CMIS to SIMS Migration

[Taylor1]

Can anyone advise on CMIS to SIMS self migration? I know Capita have a migration tool and I also know of people who have done it manually so would be interested in views from people who have undertaken either route.

[Banjo]

primary or secondary?

 

Primary is fairly easy, we've done plenty but needs to be timed right in the year to avoid a backfill overload of attendance data. Secondary > speak to Capita. Even sending your data off to them, it can take 3 or 4 attempts to get it right, and even then the school has a lot of work to do to move stuff manually across.

[Taylor1]

Thanks @Banjo it's Secondary I'm interested in.

[Banjo]

If it were me, I'd sign up with my local LA or a local support team. You are going to need a lot of hand holding moving across to SIMS and training with all the modules. The support team can offer this (it might be an all in price) and you will certainly gets your monies worth in year 1. From memory Capita require about 12 Excel (.csv) and CTF's files from Facility that they merge to produce your new SIMS database. The service wasn't that much money and it used to be project managed by Capita so I'd advise you go that route. I've done SIMS (Pri & Sec) conversions to Facility and Facility primary back to SIMS myself, but I wouldn't do Facility secondary to SIMS without Capita's help. I'm a wimp :-)

[Alis_Klar]

Facility > SIMS is harder than SIMS > Facility as SIMS implement some data validation whereas Facility will let you input any old junk into fields. Personally anyone migrating to Facility these days needs their heads examining.

[Banjo]

Facility > SIMS is harder than SIMS > Facility as SIMS implement some data validation whereas Facility will let you input any old junk into fields. Personally anyone migrating to Facility these days needs their heads examining.

 

It's the date stamping that causes the headache. We have a PC not connected to the network with date and time update turned off so we can backfill the data in SIMS. Primary isn't too bad, a couple and you can get a working SIMS db without attendance. Block fill all present > and then add in the lates/abs from the registers in Facility. We get the schools to do this bit as its a real bum ache and it saves them money.

[Taylor1]

What about CTF imports? I was thinking all attendance for 16/17 would be entered and tidied in CMIS with a final CTF export/import to SIMS just to update attendance at the start of 17/18 or is this too simplified a view?

[Michael]

I'm more amazed the fact a school wants to migrate from a legacy system to another legacy system in the first place, despite the fact it could be discontinued in a matter of years!?

[Banjo]

The CTF's wont bring in the attendance. Depending on when you convert (varies the amount) you will need to go back into the previous academic year and fill in the attendance there as well for Census.

@Michael > Windows XP became legacy when Vista was released... not sure I agree with the point you are making :-)

[Michael]

The CTF's wont bring in the attendance. Depending on when you convert (varies the amount) you will need to go back into the previous academic year and fill in the attendance there as well for Census.

@Michael > Windows XP became legacy when Vista was released... not sure I agree with the point you are making :-)

 

You know exactly what I mean! You can't compare an OS to an MIS.

[SimonCygnetIT]

I'm more amazed the fact a school wants to migrate from a legacy system to another legacy system in the first place, despite the fact it could be discontinued in a matter of years!?

@Michael - Bare in mind that the school may not have had a choice in this if they have just joined a trust..could be a trust decision to move them immediately on to SIMS.

[Banjo]

You know exactly what I mean! You can't compare an OS to an MIS.

 

I do :-) However, I'm 'old skool' just because its new or this year’s model doesn't mean I want to throw away my old toys and go out and buy shiny new ones. The world is full of products that weren't as good as the ones that preceded them.

[Michael]

I just think a lot of schools/trusts moving to SIMS today will soon be bit on the backside when they realise new licenses and new training will be required in a relatively short space of time. There's absolutely no chance the current interface will be possible on a tablet or phone. Why do I say this? It's not unheard of schools using their MIS provision for more than 10 years.

[Banjo]

I just think a lot of schools/trusts moving to SIMS today will soon be bit on the backside when they realise new licenses and new training will be required in a relatively short space of time. There's absolutely no chance the current interface will be possible on a tablet or phone. Why do I say this? It's not unheard of schools using their MIS provision for more than 10 years.

 

That's a good point. Schools converts to SIMS -buy licence, new version is available year after, do you get a hefty discount or free within a grace period to move again.

[PhilNeal]

If you are licenced for SIMS already there will not be an upgrade fee.

[Michael]

If you are licenced for SIMS already there will not be an upgrade fee.

 

Probably just a very hefty migration fee, training fee and hosting fees - Capita are a business, they're not going to give it away for free completely.

[PhilNeal]

No migration fees. Certainly a hosting fee.

[Banjo]

If you are licenced for SIMS already there will not be an upgrade fee.

 

@PhilNeal > So all the current schools using SIMS 7 can move to SIMS 8 at no extra licencing cost?

[matt40k]

Can they even legally do that? They've made such as major deal about how SIMS8 is a total re-write and just just a update \ sticky plaster how can you legally do that? Surely its a re-procurement exercise?! Can see a lot of Academies\LAs\Schools getting slapped for breaking procurement law.

[PhilNeal]

Interesting observation - so if we were already in the cloud and completely re-wrote the thing would that require a re-procurement?

[SimonCygnetIT]

Interesting observation - so if we were already in the cloud and completely re-wrote the thing would that require a re-procurement?

For that example no as you are already using Cloud technology. I think what @matt40k means is going from one complete technology to another, very different technology

[matt40k]

Its an entirely new product, everything changed. So you can't just renew like we've all been doing for the last 20-30 years. It's clearly not a renewal with an upgrade, its a whole new product!!

Its an entirely new product. So you can't just renew.

[Michael]

Migration for free isn't the issue, but there's always the cost of the license, support and training as with any system.

[matt40k]

Migration for free isn't the issue, but there's always the cost of the license, support and training as with any system.

Again, this reinforces that SIMS7 > SIMS8 won't be just a update. It's a whole new product.

[PhilNeal]

@Banjo correct - if you already have a licence it will take you to 8.