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Whole School Solution With Option to Further Customize via K-12 Partners
Updated April 30, 2021

Whole School Solution With Option to Further Customize via K-12 Partners

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Blackbaud Education Management Solutions

We use Blackbaud EMS as our SIS and LMS across our two divisions (middle and upper schools). It is our main data hub that serves us well when we acquire additional solutions. The BB user ID that is automatically assigned within EMS is used across multiple platforms and allows for easy cross-referencing of constituent records.
  • Customer Support: Overall, the majority of analysts are knowledgeable and helpful. If they are not able to directly help with an issue they will escalate to appropriate departments and keep you informed of progress.
  • Partnerships: While the EMS can act as the whole solution, not all schools fit that mold. K12 Partnerships allow institutions to find the best individual fit while remaining connected via API/SSO, etc.
  • Roles and Security: I know this is currently under development, but at present, it is difficult to make sure users have the appropriate permissions. Cloning roles to customize doesn't always work as it can allow for users to have access to information they do not need.
  • Wednesday Releases: I have personally found that there can be larger-scale issues that occur as a result of the Wednesday releases.
  • APIs: Huge positive. Elimination of export/import is always welcomed as it cuts down the tendency for dirty data.
As mentioned previously, support is great for the majority of the time. There are instances where you are clearly getting someone who is new to the products and may struggle a bit but that will happen anywhere you go :).
You can't beat the full portfolio of EMS, FE/FENXT, RE/RENXT. Blackbaud has become the standard for independent schools. The complaint I most frequently receive from constituents is the lack of customization. However, they don't fully realize it is a canned database and not a custom database built from scratch.

Integrating Blackbaud Education Management Solutions

As mentioned with the initial integration response, the majority of our integrations have been easy. Correct field mapping is integral. We have had some issues with the Ravenna integration but feel those issues are housed on the Ravenna side.
  • Magnus Health
  • BrightArrow
  • Ravenna
  • Finalsite
  • Pick-A-Time
The depth of integration varies with each product. For example, Pick-A-Time is only used for SSO capabilities for parents. Magnus Health, BrightArrow, and Finalsite are more cumbersome. I'd place the Ravenna integration in its own category. For the most part, the integrations went smoothly. It's definitely important to get the field mapping perfect.
  • Informacast
We would love if Informacast offered an integration but they currently do not. We do not currently have any other plans for additional integrations at this time.
  • File import/export
  • Single Signon
  • API (e.g. SOAP or REST)