Education Fund Management System
An unreliable MS Access application was stabilised and reshaped around dependable grant, payment and reporting workflows.
The Challenge
Several industry education funds were managing grant applications, payments, and compliance reporting using an MS Access database. It had been assembled using default Access tools rather than designed as a production-grade fund-management platform. The system was unreliable, hard to maintain, and not fit for purpose. Manual processes created risks around data accuracy, privacy compliance, and reporting — all critical for trustee oversight and audit requirements.
Our Solution
Dark Arts was brought in to assess and stabilise the system. We delivered:
- Full rewrite of the core MS Access application improving reliability, user experience, and accuracy.
- Optimised workflows for managing education grant applications and payments to providers.
- Reporting to support trustee decisions and compliance obligations.
- Privacy risk assessment identifying potential legal and data ownership risks in off-the-shelf SaaS options.
- Ongoing advice helping the client choose a sustainable, fully owned platform for the future.
The result: the system now runs smoothly with minimal support overhead, freeing staff from daily firefighting.
The Impact
By stabilising and improving the existing system and guiding platform choices for the future, we’ve helped the education funds manage risk, meet compliance standards and plan confidently for long-term sustainability.