IRIS SOFTWARE LIMITED

IRIS Central

IRIS Central is a powerful trust analytics platform that provides accurate, actionable insights from HR, financial, assessment, attendance, wellbeing, gradebook data and many more. It allows MAT leaders and stakeholders role-based access to real-time data from Management Information Systems (MISs) and others, with high quality data supporting impactful decisions.

Features

• Real time data from MIS, HR, financial systems
• Works with any MIS (some features Edgen & iSAMS only)
• Wide range of insights
• Simple, powerful cloud portal with SSO
• Dedicated data feed, with AI and ML driven analytics
• Customisable, role-based dashboards for all
• Baseline data to measure MAT/school against
• Out of box dashboards for HR, financial, attendance and more
• Data imported, managed through Central App reported through Central Dataset
• MIS settings management: Global Lists, Custom Fields, Rewards and Conduct

Benefits

• Supports impactful decision making with high quality, actionable insights
• Timely access to live data – no emails or spreadsheets
• Simple, secure and controlled data access for all stakeholders
• Trustees and external agencies can access data with restricted settings
• Drill through to individual pupil and staff data for context
• Fast, responsive and secure with SSO via O365 and Google
• Saves staff time and effort in creating analytics for sharing
• Central management of settings for individual Edgen instances
• Create custom analytics using Designer requires minimal training
• Easy access to cleansed data for analytics using Central Connect

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at Bidteam@iris.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

270772186508928

Contact

Bid Team
0344 225 1525
Bidteam@iris.co.uk

About your service

• Service categories:

  Application Development and Deployment

  Analytics and business intelligence

  • Advanced and predictive analytics
• Multi cloud support: Yes

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: Yes
• What software services is the service an extension to: IRIS Central is an extension to MIS, HR, Compliance & Financial software within the IRIS Education product range
• Cloud deployment model: Private cloud
• Service constraints: None noted
• System requirements:
  • Modern web browser
  • Internet connection

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: Any new ticket is responded to within 10 minutes to confirm the ticket has been created and advising the user of the ticket reference number. Tickets are then addressed on a priority basis dependent on the severity and impact of the query.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Yes
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web chat support is accessible: During opening hours our chat functionality is available to all users that are registered with our online identity portal. Users are able to ask questions or raise incidents with the support team. In all instances a ticket will be created for full audit purposes and a chat transcript provided to the customer. If the chat team are unable to provide a full resolution then the ticket will be escalated to the relevant team.
• Web chat accessibility testing: Our chat functionality is provided via a third party, Zendesk. Zendesk confirm on their website (ACCESSIBILITY – Help Center) that they are committed to making our Platform and other Services accessible and usable by people with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level A (WCAG 2.1 A).
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: The Service Centre comprises two teams, Customer Support and Technical Support make up the Service Desk and deal with any questions or issues that our schools have regarding the operation of IRIS systems. The first point of contact for all incoming requests are Customer Support, who solve approximately 70% of all incoming tickets. They are experts in the fields of ‘How do I’ and advice on functionality. At this point tickets are triaged, the required information is gathered, and passed to the appropriate team if necessary. This may include our Technical Support Team which deals with errors or issues that are not a recognised bug, or support queries of a technical nature involving (but not limited to) the database, faults and service failures. If an issue is identified as a bug, this is passed over to our Development Team. ; ; As well as the support teams, an account manager is assigned to each customer to allow for regular information sharing, review points and account discussions.
• Support available to third parties: Yes
• AI chatbot: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: We provide information in the welcome email to the customer, listing the steps required from them to complete the pre-requisites for the installation. This e-mail includes a guide on how to complete the pre-requisites.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: N/A - this is a warehouse solution, data comes from other products
• End-of-contract process: End of Contract: access to the service is disabled
• Documentation accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the documentation is accessible: N/A

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: None to note
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Description of service interface: Web-based interface, via IRIS Central App
• Accessibility standards: None or don’t know
• Description of accessibility: Users can:; - access analytics; - manage isams/ed:gen settings; - create / assign permissions; - create reports and assign permissions; - view data warehouse details for central connect
• Accessibility testing: None
• API: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: In IRIS Central, alongside the pre-built dashboards that are provided by us, we will also train users to understand how to build & create any custom dashboards, with data points available from any MIS, HR, Compliance & Financial software within the IRIS Education product range.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Data available to users is aggregated which reduces the strain on the server.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: For Central Connect users can see how many credits they have used and how many they have left when querying Snowflake warehouse
• Reporting types: Regular reports
• Resource tagging: No
• FOCUS resource tagging: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: None

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• Datacentre security standards: Supplier-defined controls
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: In-house
• Protecting data at rest: Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: Data at rest can be in two places Snowflake warehouse or Power Bi Data Set, both secured by the provider using a combination of encryption, key management, and compliance controls.; A combination of encryption, key management, and compliance controls.
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Equipment disposal approach: In-house destruction process
• Data sanitisation type: Data Erasure

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Data used by this solution is taken from other solutions.; Data would need to be exported from the source, rather than this analytic tool.
• Data export formats: CSV
• Data import formats: Other
• Other data import formats: Data used in this tool is pulled from other sources/solutions

