Anyone using SIMS as their HR system? - General - HR in Schools and Academies

13 Anyone using SIMS as their HR system?

4 May, 2017 10:02

A month ago I began a new role working within the HR team for a group of independent schools. The HR software we use is SIMS and, compared to systems I've used in the past, I really do not like it. I appreciate that SIMS is more geared towards being an effective tool for teachers and students, however the personnel side of the system does not, in my opinion, carry a vast majority of the functions I feel is needed to be an effective HR software solution or help us to do our job efficiently. Does anyone feel the same, or am I just not aware yet of the many things SIMS can do and it's actually an amazing system?!

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GEORGINA TYLER-COLE | 0 Posts

18 Jun, 2017 00:01

Hi Lindsey

I do use SIMS but alongside EXCEL. It may well be that SIMS is not being used to the fullest potential and I definitely wouldn't say that it is an amazing system, but I can pull quite a bit of information from it. I am wondering if all the contract information is being entered onto SIMS? If not then this would definitely limit the usefulness of the system.
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Fiona Maclachlan-Morris | 0 Posts

20 Jun, 2017 15:02

SIMS is a very clunky and not very user friendly HRMIS but do be wary of going for anything that claims SIMS compatibility as they do not always deliver what they promise ...
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Simon Leicester | 0 Posts

1 Jul, 2017 11:52

One thing the users of a system can do is form a 'user group' to lobby the software vendor with feedback (suggestions for improvements/enhancements to their system. If the vendor has a decent development budget available, this can be a win-win. The vendor makes their product more valuable (customer loyalty) and probably gains market share. The users get something that meets more of their information management needs. Does SIMS have an active user group amongst schools yet?

Secondly, for schools that choose to make SIMS their core Management Information System, it makes sense to use it as much as possible to capture HR information (with suitable user access rights to restrict access to sensitive HR information on a need to know basis). Keep lobbying the vendor and everyone will benefit!
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Alex | 0 Posts

18 Jul, 2017 00:06

Coming from an independent school that had a payroll/HR software, which was heavily criticised as not being fit for purpose, to a LA (now academy) I really dislike SIMS. I acknowledge that I don't know SIMS as well as I knew previous software, but so many reporting/mail merge functions seem to be missing. Our previous system would email us reminders and generate letters at the touch of a button. I very much feel the same, but the advantage is everyone uses it. Using the bespoke system we often found that, (for example) address were not updated as staff could see they had been updated in SIMS so it just didn't occur to them to let the payroll dept know. SIMS with data is better than an HR system without.
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Robey | 0 Posts

18 Jul, 2017 10:18

Not having heard of this HRIS before, I momentarily thought this:

And now I can't stop thinking about what it would be like as a workplace modelling tool...
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Ioannis Mitrokotsas | 0 Posts

27 Feb, 2018 19:17

Hi Lindsey,

I am glad you are asking about SIMS. I started recently using SIMS and I do not find IT very user friendly for HR purposes. However all the school has some access to it and they very happy. At the moment I am having problems of compatibility between cover and absences. I hope the spring update will bring some good features. If you find any good solutions please share them.
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Elaine Snell | 0 Posts

2 Mar, 2018 11:53

Hi Lindsey

I also use SIMs. It seems to me that SIMs records Personnel Information to meet the requirements of the School Workforce Census. I would love to have a fully automated Personnel MIS but budgets won't allow. I find it particularly difficult to run reports - I always end up with masses of entries and then have to spend time deleting stuff before I get a report containing the information I actually need! Even after attending a training course on Reporting from SIMs - I still can't get the hang of it.

However, if there anything specifically you wanted to do from SIMs - let us know and maybe we have found a way which can be shared on this thread.

Regards
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Nicola | 0 Posts

7 Mar, 2018 08:37

I am interested in this because we are considering moving away from our current system and SIMS is one of the options but it would appear its not any better than our current system. On another note does anyone out there have a good CPD management system that they use?
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Sasha | 0 Posts

21 Apr, 2018 01:21

In reply to Nicola:
We use https://login.schoolip.co.uk for cpd.
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asha shah | 0 Posts

23 Apr, 2018 16:18

Hi

I used to use SIMS, intially I had the same view but it is capable of a lot more than we think. In the end I loved it.
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Shirley | 0 Posts

17 Aug, 2018 12:03

I have been asked to review our SIMS HR system to begin to use it more efficiently for recording staff attendance, absence, training, etc. At the moment I use it only to satisfy school workforce census. I have also been asked to review the system for it to work alongside SIMS payroll. Any tips on how I could use the HR module further.
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Teresa | 0 Posts

17 Aug, 2018 16:55

SIMS is developed by Capita ... 'nuf said :(
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Sasha | 0 Posts

18 Aug, 2018 07:28

In reply to Shirley:
Hi, we use Sims, albeit alongside a payroll platform and various spreadsheets. Sims can be used for your SCR! We got School Buisness Services in (who provide the software to us. Part of our contract has a certain amount of service including training so we got them in to give me some training on how to use the system more effectively) and they showed me how I can create a SCR from sims. I use it for absence/attendance management effectively. It’s also used for cover purposes. Re absence monitoring, daily I record sickness absence. I then do an absence search on every person absence (although I’ve been doing it over three years so I know off the top of my head whose hit a trigger) to pull off their absence record to see if they’ve got a trigger or not. I also record the return to work/self/doctors certificates on there. You can scan them and attach also to the employee sims record if you wish. I’m not crazy about Sims but it’s actually better than we think. You just need to know how to use it.
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