AnyComms Plus and SAP Integration

Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) Joanna Preston Sarah Sewell

Background

• In 2011, BCC had been using AVCO’s AnyComms software to securely transfer files between our 230+ schools and the LA for over 10 years • The system was being used across Children and Young Peoples Services, Finance and Human Resources, transferring in excess of 20,000 files a year • Figures for that academic year, suggested that file volume had increased by over 15% and rising • Each time we wanted a new file type sent to schools, had to get IT to write a new script

• Chance phone call with Jeanette at Southampton resulted in a demonstration of AnyComms Plus • Immediately saw the huge potential of the new version, but we realised could have a problem with Finance files particularly VAT • Decided we needed a phased approach to move all schools and those teams in the LA currently using the system onto AnyComms Plus • School Management Support Team would be first to send and receive files such as the School Census, SWF Census, FSM Eligibility Checking files, Data Analysis files etc • All other files, including VAT and Reconciliation files, to be sent via the “old” file transfer facility

October 2011

Initial Timeline

Piloted new system with 15 schools, including a mix of different school types, sizes etc Nov 2011 Series of presentations/demonstrations to schools about new system December 2011 All schools asked to nominate a user for each of the 3 roles Admin/Office, Headteacher and Bursar/Finance January 2012 All schools asked to send their School Census via AnyComms Plus (only 2 used the “old” system – 1 PRU and the other sent it on both!)

Sending VAT Files to LA

Using old version of AnyComms

• School placed all files needed for the VAT return into their LEA Outbox • Script had been written that merged the files and then archived them after sending the single VAT return file to the LA • Once VAT file received by LA, another script “bundled” all the school files together to create a single file for importing into SAP

Sending VAT Files to the LA

Using AnyComms Plus

• Process of creating

VAT Monthly Return

files by schools within FMS not changed. The destination directory where these files are saved from FMS remains as

S:Drive | SIMS |Transfer |Out

• Schools need to transfer the 3 or 4 files that make up their VAT return, which will then be automatically imported into SAP as a single file • The system is set up to check the file names and the number of files a school is trying to send. It expects the following files to be transferred together • VAT • BK1 and/or BK2 • Petty Cash

Sending VAT Files to the LA

• If a school tries to upload a different type of file they get an error message. They will also get an error message if they try to send the wrong combination of files, for example if they try to send the VAT and BK1 file, but not the Petty Cash • Originally schools need to remember to archive their files before next VAT return, but their IT Support have written a script that now does this for them

VAT files found via the Browse button and File Type VAT selected

VAT files sent successfully – note receipt is for the single merged VAT file received by SAP

To view transferred files, choose View File Transfer Records from home page

To see which individual files were included in the single merged file received for SAP, click on the arrow beside the VAT file name to see detail in description box.

Sending VAT Files to the LA

• Email notification to schools confirming file has been sent • Files on the AnyComms Plus Server merged into a single file and then transferred to the SAP System on a daily basis by means of an AnyComms Plus client • Client automatically transfers files at 6.30am each morning • Similar process also used to merge individual school Imprest and Invoices into single file which is then transferred into SAP

Other benefits ….

• Automated AnyComms client also means files can be sent out to schools • Examples include – HR Changes file – PN41 file – SAP reconciliation • LA Team creates files for all or a group of schools which are then automatically transferred next morning • Once client has transferred the file(s) then automated email sent to schools • Full audit trail of file transfers, can view either individual transfers or collective view of all transfers

Monday 23

rd

April

• After extensive testing of these procedures, agreed to move

ALL

secure file transfers onto the AnyComms Plus website • Old system “turned off” on this date so if schools tried to use the File Transfer icon on their desktop, files were not transferred and they saw an error message

Progress to date ……….

Files being sent between schools and the LA via AnyComms Plus….

• School Census Returns • School Workforce Census Returns • PRU Census Returns • FSME Checking Files • FFE Funding (3&4 year old funding claims) • Early Years Census Returns • KS1 Results • KS2 Results (Teacher Assessments) • EYFSP Results • CASPA Data • Yr1 Phonics Check Results • DR/CR List • VAT Files • Invoices • Imprest (Petty Cash Claims) • Admission Allocations • September Guarantee Also all performance and contextual data analysis provided by SMST containing pupil level data

What next…..?

• Encouraging all our Early Years settings to use AnyComms Plus to send and receive their EEF claim forms – not quite as straightforward as working with our schools!

• Other teams within LA interested in using AnyComms Plus – already had meetings with SEN and Child Protection colleagues • Currently updating user details for all our schools