Findings from a 553‑Leader International Survey (AU, NZ, US, UK)
Fraud and security risk in schools is no longer just an IT issue. It is showing up in everyday workflows such as approvals, supplier changes, invoice processing, governance reporting and recovery readiness.
This report shares findings from Alii's survey of 553 school leaders across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, highlighting where schools are most exposed, where visibility is lacking, and which controls matter most in practice.
75.4% of schools report confirmed or suspected fraud attempts
43.8% have detected and stopped fraud activity
9.0% have experienced financial or data loss
11.4% report paying a fraudulent invoice
37.4% do not know when their last security audit occurred
34.2% are unsure whether a designated fraud or data protection officer exists
only 15% regularly test recovery plans
The findings show that fraud and security risk in schools is not a rare event. It is a day-to-day operational issue shaped by manual processes, limited visibility and inconsistent controls across finance and operational workflows.
School Business Managers
Bursars and finance leaders
CFOs, COOs and Principals
IT leaders and operational decision-makers
Lessons from School Business and Finance Leaders on approvals, purchasing and AP automation, plus the change management that makes it stick
This is a practical playbook built from lessons and quotes shared by finance leaders. It’s designed to help school teams modernise approvals, purchasing and accounts payable without creating extra workload. Use it whether you’re considering AP automation or already working through workflow change.
The key lessons schools shared when modernising approvals and AP workflows
Real quotes and learnings from school finance leaders across Australia and New Zealand
A practical “where to start” checklist to reduce chasing and bottlenecks
Common pitfalls that slow adoption, and what schools did instead
A one-page Key Findings Snapshot you can share internally
“Automation has turned what used to be an administrative burden into a controlled, transparent, and reliable process.”
Ian Mendes, Director of Business Services, St Joseph’s College
“Clear and consistent communication is key.”
Jaime Southam, Finance Manager, Penrhos College
Finance Directors, CFOs, Business Managers, bursars, finance and accounts payable staff
Principals and executive leaders involved in approvals and governance
Operations and procurement leaders supporting process improvement
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Alii is accounts payable and procurement software for schools. It helps teams modernise approvals and accounts payable with clearer visibility, consistent pathways, and stronger traceability.
How the playbook connects to Alii
The playbook shares what schools did to reduce friction and strengthen control. Alii supports schools to apply those improvements day-to-day.
The typical Accounts Payable function has long been a time-intensive and manual process with many facets and bottlenecks. Leading Education Institutions around the world chose Alii to protect and streamline accounts payable and procurement functions.
Alii seamlessly integrates with your existing School Management and Accounting platforms that you already know and love.
Never lose a supplier invoice or purchase order again. Best in class dashboards, email alerts provide a new level of visibility for your organisation.
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Digitise the procure to pay process, keeping desks clear from paper pileups and allowing you to digitally view, approve and report on your purchase orders and invoices.
Alii manages complex approvals and delegation of authority for purchases and payments, as well as reducing errors that result from manual data entry.
Save your finance and admin staff time by automating manual tasks via workflows and automatic invoice scanning technology.
All invoices are passed through Alii’s proprietary fraud detection engine which has the most advanced technology in the industry.
