Factory. We also like working with this vendor as they actually take our feedback and implement it on their roadmap. A great vendor with a great product
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Blackbaud
    Blackbaud EMS is very usable from my perspective. I am a power user and get lots of valuable functionality. It is, however, a complex system. Sometimes necessarily complex to accommodate flexibility for diverse customer needs. Some complexity seems unnecessary and/or hold-over functionality from earlier versions; nice to see this type being evolved away from over time. It is valuable to receive regular updates to the system along with good release notes of what changed and notices of significant changes in advance.
    Incentivized
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    PathFactory
    Overall, I think the tool is fairly easy to use to get a basic content uploaded to create a track and even the more complicated features become easier once you become familiarised with the process
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Blackbaud
    No answers on this topic
    PathFactory
    I think there was only one time where we had issues reaching our account manager, otherwise PathFactory was always willing to hop on the phone to talk through strategy, to work through issues, and help build custom solutions to fit our needs. Customer service is a big selling point of PathFactory.
    Incentivized
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    Performance
    Blackbaud
    No answers on this topic
    PathFactory
    The analytics and reports feature is fairly new and have proved very popular with many areas of our business and is growing in popularity. The metrics that are attainable are very insightful and provides a clear picture on the performance of the track.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Blackbaud
    Decent support however the chat feature can take a great amount of time out of the workday. If for instance you are waiting for someone to respond in the chat and there is a fire drill, if you are not responding within a few minutes, you are disconnected and have to start all over again. It would be great if you could submit your problem and then whoever has the most experience, can respond. The training in the Blackbaud University is good but also time-consuming - a 3 hr training in the middle of a workday is a lot to ask. I like the 90-minute sessions. It would also be great to offer a shorter webinar to update on any changes implemented. Other than the email I subscribed to, there is no information on how these updates actually work.
    Incentivized
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    PathFactory
    We meet weekly with Jennifer and I can't say enough about her. When issues have happened or we need help, she jumps on it quickly. If she doesn't know the answer, she pulls in Reggie or another on her team that can help. She goes above and beyond and has been very supportive, even when we had a lot of hard questions to answer from higher-ups. All this is on top of just being an awesome person.
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Blackbaud
    No answers on this topic
    PathFactory
    I was able to browse around the tool quite easily once some basic training was given. I learnt much from using those method and only needed further help when wanting to learn about Reports, External codes and adding forms.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Blackbaud
    No answers on this topic
    PathFactory
    The customer service, from technical through to customer success, is one of the biggest reasons I'd recommend PathFactory. This is true of their training. It can be as bespoke as you like, at least in my experience, and the team is always willing (where possible) to incorporate your suggestions.
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Blackbaud
    No answers on this topic
    PathFactory
    The PathFactory team was very helpful when implementing the product. They gave us a lot of recommendations on best moving forward. As a note to new users, when implementing I would make sure that you create with your team a system to make sure that the platform is scalable. My team was able to do this through creating a foldering structure, naming conventions for tracks and assets, and ensuring tagging is used on all content uploads. I would also make sure when implementing that you have an understanding of how your team will track success and that your brand team is involved to make sure that there is consistency in the look and feel of the tracks
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Blackbaud
    Blackbaud K-12 is very similar. I feel like I would be trading one set of issues for another so it's kind of a wash. We are very much hooked into the Blackbaud website with our Google SSO, SmartTuition, and Schooldoc integrations. It would be difficult for us to transition. That is the main reason I haven't really entertained other web firms.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PathFactory
    I used Uberflip in a past company. I think they are pretty comparable. From what I remember, Uberflip was more intuitive to use, but I think PathFactory might have more capabilities. Although this was years ago, I am not aware of Uberflip's functionality now. I have had good experiences with both.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Blackbaud
    No answers on this topic
    PathFactory
    Pathfactory is growing in popularity amongst individuals from different parts of the organisation and it would be difficult to forecast how scalable this can become
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Blackbaud
    • Negative - The rollout is brutal. Blackbaud said it could happen in 6 months, but that is definitely not a reality. It will take well over a year, and one complete school cycle to actually integrate everything correctly.
    • Positive - The amount of time saved in data processing has allowed our office to become more involved in other areas of the school.
    • Positive - The ease of having everything in [one] place, from inquiry to application to contracts and course registration, has been a HUGE benefit to our applicants and their families.
    Incentivized
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    PathFactory
    • We saw ROI within the first 9 months of using PathFactory.
    • Our onboarding team saw quicker adoption of our product while using PathFactory to engage them during the onboarding process.
    • We've been able to more accurately understand our content needs and what works best when prospecting for specific segments. (eg. SMB, mid-market, and enterprise)
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    Blackbaud Education Management Solutions Screenshots

    Screenshot of Topics pages help organize units of learning throughout the year in the Learning Management SystemScreenshot of Blackbaud's education management solutions come with strong reporting tools to get the information you need quicklyScreenshot of Schedule view makes it easy for teachers to manage their daysScreenshot of Blackbaud Enrollment Management System Admissions Checklists help applicants track their progress in the admissions processScreenshot of Blackbaud's education management solutions come with strong reporting tools to get the information you need quicklyScreenshot of Keep track of all the key information about your students in one place

    PathFactory Screenshots

    Screenshot of Netflix-like home screen for B2B buyers with personalized resource centers.Screenshot of Gives sales visibility into the content consumption data of leads & accounts, inside a CRM.Screenshot of Content Tracks - Gives B2B buyers bingeable content journeys that accelerate their purchase decisions, whenever and wherever they click.Screenshot of Path Analytics - Gives access to a new class of content consumption data on the level of the visitor, account, and content asset.Screenshot of Guide - Gives buyers spot-on content recommendations, anywhere on a website.Screenshot of Content Track Analytics - Shows how visitors binge content in specific Content Tracks, and assess how particular sequences of content perform.