ParentPay provides an Arbor MIS integration for uploading people data into the system, reducing the administration required in keeping the two systems in sync.  Once configured an upload of data can be carried out at any time without the need to produce manual upload files.

Setting up the Arbor API

Permissions

The Arbor MIS integration is configured for you by ParentPay during setup or when migrating to this MIS provider from another.  Note that when migrating from another system we need to perform a data matching exercise prior to the first upload so the process can be a little longer.

As part of the setup, you will need to give permission for ParentPay to access specific data on your Arbor system.  You will be sent an email detailing the steps you need to take, an example can be found below:

Hello,
We understand that you wish to set up a connection between your ParentPay payment system and your Arbor MIS. Most of the work involved can be completed by the teams here but before we can carry out any work, we will need you to accept the data-share agreement within Arbor.
This will authorise the sharing of specific information between the two system, limited to only that which is required to operate your ParentPay solution effectively (as per GDPR guidelines).
To authorise this integration:

1. Log into your Arbor MIS
2. Navigate to System > Partner Apps (API USERS)
3. Find the Pending Requests page and authorise the connection to ParentPay
4. Reply to this email to indicate that this action has been completed and we will complete the setup

Setup

Once the integration has been configured and the permissions have been set, the ParentPay team will enable the option to upload pupils and perform the first upload for you.  If any issues arise, such as a failure due to a data issue, they will contact you to let you know how to resolve this before attempting the upload again.

For new schools (those that have no previous MIS setup), the team will also enable staff and pre-admission pupil uploads.

For existing schools that have previously uploaded data and are migrating to Arbor MIS, a data match will be required before enabling these options.  Please contact the support team to request this setup if it is required, see article How to contact ParentPay support.

Upon completion, a second email will be sent, an example of such is shown below:

Hello,
We have recently completed the integration between ParentPay and your MIS provider, Arbor.
Upon completion we have completed the first pupil upload to ensure the functionality is working as expected. You can see the results of this upload in People > Uploads in the Upload History tab.

You can now use the integrated solution whenever you need to upload new pupil data from your Arbor MIS. Simply navigate to People > Uploads > Arbor Upload and then select Import Pupils and then the Import button.

If you encounter any difficulties in using this facility, please let our service team know and they will be happy to resolve any issues you may encounter.