Nova T6 or Keith Johnson's Timetabler???

[Katy]

Hello all

Can anyone tell me how they have got on with either of the above packages? We currently use Nova T4 with Sims and everything is fine but we have to stop using Nova T4 apart from using it for cover.

Can anyone tell me how they have found T6 and Timetabler and any particular problems or positives experienced with either.

Thanks Katy

[jcollings]

Our timetabler used the Keith Johnson software last year and as I recall it was ok - the issues came when we imported back to SIMS. I think he ended up doing a lot of manual renaming of classes etc.

I think we are going T6 this year.

[KirstyH]

We starting using T6 last year. The biggest problem we have had is the loss of data that occurs if more than 1 person tries to use T6 at once. We have a strict policy now; only three people have access to T6 and they never so much as open it if one of the others is working on the timetable. A huge amount of work was lost before we implemented this policy.

[Katy]

thanks both of you - that's very helpful to know. Anyone else got any opinions? I think i would prefer T6 but my boss is a bit Anti T6 and pro Timetabler

[Ian_Southern]

I 've used NT6 since it first came out. I really like it and having used T4 and M&C it's a vast improvement on both. Can't comment on Timetabler but as we use SIMS in school I suppose I don't have much of a choice!!

[Sylv3r]

We are moving to T6.

We used Timetabler about 4 or 5 years ago, but decided to move to T4 after a year so it integrated better with SIMS.

[Grommit]

We used T4 and upgraded to T6 last year and it seems to be the best timetable product on the Market.. it also is part of SIMS so the teachers can pull up student timetables in SIMS

[Keith-Johnson]

Just to correct some of the earlier posts in this thread ...TimeTabler now has a full export-import link with SIMS .net.
It uses exactly the SAME import wizard that T6 uses, to put the completed timetable into SIMS .net.

You can read Users' Comments about it, at:
Users' Comments and Testimonials about TimeTabler

Users' Comments and Testimonials about TimeTabler

[Sivadam]

Ditto as per the other thread on this topic!
What is the point of not using the best? One of the best things that SIMS ever did was the acquisition of Clive Stott and his Nova suite!
I would probably not have been supporting SIMS as fiercely as I do without it!

[matt40k]

Timetabling is a dark art that requires dark magic and a large number of goats, or a good chess player. Unfortunately I used all my goats up getting the internet fix many moons again and I'm not that much of a chess player... so my opinion of using Nova-T6 is pretty much useless. My logic is that if you use SIMS, use the tools in SIMS. I'm sure Capita would have bought the best... still this could be logic of a man with no goats and about to be check mated.

[Keith-Johnson]

To ditto my response to "Sivadam"'s question on the other thread:
it is because TimeTabler includes features that T6 does not have, and is thought by many many Users to be more friendly and intuitive than T6.

See the Testimonials at:
http://www.timetabler.com/comments.html

And of course TimeTabler (as an official Capita-SIMS Partner) has an export to SIMS .net that uses exactly the same import wizard as T6.

Have a look at it, so you know what you are comparing?

[Edu-IT]

Looks a good product, but the site doesn't 'sell' it to me.

[MattMitchell]

Keith - I'm curious: what are the features that timetabler has that are missing from nova?

[vikpaw]

I don't like the idea of using it when Nova is built in, but it does look prettier, have nice colours, works better for the guy here that does timetabling. one features he mentioned that i couldn't replicate short of going back to T4 was combing and combing charts, other features such as automatic mode, and best fit apparently are better with Timetabler.

Perhaps Mike can shed some light on how these can be done within the hallowed T6.

Don't get me wrong, despite the above, i have disallowed the use of Timetabler and we've got Cover and Timetabling working fine in SIMS. I don't want extra work after all!!

[Keith_Irvine]

Although I haven't used SIMs and Nova T6 I offer the following:

I had to start timetabling from scratch in 2000 and did a lot of research on timetabling packages.
Timetabler came out ahead of all the 'MIS backed' packages because it required no formal [and highly expensive] training package as it was so intuative to use plus being cheaper than any of the others. NovaT at the time would have been over 100% more expensive to purchase and needed a specialist 2 day training course that wasn't available until June; far too late for timetabling!

We had a Phoenix MIS and have now moved on to WCBS PASS [I teach at an Independent school]. Both integrate with Timetabler; but you do need to read the paperwork!
Although I haven't used SIMs icons exist within Timetabler for the export routine which should be the same.