Sivadam
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Everything posted by Sivadam
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There obviously is one. It is called NovaT4 at the moment ..... ..... but this will no longer be required when the NT4 Reporting etc finds it's way into SIMS.net - some of which is arriving by COB 31/03/2010 (sheduled!). Personally I prefer the staff not to use this as very few understand it - especially with all the TAs, PSAs, Year Support Staff etc. etc. being on the timetable! Invariably staff look at the wrong line when trying to find something.
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As a timetabler of long standing (... very, very longstanding), I have great sympathy with the Timetabler. If your school is like ours then the Timetable changes very regularly. The changes may be major (due to Rotations) or simply the odd room change. It is virtually impossible to inform everybody of the changes that are made - apart from the staff that are affected (say via a Subject Selection or Individual Timetable). To do so would take a great deal of time and/or lots of paper! A general notification to all staff is probably the best that can be achieved in view of time constraints!
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You are certainly casting the web wide with this request for info., Ian. That's 4 times I have read it so far! Sorry I cannot respond on this one!
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I have responded already on SupportNet!
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You ought to add them to P7 first - with a Service agreement. Then you can record the basic information that is needed for Safeguarding - CRB Checks etc. Ofsted will need to see the Single Central Record report when they walk thro' the door! And this has to include everybody!!! The bonus is that you can then use them as 'normal' staff!
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Maybe you should also check out the warning that I have included in the response on SupportNet! That hasn't reached this forum yet! Ain't the response times interesting?
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Maybe you should do as it says - contact your SIMS Support Team!
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I agree entirely which is why I stressed at the very start that we do not want a loss in functionality just to put in 'gimmicks'. It needs to remain a working site and we do not want to lose some of the excellent functionality that already exists! I think I have now said enough re. this topic!
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My gawd - that is exactly what we do not want! Can you imagine the number of hits that would get! I want to search in an apropriate area where I know that the answer will located (or not if it is summat new!). You would be trawling thro. a massive amount of responses when there is no answer due to it being a new issue - and still getting nowhere!
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Wot a wally .............. ! I do get the error but it is usually associated with a fairly long period of inactivity. I had not realised that is what the error was. I post as a first response to those asking questions in a Forum thread using my own knowledge. I then often follow that up by finding the appropriate KB for them and editing my inital post. Many users of the Forums do not realise that Solutiuon search is actually there and I have explained it many times to many people over the years! What I am concerned about is changing the site and losing functionality and/or making it more difficult for users to find things. An obvious example of this was when it was last revamped (as at the date of 'Joining' by all us old-timer users!) We lost the CR Text Search then! One wonders if 'date of joining' will get re-set again to the date when it is re-vamped!
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Solution Search is extremely easy to use which is why I can get a KB onto my posts on the Forums so quickly after I have responded with my own original response. Case Logging is incredibly easy to use and the response time is nothing sort of superb! I assume that is because all the info needed for the case is input by myself exactly as I want it to be recorded, rather than having to rely on somebody on the phone interpreting what I say! Hence - all my case are logged via SupportNet. These are two areas that we have to be careful are not made less efficient in any review of the services! One would hope that we do not move towards a system such as Edugeek uses! This is far too open-ended. Some of the posts that appear here are, to say the least, inappropriate. (for want of using other words that may upset some of the users here!) Matt - I dodn't think I have ever had that '500' problem! Then again I don't usually want to open more than one window at any one time. And, as most folk are aware, I use and contribute to SupportNet more than many other users!
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Matt, What is the '500 error'? I can't say that I have xperienced it ...............
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As I have said on SupportNet. One hopes that they don't go in for the many gimmicks that some forums now use. It is a working site that has excellent features which we do not want to be compromised. (e.g. Solution Search, Case Logging, Forums, Documentation etc. etc.) The only part of SupportNet that needs any major revision is the CR section - and Graham has forgot to include that section of the survey!
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SIMS: Manage support staff absence without giving Personnel access.
