[sims] Attendance letter mailmerge template being stored in Linked Documents [Solved]

[MrLudwig]

Hi,

 

Our Attendance Office has today noticed a problem with the low attendance letters she generates in Sims and sends to parents.

 

More specifically, the problem is with the copies of these documents that Sims is storing as linked documents. Instead of the merged result (template + student address & attendance figures etc), Sims is just storing the template as a linked document. So when she or anyone else brings up linked documents for a student and opens an attendance letter, it's just the pre-merged word doc with the place holders for name, address etc.

 

The letters seem to generate OK with all the fields populated with the student's details as expected, it's just not storing the finished version anymore.

 

No idea what's changed to prompt this, or when exactly it started. The Attendance Office noticed it today, but that's only because she needed to go back and get a copy of a letter she'd generated previously.

 

My Sims knowledge is far from expert level and all this is new to me so am in the dark on this one.

 

Thanks.

[PhilNeal]

Please register a case

[vikpaw]

I wonder if it could be linked to macro permissions. If it's set to prompt or something.

[MrLudwig]

It does the same thing with the Macro security settings set to Enable all Macros.

 

I've logged a call with our County support desk and they seem to think it might be a known issue with Sims. They are looking into the availability of a patch from Capita, so fingers crossed.

[Seb1780]

I believe it might be related to this:-

 

[h=2]Workstation Patch for SIMS 2014 Summer 2.[/h]We have released an update to the SIMS workstation for the SIMS 2014 Summer 2 release. Applying this update will resolve three issues in the SIMS workstation.

 

• Unable to open Attendance Letters from a Student's Linked Documents - KB405764
  
• Reporting engine sub-filters not working - KB405928
  
• Deal with Missing Marks – Fault code 1104-4318-6100 occurs when print is pressed - KB405946
  

 

This update will be supplied in two forms that are compatible with the SIMS 2014 Summer 2 release only

 

• A SOLUS3 workstation fix. This will be available on SOLUS3 as ‘SIMS 2014 Summer 2 Workstation Fix’ and will send an update out that will apply to the SIMS workstation only.
  
• A manual installation executable for those customers not on SOLUS3 which will need to be run on the affected workstations at the school which need one of the fixes.
  

 

Please note that this is not a re-release of the SIMS Summer 2 update and there is no database upgrade. It is an update to the workstation only to provide a means of resolving the above issues before the Autumn release is available.

Please contact your SIMS support unit for more details.

[vikpaw]

Now that rings a bell. I think it fixes future documents but existing uploads will stay borked.

[howartp]

 

• Reporting engine sub-filters not working - KB405928
  

 

Aha, thank you - been wondering about that today!

[MrLudwig]

County sent through the workstation patch Seb1780 mentioned and it has indeed fixed the problem for new documents, and made our Attendance Officer very happy.

 

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

Edited October 26, 2014 by MrLudwig

[vikpaw]

Great - thanks for updating, we can mark it solved.

[MrLudwig]

Thanks vikpaw, I tried doing that but can't see how to edit the title from the iPad app.

[vikpaw]

It's too late but it's okay I've already done it.