This topic contains 22 replies, has 10 voices, and was last updated by 
Martin West 5 years, 10 months ago.
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AnonymousSo.. I know we have been moaning for some time about the fact that FIS still defaults to 13-14 on opening. I am aware that this is a ‘known issue’ but I thought I’d email the SFA just to see if there was any progress on this. The response I received just told me to “Click Tools and select 1415” – in case I didn’t already know that!
It may just be me but I find this reply incredibly patronising. I am aware that SFA staff monitor this board so am posting in the hope of maybe getting a more useful response. I also mentioned still being prompted to download 13-14 updates but got no answer on that one.
Rant over!
AnonymousHi Philip
This fix is I understand scheduled for release in R08 fix cycle.
Trevor.
Trevor,
You know that, but why don’t the support people know that so they could give a meaningful response.
I have logged the same call more than once with a vague response from support staff.
Not helpfullThe more people that say it the way it is the better, good on yer. The problem we have is that civil servants, politicians etc. are more interested in self-preservation than actually solving problems and actually moving forward in a tangible way. No doubt the response, or lack of, is taking the party line. I do actually feel sorry for those people on the front line on the help desk as they are taking the brunt of the now increasing anger in the sector for the faceless wonders who think they know what they are doing. The people I have had reason to communicate with over the past 12 months or more at the SFA from the contract management perspective are just as frustrated believe me.
I agree, it’s not just you! There is a customer satisfaction survey for February doing the rounds, but doesn’t give the opportunity to give feedback such as this. Oh, I see from the above that they are taking notice of these posts, but why haven’t all of us who have reported this issue (as long ago as November) been informed that our incident number is finally being resolved?
I support your rant.
I suppose that this whole project has cost far more than expected and that priority is given to fixing things that are really broken. Thus something like this might be classified as irritating, but not mission critical or a show-stopper.
However I do have to agree that this far in to the academic year when panic mode does seem to have subsided somewhat, I do think that someone should have their eye on the ball and not just ignore problems like this.
My rant over.
Between reading Phlip’s original post and writing and posting my own, I see that many others have already contributed.
Thank you for Trevor for being on the ball and responding so promptly, but as others say, why is there still such a veil of secrecy over things like this, and why is FeConect becoming the route to discover things instead of the normal traditional routes? Something does seem very wrong within the SFA empire, in my opinion.
AnonymousHi all
As you are I believe all aware the Service Desk became part of CDS when the Data Service ceased to exist. The desk is based the length and breadth of England rather than here in Coventry. Here in the Collections Management Team we are looking at how we improve the communication between the developers & release teams, through ourselves and out to the Service Desk in the field. What was a simple exercise in one building requires a complete rethink in the restructured SFA.
We are only too aware that lack of information on progress does not help. The same applies internally as well as to you the provider community.
Trevor
Slightly off topic, but can’t wait to see what happens in September if the employers are expected to cope with this due to the funding reforms!
Is it worth raising a change request now for FIS to default to the 15/16 year, so that it gets implemented by, maybe, next January ?
Look in the Blog section above on the forum and you will find they have already told us that they are planning to update FIS
Thank you, Martin, I was just about to post the same thing.
The link to the blog is: http://feconnect.education.gov.uk/blog/category/data-collection-systems/
We also mentioned the blog post in the latest copy of Inform, which we circulated last week. If you don’t receive Inform direct to your inbox, you can sign up by emailing informnewsletter@sfa.bis.gov.uk.
You can see Inform at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-inform
Best wishes
Chris
My thanks to Trevor for posting such an honest response – refreshing!
AnonymousThanks for all replies. I must admit I missed that blog but do wonder why they couldn’t tell me that information when I asked the question.
AnonymousPossibly but what do you want it to default to in the period until October when both years are open?
I expect lots of differing opinions there
Trevor
Hmmm, two differing opinions anyway :). Seriously, I would always default to the current year. Yes there will always be a need to reset one way or another during the ‘dual-year’ running but I would imagine the new year is the more commonly used and the old year gradually runs down.
I agree with @offs – I think it should always default to the current academic year between 1st August and 31st July, because that is just simple and easy to understand.
Caspar
Hi Trevor,
A good question but how about a user setting where you select and set the default year it opens with then it is down to the user.
HTHSo long as the year default is retained better than the current defaults seem to be, there’s no harm in it being user defined.
Hi OFFS,
I am not sure that I understand your comment with regard to the current defaults as I only know of the two known issues and both of these are addressed in the update planned for R08There are only the following defaults, [Data Provider], [PDSAT Location], [Workspace Location], [Stored Versions], [DataSet and References Options], [Storage Settings] and [Template] and these all work for me except the following:
[DataSet and References Options] this should save what the user selects as default values to be used during the session and when FIS is started.
Preferences [Data Provider] while there is not really a requirement for this field as the Default for all could be ‘SKILLS FUNDING AGENCY’ if the SFA need this option in FIS then Providers should be able to select the data provider required.
Both of these are known issues and I do not know of any other issues with other defaults not being retained but if you have experienced differently I am sure the SFA will want to know.
RegardsHi,
For what its worth, this has been raised at the Technical User Group and it was explained that it is being looked. It is a pain, but they have not forgotten it.
Believe me… they can’t with me reminding them lol
Paul.
Martin, fortunately for my sanity I don’t use FIS a lot but I find that sometimes the defaults are lost following an update, including things like Data Provider (and again, surely this should just be set automatically ?). Also my ‘procedures to execute’ get lost following some updates ?
Well done Paul, just a shame that such simple things require such an effort from busy people !Hi OFFS,
Yes I have experienced similar but are these important issues?
The default selection for a component is saved in the component set and when an update contains a new component set the defaults will need to be saved again, it is not a fault it is just how FIS is set up to work.
It could be changed to copy the settings from those previously saved but I believe that they are concentrating on more important issues at present but I do not doubt that they will take on board your comments.
Regards
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