Sivadam replied to pete's topic in MIS Systems
A new SIMS Update usually resets the default groups back to what they should be. The Spring Upgrade is scheduled for release on COB on 31st March. -
Thanks Dan, Good to see you around again! Think I am making any difference here to people's opinion of SIMS? There appears to be slightly less disparaging threads appearing! Hope you are still doing well at your new place! (it ain't so new now is it?) It sometimes feels that I have had 4 decades with SIMS and I would still never say I know SIMS inside and out - just a tad bit better than most users! I am still learning all the time - mostly from UAT etc. as well as from SupportNet colleagues. By the way - I am modest too!
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If you put the Session into Review Mode then that is exactly what HODs, HOYs etc can do! It does take some getting used to though if you have never used it! The class teacher can preview the report anyway. It you are using Profiles7 without adequate training then you could come up with some major issue!
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Ahhhhhhhhhhh................ That's senility setting in again then ................... Then again I always thought that the FMS Versions and the SIMS Versions were always the same - apart from the fact that FMS is obviously still in Version 6 format as opposed to SIMS being 7.
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It is working on Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard. I just checked 'cos I do have access to it even though I 'know nowt' (well not much anyway! )
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As I said - I ain't technical! We have moved to SQL Server 2008 (is that what you mean?). Or is this different? FMS is an instance there and is working ok.
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SIMS: Manage support staff absence without giving Personnel access.
Sivadam replied to pete's topic in MIS Systems
All CRs that have suitable backing are discussed, as far as I am aware. They certainly have been in the areas that I am interestd in. It's great when you can explain why you have voted strongly against a CR and you can explain exactly why it should not be adopted! More often than not the Product Managers already know anyway, but the look on some others' faces is a picture to behold! I diasgree about SupportNet - it is mainly easy to use. Solution search and the Forums are no less than brilliant but I do agree that the CR section is difficult to control. Some of the rubbish that some users request does show them up as users of SIMS who require a little extra training! The shear volume of CRs is also frightening! No wonder it is difficult to control and then act on! -
Hmmmmmmmmmm ............... One wonders why ours works then ............... Good job I ain't technical! Maybe I have misunderstood the jargon!
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Following the Software Consultation meeting a special Consultative Group was set up which is what I attended. I missed the final meeting that would pass the project as fit for inclusion in the Spring (March 31st) Release. It would then be tested again in the UAT for the Spring Release - which again I could not attend. The BETA is the same (or similar!) setup that UAT uses. I am assuming that the Spring Release is v7.128 as this is the one which follows the Autumn Upgrade which was v7.126 (as opposed the the Autumn Main Release which was v7.124). There could have been another after Autumn Upgrade, but I am unaware of it's numbering if there was!
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I know! I have been involved since Chris Sherwood first raised it at at one of the Software Consultation Meetings. I was one of the experienced Timetablers at the very first meeting when the specs were first discussed as well as attending the meeting to test the first build!
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SIMS: Manage support staff absence without giving Personnel access.
Sivadam replied to pete's topic in MIS Systems
Capita run Software Consultation meetings every year to which users are invited to attend. They are always advertised on SupportNet. Part of these meetings are dedicated to the discussion of CRs. Those CRs that are debated most are obviously those that are most popular (though I often bring up those that may be are not so well supported as a result of them referring to new functionality, that few people will be using!). The various different CRs relating to similar (or the same) requests are also coordinated in this discussion. Capita do listen - but they can only respond to those that voice their opions in the correct manner - i.e. constructive criticism. So, you guys out there that sometimes criticise Capita re the SIMS Software - you can do something about it! -
7.128 shouldn't be available yet except in Beta format for UAT etc. It's due out by COB on 31/03/2010. I had to decline UAT on this upgrade cos of having to pick up work from an absent colleague here. Pity, as I was in on testing the first build of the new NovaT type reporting. Missing the meeting(s) meant I could not see or test the improvements suggested for this new facility.