SIMS Next Gen jargon buster

Whenever we hear about new technology there is inevitably new terminology that comes up. Here we explain two new concepts: SIMS ID and Slices. 

What is SIMS ID? 

SIMS ID is underlying technology that makes sure SIMS users have access to the Next Gen elements of SIMS.   

SIMS ID is a technology that works in the background. It is the authentication that ensures users are authorised by the school to carry out specific tasks. For example, one such task might be ‘taking the register in SIMS Next Gen’ which is called, unsurprisingly, ‘Take Register.’  

For most users SIMS ID is completely invisible in day-to-day use, but it’s essential for secure access to the MIS data. 

Scomis is implementing SIMS ID on behalf of our Hosted Application Service customers. And we will provide ESS’s documentation for our non-Hosted customers too. 

What are slices?  

SIMS Next Gen slices are ESS’s way of delivering cloud-based functionality in a measured and controlled manner. If you took all the tasks undertaken in the MIS and ‘sliced’ them up into individual areas, you obtain a ‘slice.’  

Or, in cake terms, imagine you’ve got a whole SIMS 7 cake, perhaps a Victoria sponge. This is your current SIMS. And now imagine a Next Gen cake – a splendid chocolate cake. 

Now slice out the tiniest sliver from your SIMS 7 Victoria Sponge, and replace it with the tiniest sliver of SIMS Next Gen chocolate cake. You’ve still got a whole SIMS cake, but now a tiny slice of it is chocolate cake instead of Victoria sponge. Or, in SIMS terms, you’ve still got a whole SIMS cake, but a piece of it is now Next Gen instead of SIMS 7. 

However you like to look at it, the first slice available will be Take Register – a simple slice of functionality for teachers enabling them to perform that task quickly and efficiently, in a brand new simple-to-use interface. 

As ESS move more functionality to the Next Gen platform, it will be through additional slices of functionality, such as an Assessment Mark Sheets slice. Slices will also be developed to add any more essential functionality, based on school feedback. 

You can find out more about SIMS Next Gen from ESS here.