FMS multiple users?

We are in the process of migrating from CMIS to SIMS and will be using SIMS from September and (hopefully) FMS from the start of the next financial year. We are trying to find out if FMS can support multiple users working on the database at the same time? Currently with CMIS we have several order books setup and mutiple people can be ordering at the same time whilst are finance department are working on invoicing invoices. When they went to FMS training they got the impression it couldn't be done in the same way, which in a school out size is a major problem.

Does anybody happen to know if it is possible or not? We haven't exactly been able to get a straight answer out of Capita!

Yup, we have 3 people in the finance office. FMS runs on a MSSQL database, same as SIMS - some operations in FMS may require exclusive access(but I can't say for sure)

We are using FMS [and have been doing for some years now] If it did not support more than one user working on the same database at the same time I do not think we would have made the jump.

In Capita's terms we have two companies: A 'Private' and a 'Current' The 'Current' company is where most school business is transacted with the 'Private' company or account being used to track income from trips etc.

In the Finance Department we have one Head of Business and the Finance Assistants/Finance Managers. Most of these will be in the 'Current' company [account] for most of the working day.

Hope this helps and good luck with the change.

PS: Why change from CMIS to SIMS?: CMIS is relatively new and you can't have been using it for very long [This PS should not lead you to believe that I like CMIS, I don't. I am just interested why a school is switching away from something they probably only recently adopted]

As above we have no ideas with our finance officer and school manager using FMS at the same time. For reconciliation I think needs everybody out of the system but day to day multiple users should be fine.

We have three users on fms now and no database issues with the new SQL version. There were problems with the old version with certain modules though.

HBJB

Just to concur what others said, you can have more than one user at one time.

I dont use it but as something we manage I believe you cant have more than one person doing any of the reconcilliation functions at the same time.

Has anyone jumped from FMS to a "standard" package like Sage? I'd dearly like to drop FMS - not sure if there are potential problems though.