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For 13 years, we have been offering directors advice on the selection of center management software. This year, we decided to turn to the real experts - experienced directors (listed at the end of this article) who have been there - directors who have selected software, installed it, and worked with it over the years. We asked each of them five questions, and here are their answers.


What factors were initially most important to you in selecting your software solution?

_ Ease of use.
_ Flexibility to change as needs change.
_ Y2K compatibility.
_ Basic report on student and parent information.
_ Post children separately but bill parents one time.
_ Account for and invoice government grants such as USDA and the state certificate program.
_ Strong accounting component.
_ Use at multiple sites.
_ Quality of support service.

What have been your biggest disappointments with the software you installed?

_ Getting technical support on a timely basis.
_ Can't generate customized reports.
_ Won't print second copy of parent records.
_ Limited fields.
_ Won't provide printouts for allergies ...