[sims] User defined fields do you use them?

[Bananas]

How much do you use user defined fields in Sims?

 

I've been told "we" are thinking about recording things like whether the the AUP has been signed, what equipment staff have got all kinds of things like that and I just wondered what everyone else does

[vikpaw]

We use them a lot, for custom dates to do with ID, occasional extra tick boxes, or ID numbers etc. They are dotted around. It's useful to see on screen, and can be positioned in various sections to suit, but aren't so easy to report on, or add into ind. reports, or show up and use apart from in the data entry screen where they are put in.

So I'd say it's good for the AUP, but not for equipment. One way around it could be to use a marksheet for storing extra info. It's a little bit more faff to set up, but can be more usable, depending on what you want it fo.

[Bananas]

Cool, I setup one the day Sims was installed a simple plaint text box for student locker details but the NM (in all his wisdom) wants to record every last chuffing detail in there. For certain things like AUP, absolutely no problem but the other stuff and who then maintains that data?

 

Sounds like making another data entry job for muggins, like correcting 400 RS reports because of spelling and grammar because they can't type with a dodgy arm and another teachers because they're off sick - arrrgh!!

[matt40k]

Sounds like making another data entry job for muggins

 

You could bulk import, still won't save you from incorrect spellings.

[Bananas]

Last reporting period on cmis rather than sims.

 

Shame there's no way of preventing the save button being pressed with spelling errors present.

 

Really makes me angry that these professional people who I have to chase and moan at to get reports done, then can't get the basics right such as not putting a space after a full stop, user the wrong gender specific words his/her etc, spelling student's name wrong

 

Did a comment print off for head of dept to check, one teachers came back with half dozen corrections on every student in every class they teach.

 

Bah

[Jenis]

Reports: the bane of a data managers job?

 

My breaking point was when I rolled out the use of profiles with comment banks instead of AM for the writing of reports and a teacher still got the wrong student name on a report. They're not allowed to edit the comment banks anymore.

 

As for user defined fields, I actually find I implement them myself, because it's more often than not a field that I need displaying. For example, if a staff member crosses over departments with the subjects they teach I have a second department field just so I know at a glance.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Jenis