This Arbor Help Centre article is a comprehensive guide for new schools transitioning to Arbor MIS, outlining the onboarding journey, available training resources ( support, videos and Arbor HQ), and the various support channels we offer. It provides essential information and links for different user groups to ensure a smooth and successful migration
Preparing your schools for the journey
Throughout the coming weeks, your school’s will be undergoing a few changes throughout their journey to Arbor, and it is important that they feel prepared and informed. The key to a successful transition is
- Ensuring the appropriate people are aware of what will be expected of them
- Communicate the ways in which they will be supported
- Planning and preparation
Please note the following can vary for a GroupCall API migrator, we are working on adding the GroupCall Migrator specifications to this guide. If you need to raise any data discrepancies post migration please contact Arbor support or your dedicated partner and we will be advised of the next steps.
Key things to consider before school onboarding begins
Making your schools aware of the move to Arbor
We know this will feel like a big change for you and your schools, and we understand the need for ensuring that your schools are all aware of what is ahead of them.
We will be here to support you and your schools through the onboarding process, Go Live, and for the continued success with Arbor (if you have decided to use a partner for support ongoing support will be their responsibility)
Here are some helpful communications to share with your schools prior to their journey beginning: Prepare your schools and staff before their move to Arbor
Arbor Champions
Arbor Champions are the individuals appointed at your schools who will help to support and drive the transition to our MIS. Along this journey, we’ll be providing a wealth of support and resources, doing everything that we can to make sure that you love our platform. However, while we can give plenty of support and share all the right resources, ultimately it’s what you do with it that makes the difference. A great Arbor Champion, or team of Champions, enables us to magnify the support we’ll be providing along this journey and ultimately, ensure that Arbor is a huge success for you and your schools.
Here are things to keep in mind:
- They have the time to dedicate to the project
- They want to participate regularly, all year round
- They’re great communicators and will be eager to share their knowledge
- They represent their stakeholder group
Timelines
It is always important to consider the timelines that will be set out for your schools ahead of the journey.
Our onboarding timelines are dependance on your phase/legacy system and other factors. You can access all our school specific guidance/timelines here
Training and Support
We provide a wealth of training and support resources designed to help your schools succeed with Arbor, from onboarding through to your long-term use.
You'll have access to all our extensive resources, including training sessions, webinars, Arbor HQ, and our Help Centre. If you've chosen Arbor Support, you also benefit from direct phone, email, and live chat assistance. If you haven't opted for Arbor Support, these direct contact channels won't be available, but you'll still have full access to our comprehensive self-service materials.
Pre/Post Launch Foundation Training
Training is a key element of your onboarding journey and is vital to ensuring you learn, engage with and love our platform and really embed your new MIS into your organisations. Your training requirements will have been assessed prior to onboarding and your onboarding team will be able to support you with this once your onboarding begins. However, it is recommended that you consider the times, people and sessions that will benefit and support your journey the most.
Free webinars
We deliver free seasonal webinars to support schools during the academic year. Each webinar lasts around 45 minutes plus time for questions. Not only do we deliver these upcoming webinars, we also provide access to past webinars of your choice to support you.
Here is a link to access and sign up for these webinars: Free on demand and upcoming webinars
Arbor HQ
Arbor HQ is your space to network with fellow Arbor users, share top tips and learn best practice: Joining the Arbor HQ Community
Support
We pride ourselves in our online Help Centre which we regularly update with new articles to support you and your schools. Here you can access Guides, Articles, and FAQs.
If you have chosen Arbor Support, you can see how to get in contact with us here.
If you have chosen a partner for the support element you will contact them directly for all your 'how to questions
Change Management
You might have already thought about your approach to change management within your organisation. If you haven't don't worry! We will take you through this when we have your MAT/LA discovery session (if purchased). We also have this article to give you some guidance if you want to get ahead in terms of thinking about things such as your communication strategy.
MAT and LA Central Teams
We have lots of guidance for your central teams to familiarise yourself prior to launch on Arbor. You can access our templates to introduce the schools to Arbor before onboarding starts.
If you have purchased Programme Management time click here for more guidance on this service if you are supported by a partner please check in with them regarding their specific plans around this.
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