Import staff in ParentPay?

[saggu]

Any advice will be appreciated re how staff can be imported into ParentPay from SIMS.

 

Thanks in advance.

[MagicMalc]

I would use the MIS Sync tool.

Unfortunately it is a manual process.

https://www.parentpay.com/DOCH/school-support/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Uploading-staff-and-visitors-using-MIS-Sync.pdf

[AlanPartridgeAhaa]

It's a serious weak link of ParentPay, the staff and guest pupil (managed move) process is a pain. The MISsync tool won't pull either in from SIMS, so you have to add them manually into the relevant sections for upload to PP - then try to get the identifiers to tie up with your kitchen system which HAS pulled staff in, and probably had manual entry for the guest pupil which then duplicates when they become on-roll in SIMS etc.etc.

[saggu]

It's a serious weak link of ParentPay, the staff and guest pupil (managed move) process is a pain. The MISsync tool won't pull either in from SIMS, so you have to add them manually into the relevant sections for upload to PP - then try to get the identifiers to tie up with your kitchen system which HAS pulled staff in, and probably had manual entry for the guest pupil which then duplicates when they become on-roll in SIMS etc.etc.

 

Thanks

Does it mean that first staff get uploaded in the kitchen system?

Reading the linked document https://www.parentpay.com/DOCH/schoo...g-MIS-Sync.pdf it mentions that staff can be uploaded using .xml file. There is need to fill year and class tab. Now what will be the year & class for the office staff and other support staffs?

 

I am very confused!

[AlanPartridgeAhaa]

There is a manual entry section of MIS Sync, you don't have to use an xml. If you want to tie up PP and your kitchen system - ours was Impact from CRB that imported staff from SIMS - you need to find out what identifier the kitchen system uses so you can set it in MIS Sync alongside the staff member or they won't tie up.

[sippo]

Damn Parent Pay. The student sync from SIMs works fine, but you cannot do it for staff. Why?! Been a bug bear for many years!

[Sonic007]

Did the same thing last week.

Open MIS Sync and then go to STAFF and Manage Data.

 

You need to list them like this:

 

STAFF01 - Smith - Bob - Staff - Staff

[saggu]

Did the same thing last week.

Open MIS Sync and then go to STAFF and Manage Data.

 

You need to list them like this:

 

STAFF01 - Smith - Bob - Staff - Staff

Thank you. This worked!!

[DrCheese]

What a pile of junk - It makes absolutely no sense why it can pull in student data but not staff data! (Just about to do ours!)

[lmgtfy]

Can't believe its 2019 and we are still having to upload staff manually and then delete them when they've left what a joke! Has anyone automated this using a report in Sims and then some excel sheet for the upload?

 

Cheers

[DrCheese]

2020 and still no better - WHY ISN'T THIS SORTED YET?!

[keyboards]

Yeah I can't stand this bit of it, also it's something I commonly forgot to, so then have to sit there and do it, frustrating as hell and 100% should've been fixed

[chris11256]

Yep. does suprise me there's no automatic sync tool. it's worse for us as we're an iSams school so even the pupils need adding manually.

[DrBeaker]

Isn't this what usually happens when IT are not consulted in the planning and R&D phases? Only consulted after the purchase and told to implement it?

 

This seems to be common across all private and public sector businesses it seems.

 

I've had it when it's actually cost them more money to implement something than they've saved by buying the new system to "save money". Go figure that logic out.

[DrCheese]

It's dumb, this has been an issue since we started using it (2011?) - Parentpay do the bare minimum (If that) when it comes to updating their product. There's *no way* it should be impossible for them to automatically import staff, Virtually EVERY OTHER SYSTEM that imports from SIMS can do it - Why the hell can't parentpay?

[DrBeaker]

It's dumb, this has been an issue since we started using it (2011?) - Parentpay do the bare minimum (If that) when it comes to updating their product. There's *no way* it should be impossible for them to automatically import staff, Virtually EVERY OTHER SYSTEM that imports from SIMS can do it - Why the hell can't parentpay?

Could.... You log it as a change request and if it's not done within 12x months tell them you're looking to move to a competitor who DOES support that feature?

[mthomas08]

It's dumb, this has been an issue since we started using it (2011?) - Parentpay do the bare minimum (If that) when it comes to updating their product. There's *no way* it should be impossible for them to automatically import staff, Virtually EVERY OTHER SYSTEM that imports from SIMS can do it - Why the hell can't parentpay?

 

Agreed. Not to mention how they don't even allow new accounts to get sent through email.

 

I've been using the system for about 7 years and I don't think there has been any new functions... perhaps the ability to add additional payers (I think years ago it was limited to 1 per child).

 

Oh and they added that annoying end of year procedure.. which we generally don't use because the restaurant manages that themselves.

 

For looking elsewhere though.. we would need a system that works with our cashless catering > biometric > printer system. The last time we checked, we can go elsewhere for catering but won't include biometric let alone linking to our printer system.

 

I will look again when things finally settle down though.

[keyboards]

Yeah for me it's a massive issue, complete lack of progress for something that pretty much every single school that is using it would want, it's hardly ask for the moon on a stick too.

[howartp]

I completely agree it should be automated directly, but we do this with Salamander generating the XML file then using MIS:Sync to upload the XML - which I think the finance/kitchen team can do if I choose to let them.

 

Saves the manual entering step at least, and ensures you get the correct matching IDs from whichever system you're matching to.

 

Peter

[psydii]

I completely agree it should be automated directly, but we do this with Salamander generating the XML file then using MIS:Sync to upload the XML - which I think the finance/kitchen team can do if I choose to let them.

 

Saves the manual entering step at least, and ensures you get the correct matching IDs from whichever system you're matching to.

 

Peter

 

Wait. What? Did you just say that Salamander can generate a file that you can import using MIS:Sync to partially automate the creation of staff in Parent Pay?

[howartp]

Wait. What? Did you just say that Salamander can generate a file that you can import using MIS:Sync to partially automate the creation of staff in Parent Pay?

I believe that's what I said

 

 

Ask your support guy to copy code from South Craven.

 

Peter

[MicrodigitUK]

I believe that's what I said

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]58874[/ATTACH]

 

Ask your support guy to copy code from South Craven.

 

Peter

 

@howartp

 

Could you give an example of the headers and fields in the XML import file? Obviously redacting any user data, just need the XML file format.

Got Salamander to set this up for Staff at our site but...

I have tried using the output XML file and MISSync is telling me there is nothing to import!

Do you need to upload it in a different way?

[howartp]

Log on to ParentPay > People > Uploads and upload it manually.

 

MIS:Sync often tells me there's nothing to import, even with a perfectly valid file.

 

Peter

[MicrodigitUK]

@howartp I have also just tried that however that also gives me an error. Please can you give an example of the XML file headers and format so I can check Salamander are outputting the data correctly in the XML.

[howartp]

PPSample.xml

 

This is copied straight from today's file, stripped to 1 staff and suitably renamed.

 

MIS:Sync doesn't like either this or the original, but online upload has accepted today's file.

 

Peter