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: Other
• Other protection between networks: Uses Fivetran and their security methods, and only logged in users can access the data.
• Data protection within supplier network: Other
• Other protection within supplier network: Multilayered security and compliance framework, and 2FA

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: None disclosed
• Approach to resilience: Available on request
• Outage reporting: We send out communications on Circle and in the App directly

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: In IRIS Central, existing identity providers are utilised for authentication, such as Microsoft Azure (Entra) & Google.; In IRIS Central, access in management interfaces and support channels can be managed via Report Roles & Entity Groups, allowing full control over visibility and permissions at both Group & School level, personalising the experience for each user depending on their respective role.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: At least 12 months

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: IRIS has a full suite of security policies and processes in place.
• Software Security Code of Practice: No

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: This is all tracked and changed within Aha and Devops, which keeps all information and historical versions readily available.
• Vulnerability management type: Undisclosed
• Vulnerability management approach: Not Disclosed
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: We have a full set of policies and procedures in place.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: IRIS Incident Management policies and procedures in place.
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: No

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v4.0)

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

Discount percentage by annual call-off contract value (excluding VAT)

• Less than £250,000: 0%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 0%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 0%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 0%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 0%
• Over £5,000,001: 0%

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Bsi
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: Sunday 13 October 2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: Some regions where ISO is not the prevalent standard, for example North America, are not covered by our ISO Certifications and in those regions we have other assurance frameworks like SOC1 and SOC2.; ; Our Every HR is not actively ISO 27001 compliant but is working towards.
• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• ISO 9001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO 9001 certification: Bsi
• ISO 9001 accreditation date: Tuesday 21 January 2025
• What the ISO 9001 doesn’t cover: Some regions where ISO is not the prevalent standard, for example ; ; North America, are not covered by our ISO Certifications and in those regions we have other assurance frameworks like SOC1 and SOC2.
• Quality management systems (QMS): Yes
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: Foregenix Ltd
• PCI DSS accreditation date: Friday 4 April 2025
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: Only our PayPlus environment is covered by our PCI certification. No sensitive payment card information is processed or stored in any IRIS environment and all processing activities are outsourced.
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: 2896d6f0-b1c8-4f71-8256-596356f682e0
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Cyber Essentials Alternative: You do not have a current and valid Cyber Essentials Plus certificate, or will not have in place within 12 months of the date of award but have an IASME certified equivalent.
• Other security certifications: No

Social value

• Section B - Commitment for Future: Delivery:

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 1: Fair work: That offers fair wages and good working conditions. Help people get a job, stay in work, and progress in their careers, with good employment opportunities across the country. Notes: Where there is a large proportion of labour costs in the contract, commercial teams should consider MAC in Outcome 1 as a priority

    • New or retained jobs on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b, 1c and 1d
    • New apprenticeships on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b
    • Providing opportunities for, and measuring and monitoring of, staff workforce conditions over time, including employee engagement, involvement in decision-making and satisfaction and adapting to any changes in the results, with clear processes for acting on issues identified
    • Plans to engage the contract workforce in deciding the most important workplace issues to address
    • Ensuring new workers are informed of their right to join a trade union
    • Monitoring of employee engagement rates (by protected characteristic) and, where necessary, the development of actions to ensure all voices are heard across the diversity of the workforce
    • Employment contracts that reflect actual hours worked; steps taken to ensure employees understand their contracts and have the ability to review and adjust them if actual hours regularly exceed contracted hours
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about, and feel empowered to, address their physical wellbeing
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about and feel empowered to report and address bullying and harassment
    • Activities to cascade good practice on fair working conditions throughout the supply chain
    • Offer a pay and leave entitlement to all eligible staff who become kinship carers, ideally equivalent to statutory adoption pay and leave
    • Payment of more than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (as appropriate) to the contract workforce
    • Monitoring and reporting of gender and ethnicity pay gaps and plans to address them where necessary
    • Entitlement to sick pay for the contract workforce, with provision in place for any staff who do not meet the earnings threshold for statutory sick pay, payment of sick pay from day one of absence and payment of staff on the contract workforce who are off sick a replacement income of 100% of their usual earnings for as long as possible
    • Plans for an appropriate income replacement policy for staff who are required to spend time away from work to care for a sick dependent or close relative
    • Understanding of in-work progression issues affecting the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Measures to support in-work progression to help people in the contract workforce, to move into higher paid work by developing new skills relevant to the contract
    • Support for the contract workforce by providing career advice, and providing opportunities for staff working on the contract with in-work progression career development into known skills shortages or high growth areas
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Volunteering opportunities for staff
    • Understanding of the modern slavery risks and issues affecting the market, industry, sector or country (of origin or of source) relevant to the contract, and the workforce in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key subcontractors
    • Measures to identify, mitigate and manage modern slavery risks relating to the contract and how these will be implemented
    • Outline policies and practices to be applied to or put in place for the contract to mitigate and manage modern slavery risks, including: Pre-employment checks, recruitment practices. Workplace conditions, safeguarding plans and processes in place and regular monitoring with relevant groups considered, which may include sampling
    • How these flow down the supply chain and are monitored Illustrative examples include reporting, site visits, audits, etc.
    • How to ensure business decisions re: price/cost, short lead times, payment timescales do not create modern slavery risks in the supply chain
    • Means of influencing staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders with respect to modern slavery risks relating to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 2: Skills for growth: Supporting growth sectors and addressing skills gaps.

