Primary Week by Week Onboarding Guide - Bromcom

This guide is designed for primary schools that are migrating to Arbor from Bromcom. This week by week guide will give you an overview of the onboarding journey and more information about what to expect at each stage. 

Week 1: Kick Off & Module Rollout Planning

Your onboarding officially begins with a Kick-Off video led by the Digital Onboarding team. This video will cover essential aspects like your project team, the onboarding process, and available support and training. We will also provide details on your data migration which will take place in week four ready for your Go Live in week five. 

In week 1, you should also start to think about your rollout plan for additional modules in Arbor such as Meals, Payments and the Parent App. Because these bespoke modules do not migrate from Bromcom, you must decide which modules you are adopting in Arbor, when you'll need to use them in Arbor, and make a plan for how you will set these up in Arbor.

Your Actions:

• Watch your Kick-Off Video - You will receive an email from the Digital Onboarding Team which contains a link to watch your Kick-Off Video.
• Download your migration workbook - Also in your initial email from the Digital Onboarding team is a link to download your workbook which helps you cleanse the data in Bromcom ahead of the migration.
• Start your Arbor Training - Look out for an email with instructions on how to access The Arbor Training Hub. Log in and start your training! It's important to start training as soon as possible, to ensure you have enough time to learn how to use Arbor before you go live with the new system. You may also have purchased training on additional modules in Arbor such as meals and payments, so it's important you complete that training so you know how to setup the modules in Arbor when you are live.
• Plan your Bespoke Module Rollout (If adopting Arbor for Meals, Payments, or the Parent App) - Each module is bespoke to each school, so this information can't be migrated from Bromcom. You'll need to set up the modules in Arbor once you're live, so it's important to start planning now early on in your journey to ensure you have resource in place, people available to set up the modules and create a plan to communicate with parents regarding the change. We have more information on setting up these modules here: Meals, Payments, Parent App, but if you have any questions about the rollout of these modules please get in touch with the onboarding team and we'll be happy to help (myonboarding@arbor-education.com). 

Week 2: Data Cleansing and Training 

It is important that you complete your data cleansing in your current system to ensure the data migrates to Arbor as expected. This week you should also let Bromcom know you'll need them to provide a backup of your data on your migration day.

You should also start to plan the rollout of any additional modules you use at your school, such as meals, payments or parent communications - these won't migrate from Bromcom so will need to be setup in Arbor after your migration if you plan to use them in Arbor. If you want to setup these modules in Arbor after your migration, please complete your training via The Arbor Training Hub or reach out to the onboarding team for more guidance.

Your Actions:

• Complete all data cleansing - Information on how to complete your data cleansing can be found in your onboarding workbook that is sent to you in week 1 of your journey.
• Contact any Third Party Applications you plan to use alongside Arbor and let them know that you are changing MIS.
• Ensure all key staff have registered for the Arbor Training Hub and have started to book all their foundation webinar sessions before your Go Live date.
• Let Bromcom know that you are migrating to Arbor and request a copy of your data. Instructions on how to do this are found here.

Week 3: Readiness for Go Live 

This week your focus should be on ensuring your data migration prerequisites are completed and all staff are completing the recommended training for their role. 

Your Actions:

• Complete Data Cleansing by following the instructions in your onboarding workbook.
• Ensure staff are maximising their training sessions - Share online training resources and videos and ensure relevant Arbor Champions have full access to the Arbor Training Hub.
• Share the Teacher Essentials training videos with any teachers that will be logging in and taking attendance on your Arbor Go Live day.  

Week 4: Migration Week

This is your migration week! You should complete your data cleansing and pre-migration training, and on your migration day, upload your Bromcom backup to us.

Your Actions:

While there are no immediate actions required from you this week, it is important to review the tasks completed in the past few weeks to make sure everything is on track for your Go Live date. Specifically, please ensure the following are in place:

• Your team is trained on Arbor and ready for day one
• Your third-party providers are aware of your move to Arbor
• Data cleansing of your site has been completed
• You're ready to upload your backup to us on your booked migration day. Instructions on how to do this are here. 

Note: A guide on how to make the most of your first week using Arbor can be found here. This gives you the steps to follow once you have access to your live Arbor site. Consider printing a simple "how to take a register in Arbor" guide for teachers to ease their first day.

Week 5: Go Live – Your First Day with Arbor!

This week you will begin using Arbor for all your MIS needs, starting with attendance. This is known as your 'go live' date. Once your Arbor site is ready, the Digital Onboarding team will send you a 'site release email'. This will include instructions on how to log in, any issues we have noticed with your migration and key steps you need to action. 

Your Actions:

• Review your site release email and log into your new MIS - Share the URL with any staff who will be using Arbor and ensure they bookmark it in their browser for quick access.
• Take attendance in your new Arbor MIS!
• Ensure all third-party integrations are functioning as expected.
• Check your migrated data - It is important that you verify the data we have migrated from your previous system to Arbor to ensure the accuracy and avoid any discrepancies. This is a critical step before you can sign off your data migration report.

Note: If you are migrating over a holiday, you will receive your site release email during the holiday. If you are migrating over a weekend, you will receive your site release email before Tuesday. You should aim to take your first attendance in Arbor on Wednesday. 

Week 6: Sign off your Data Migration Report

Your focus in week six is to ensure your data migration report is signed off. You should continue to check in with staff and how they are progressing with their new Arbor site and identify any potential training needs.

Your Actions:

• Sign off your data migration report - This is a vital step to ensure you are confident with the data that has migrated across into Arbor.
• Check in with staff to ensure they understand using their area of Arbor. Remind them they can always use the help centre, the Arbor Bot, or contact Support using one of the methods here.
• Continue your Post Go Live Training to build confidence now that you have access. 

Week 7 & 8: Configuration, Training & Handover

This week marks the end of your onboarding journey. You should continue configuring Arbor to your specific requirements and complete any remaining training on your Training Hub. 

Your Actions:

• Continue to check in with staff to see if there are any recurring issues. Remind them they can always use the help centre, the Arbor Bot, or contact Support using one of the methods here.
• Complete Post Go Live Training on your Arbor Training Hub and configure Arbor to your specific requirements.
• Onboarding completes and your Onboarding Manager will hand over to Customer Success Managers.

Note: If you are supported by a partner, you will transition from Onboarding to your Partner's support process rather than to Arbor's Customer Success Managers. Your Partner should have explained this process to you.  

What if you need help?

Your Onboarding team are available throughout this process to talk to if you get stuck. You can email them on myonboarding@arbor-education.com. If you would prefer them to call you back please mention that on the email and leave the best number to contact you on.