Many schools are now beginning to or have already started constructing their timetable for the next academic year. Because of the current COVID-19 restrictions that are in place many timetablers are having to do this at home rather than in their school.
Whilst many organisations have remote desktop connection or VPN facilities to access their school systems from anywhere, some still struggle because of their internet connections or because the school's remote connection facilities were never designed to handle as many connections as they are having to do at the moment.
If you are a user of Capita SIMS then it is likely that you use Nova-T6 to create your school timetable. Generally, this is accessed via the menu structure when you are already logged into SIMS. However, it is possible to use Nova-T6 as a standalone installation known as Nova Satellite. This is a full version of Nova-T6 and has all the features of the standard Nova-T6 installation, but it is installed as an application in its own right rather than being part of the complete SIMS install.
Nova Satellite is easy to install and if you already have a license for NOVA-T6 then you will have access to the satellite version too. If you need this to be installed it's worth talking to your IT department and asking them to install it for you. If they aren't familiar with installing it, we are happy to assist, simply e-mail info@azure-rd.com.
If you use Nova Satellite, then it's worth taking the time to consider how you will save the files that you've created. It is highly advised that you save the files onto a cloud-based storage facility such as OneDrive or similar. This will allow you to access the same file from wherever you are, and also means that if you have to do some work on the timetable once you are back in school, you can access the files quicky and easily.
Using cloud-based file storage is also beneficial if you are working on an existing timetable remotely. In some cases, schools will have someone in school making some changes and someone at home making some changes too. If the timetable file is stored in the cloud it can be accessed by both parties working on the timetable. Note that if you do this, it's worth creating a mechanism so that the other person is aware that you are currently editing the file so you don't end up working on two different files and overwriting each other's work!
If you would like further information or guidance on how to implement Nova-T6 as a satellite installation, either contact us via e-mail at info@azure-rd.com or call us on 01924 926236.