    • Understanding of employment and relevant skills issues, and of the education and training issues relating to the contract. Illustrative examples: demographics, skills shortages, new opportunities in high growth sectors, geographic/local community and skills/employment challenges
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Activities to support relevant sector related skills growth and sustainability in the contract workforce. Illustrative examples: careers talks, curriculum support, literacy support, safety talks and volunteering
    • Delivery of apprenticeships, supported internships and T Level industry placement opportunities (Level 2, 3 and 4+) in relation to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 3: Resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains: Support economic growth through enabling resilient businesses, opportunities for small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises

    • Understanding of the types of businesses in the market and the level of participation by new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Plans for engaging a diverse range of businesses in engagement activities prior to appointing subcontractors (including activities prior to award of the main contract and during the contract term)
    • Activities that demonstrate a collaborative way to work with a diverse range of businesses as part of the supply chain
    • Ensuring accessibility to contracting and subcontracting opportunities for disabled business owners and employees
    • Structuring of the supply chain selection process to ensure fairness (e.g. anti-corruption) and encourages participation by a diverse range of businesses, including with regard to new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutual
    • Methods for engaging with different parts of the community (including the education system and charities representing the community) and how communities come together to inform decisions, strategy and projects to leave a positive legacy for future generations
    • Measures to involve local stakeholders and/or users in design (e.g. in the design of services, systems, products or buildings)
    • Plans for positive actions with community groups.
    • Plans to respond flexibly and adapt approaches to community engagement and initiatives

  • Mission: Make Britain a clean energy superpower: To cut bills, create jobs and deliver security with cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030, accelerating to net zero

    Policy Outcome 4: Sustainable procurement practices: Reducing carbon footprints, minimising waste, and promoting the use of clean energy and green technologies.

    • Understanding of opportunities for additional environmental benefits delivery in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Collaborative ways of working with the supply chain to deliver additional environmental benefits in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Delivery of additional environmental benefits through the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Understanding of how to influence staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders through the delivery of the contract to support climate and nature protection and improvement
    • Activities to reconnect people with the environment and increase awareness of ways to protect and enhance it

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 6: Employment and training: For those who face barriers to employment

    • Understanding of employment and skills issues, and of the skills and employment shortages of high growth sectors relating to the contract
    • Creation of employment opportunities particularly for those who face barriers to employment, such as prison leavers, care leavers and/or who are located in deprived areas, and for people in industries with known skills shortages or in high growth sectors
    • Delivery of training schemes and programmes to address any identified skills gaps and under-representation in the workforce for the contract (e.g. prison leavers, care leavers, kinship carers, disabled people)
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort
    • Understanding of the issues affecting the representation of disabled people in the workforce in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Collection of the views and expertise of disabled people and their representative organisations on successfully supporting disabled employees or applicants
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, and retention-focused activities, including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition
    • Introducing transparency to pay and reward processes
    • Offering a range of quality opportunities with routes of progression if appropriate, e.g. T Level industry placements, students supported into higher level apprenticeships.
    • Working conditions which promote an inclusive working environment and promote retention and progression
    • Other measures to provide equality of opportunity for disabled people and those with health conditions into employment, including becoming a Disability Confident employer and inclusion of supported businesses in the contract supply chain
    • Understanding of the issues affecting inequality in employment, skills and pay in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors. Measures to tackle inequality in employment, skills and pay in the contract workforce
    • Inclusive and accessible development practices, including guidance for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 7: Creating a pipeline of opportunities: For the contract workforce, reducing barriers to entry for under-represented groups.

    • Understanding of the issues affecting the development of new skills by target cohort
    • Understanding of the underlying factors affecting improvements to reduce barriers to entry and training schemes for the target cohort(s) related to the contract workforce
    • Other measures to offer development opportunities for the target cohort(s) in the contract workforce
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort
    • Understanding of issues relating to entering the contract workforce
    • Creation of outreach activities to create a pipeline of employees for the future contract delivery
    • Content of the outreach activity is designed to suit the target cohort
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort

  • Mission: Build an NHS fit for the future: That is there when people need it; with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers; in a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer.

    Policy Outcome 8: Increasing productivity through physical and mental wellbeing: In the supply chain and communities in the relevant area.

    • Understanding of issues relating to health and wellbeing, including physical and mental health, in the contract workforce
    • Understanding barriers to access to health and social care services or employment opportunities e.g. digital inclusion
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, development practices and retention policies that support-focused activities including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing which support people with a disability or health condition
    • Actions to invest in the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the contract workforce

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at Bidteam@iris.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.