When Hilary Hoolahan joined The Tiffin Girls' School as Operations & IT/Digital Officer, she inherited a compliance system that had already been in place for around two years.
But the information inside it wasn't connected in the way it really needed to be.
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Opening a contractor record didn't give a clear view of their scheduled work, completed jobs, supporting documents or job history. Finding information was challenging, because it meant searching through emails, checking different portals and piecing records together manually.
Hilary took the opportunity to consider alternative platforms in the hope that there may be a solution that worked more efficiently for her.
Hilary discovered iAM Compliant through a Google search, but finding the platform was only the start of her research.
Before making her decision, she looked into the company's history, founding team, staff retention and approach to flexibility. She also considered three other providers, assessing each one against a clear list of requirements.
The ability to connect assets, jobs, contractors and documents properly was essential. iAM Compliant was the platform she reviewed that she felt best met all those requirements.
The people behind the system mattered, too. Learning that iAM Compliant co-founder Andy Ball had previously worked as a site manager gave Hilary confidence that the platform had been shaped by someone who understood the practical realities of running a school site.
Her onboarding mentor, Laura Callingham, had also worked as a Director of Operations in education. For Hilary, that experience made a real difference. She wasn't explaining school processes to someone who only understood the software. She was working with people who understood both.
Hilary wasn't prepared to buy new software based on a demonstration alone.
With support from iAM Compliant's Trust Growth Manager, Declan Donkin, she was given a two-week free trial so she could test the platform in her own time and add information from the school. She described that opportunity as "incredibly beneficial".
It allowed her to see how the platform would work with the school's own assets, contractors and processes before making a commitment.
Hilary then arranged a trial with her site team. Their experience mattered, because they would be the ones using the iAM Compliant platform every day. By giving them the opportunity to test it properly, she could demonstrate its ease of use and gain their support before the school moved ahead.
That early involvement paid off. The site team now uses iAM Compliant daily, and enters information directly, without Hilary having to chase people or correct records afterwards.
Hilary estimates that iAM Compliant saves her up to 50% of the time she previously spent on operational administration.
Documents, job histories, contractor details and asset records are available from one central system. There's less need to trawl through emails, search paper files or repeatedly log in to separate portals.
The platform's flexibility also allows Hilary to store direct links to external systems alongside the relevant tasks, helping the team reach the information they need without another round of searching.
Those time savings have also had a wider impact on Hilary's role.
"I don't think I could have taken on new responsibilities and moved over to having half IT and half operations if we hadn't got iAM."
For Hilary, this isn't simply about completing the same admin more quickly. Having a clear system in place has made it possible to take on a broader role and learn new skills without losing oversight of the school's operational work.
Contractor management was one of the most important factors in Hilary's original search.
Using iAM Compliant, she can open a contractor's record, see the work they've completed, and get any information and documents needed for each job. As Hilary put it:
"...the fact that the contractors are linked: so I can go onto a contractor and see all the jobs completed and planned, etc. Fabulous!"
That visibility removes much of the guesswork from contractor management. Historical and upcoming work can be checked in one place, giving Hilary a much clearer picture when a contractor arrives on site, or information is needed quickly.
One of the strongest examples Hilary mentioned came from the school's annual insurance inspection process, which covers around 200 assets, including boilers, lifts, and fume cupboards.
Previously, recording these tasks took Hilary hours and left the information difficult to follow.
With iAM Compliant, however, individual assets could be added manually or uploaded by CSV, then connected to the relevant tasks, reports and supporting documents.
That clearer asset information proved particularly useful during a recent boiler replacement project.
The same records help with everyday decisions, too. Pass and fail information can be recorded against an asset right away, and previous reports can be retrieved when engineers visit the school.
When the science team reported a failing fume cupboard, for example, Hilary could quickly cross-reference the other fume cupboards in the science suites, look through previous reports and check the service history before deciding what to do next.
Moving to a new school compliance system can create a sizable job before it starts saving any time. Hilary's experience of onboarding with iAM Compliant was more manageable than she had expected.
She had a dedicated, UK-based onboarding mentor and direct, screen-to-screen support throughout the process.
Weekly tasks set by Andy introduced the platform step by step. Hilary described this structure as "incredibly clever" because it helped the team become familiar with the system without giving them too much to tackle at once.
The support continued beyond the initial setup, with Hilary describing the iAM team as "Approachable, responsive, friendly and knowledgeable about how schools operate".
Her verdict on the people supporting the school was equally clear;
"Josh, Jamie and the three Lauras are all terrific. I cannot recommend them more highly! This level of customer support for a school is very rare."
For Hilary, the value of iAM Compliant comes from more than any one feature.
The main dashboard, asset register, contractor management, planned maintenance and linked documentation all contribute to a clearer way of working. Just as importantly, the platform is accessible to colleagues with different levels of confidence.
The site team isn't afraid of using it. Information is entered consistently, records stay up to date, and Hilary doesn't have to carry the entire system herself.
With the school having recently renewed its iAM Compliant contract, the platform has become an established part of how Hilary and the wider team manage their operational responsibilities.
It's helped them move away from disconnected information and reactive admin, towards a more proactive, organised approach to school compliance.
If your team is spending too much time searching for records, chasing updates or trying to connect information held across different systems, iAM Compliant can help bring it all together.
Explore iAM Compliant and speak to our team about straightforward onboarding, connected asset and contractor management, and support from our UK-based specialists who understand how schools work.