Paying Capita for SIMS support

[GeorgeFaux]

Were it not for the training costs of teaching staff how to write again, I would suggest pen and ink.

 

Well it's certainly a novel approach, but alas quite apart from the fact that it is against workload agreements I can't see the MIS companies able to phase this in until at least 2010.

 

Support seems to vary wildly from place to place depending on local agreements, LEA agreements the composition of MIS systems within authorities and local personel. No company will ever get it right, Capita proberly have the worst of it due to the number of questions they get from different sources being the market leader.

 

But the bottom line is its a conflict between flexibility and support. The more features an MIS has, the more it is used, the more features it encompases, the less able it is to support it. New features sell more product, bug fixes never do.

 

Self defeating circle really, there will always be complaints about support.

 

the most effective support is I feel when you can strike up a personal relationship with someone at the support centre. I always ask for full names and numbers to call back for progress. Often I get the brush off but when it pays off it tends to make life easier. People as well as process are generally the key to effective support.

[enjay]

New features sell more product, bug fixes never do.

True, but bug fixes and good customer support get renewals and recommendations.

[jenny_urey]

Just testing my signature following preious threads Sorry for interupting

[jenny_urey]

Hiya Nick

Have taken heed and updated my signature now - I actually took it off a while back as I was accused of promoting my software during a discussion about missing marks which was rather annoying as I was genuinely after school advise. I've put it back on... subject to further 'promotion accusations'!! All the best. Jen

[PuttingTheRecordStraight]

Obviously this may just be our experience of Capita/.ICT support but we have found them helpful, prompt, and willing to investigate and work with us to find solutions to even the dumbest problems we come across weekly.

 

No service provider will ever match the expectation of its users. We work in ICT. We should know that! But for me Capita have been excellent and always willing to help. And that has meant the difference between sweating heavily for a long time or surviving another hectic week of outages and issues.

 

Paul

 

 

Just wanted to point out Capita.ict is not the same as Capita SIMS they were originally part of the Northants LEA called .ICT and sold off to Capita ES , Customer Service is their top priority , and they generally deliver , how long they will continue to exist before being absorbed into one of the regional centres is another question? When / if that happens Northants schools can look forward to the same level of service as mentioned by many other posts on the thread , happy day's