Quick start · 15 minutes
Term opens Monday. Get the first receipt right.
Work through this list with the person who will run the system. Tick each item only when you have seen it work, not when it has been installed.
Before you start
Books-pro is installed on a Windows computer that the school network can reach. The finance and academics modules share one database, so a single machine holds both.
| Item | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Server computer | Windows 10/11, 8 GB RAM, an SSD, wired to the router, on a small UPS. It can be an ordinary office desktop. |
| Network | A router with a fixed address for the server. Client machines on the same LAN can open the portal and the modules. |
| Printer | A receipt printer installed on the bursar's machine and able to print a test page before training starts. |
| School details | Legal name, address, TIN, contact person, bank details for receipts and reports. |
| Chart of accounts | The current ledger list and opening balances as at the start date you choose. |
| Learner list | A spreadsheet with admission number, full name, class and stream, LIN and guardian phone. Import works best with consistent columns. |
| Fee structure | Term fees by class, boarding, meals and transport. Decide which items are mandatory and which are optional. |
| Roles | Who is bursar, who can post journals, who approves results, who is report-only. |
Do not reuse a personal laptop as the server. The school's data should live on a machine that stays on site, is backed up, and is not carried home at night.
The checklist
Ten steps, each with a “done when”
- Install the application and serviceRun the offline installer on the server. The desktop host and the server service should start together at boot. Done when: the Books-pro dashboard opens on the server without a browser address bar, and the service shows as running after a restart.
- Set the school profileSettings → Company. Enter the legal name, address, TIN, contact person and bank details used on receipts. Done when: a printed receipt shows the school's own name, address and bank line.
- Create user accounts and rightsOne account per person. Give bursars the finance rights they need, teachers only mark entry, and the head teacher report viewing plus result approval. Done when: a test teacher account cannot open payroll or post a journal.
- Load the chart of accountsCreate or review ledgers and groups. Enter opening balances per ledger as at your start date. Done when: the trial balance shows the opening date and the difference is zero.
- Create fee heads and class fee structuresSet tuition, boarding, meals and transport by class. Mark optional items so the counter does not add them by default. Done when: selecting a class at the counter prefills the correct term bill.
- Import learnersUse the learner import with admission number, name, class, stream, LIN and guardian phone. Done when: the class list count matches the admission register and a rejected-row report is empty.
- Receipt a test paymentUse quick POS: search a learner, choose the fee lines, take cash, print the receipt. Done when: the receipt prints, the balance changes and the day book shows the posting with your user name.
- Configure digital payments (if used)Settings → Digital Payment Settings. Enter the provider credentials, save, and test the connection. Done when: a test collection appears against the right learner, or in the review list with a clear reason.
- Enter a class of marks and print one cardPick one class and one subject, enter or import marks, generate the report for one learner. Done when: the printed card matches the school's layout and the position is correct for the class.
- Back up and restore a copyRun a manual backup and copy it off the server. Restore into a test folder, not over live data. Done when: you have opened the restored copy and seen yesterday's receipt in it.
First-week habits that prevent most problems
- Count the cash at closeCompare the day book total with the cash box before locking the office. A five-minute check beats a weekend reconciliation.
- Clear the payment review list dailyUnmatched references grow into a month-end problem. Decide each one while the parent still remembers paying.
- Keep the backup off the serverAn external drive in a different room is enough. A backup on the same disk survives a file mistake, not a theft.
- Use one account per personShared logins erase the audit trail that protects the bursar as much as the school.
What to do if term starts tomorrow
Install, set the school profile, create one bursar account, load the chart of accounts and the current class lists, then receipt cash only for the first week. Add digital payments and report cards once the queue has settled. Trying to enable everything in one morning is how schools end up with two sets of books.
Want this done with you?
Installation and a first-term walkthrough are part of the licence. We can sit with the bursar on the first receipts.