SIMS FMS Private Fund Database Set Up Service

About the Service

The SIMS FMS Private Fund Database Setup Service involves our SIMS FMS specialists creating an additional customised FMS database for your school, to enable you to manage your school's private funds. It is installed on your existing SIMS FMS installation and is accessed via a database selector (DB Selector), which allows you to choose which SIMS FMS database to open.

Having an additional database within SIMS FMS allows you to record income and expenditure relating to your school's private funds in a secure, audited system. The financial year can run from September to August or April to March depending on your school's requirements.

A separate financial structure can be set up to meet your school's individual requirements.

What are the benefits?

SIMS FMS provides a familiar financial management system for school staff.
Time saving - No need to spend time learning a new system if you are already familiar with FMS
Cost Centre structures and Ledger Codes will be customised for your school's requirements.
Record all totalled receipts, all expenditure, banking and generate full accounting reports.
Reports are provided in the same format as the School Budget Share FMS database.
The database is installed by Lancashire County Council Education Digital Services and a consultancy from a SIMS FMS specialist is provided as part of the initial setup.
Installation includes a "Getting Started with SIMS FMS Private Funds" guidance document.
Upgrades to your Private Funds database will be managed as part of your SIMS support option
Annual support from our ICT Service Centre is included.
The SIMS FMS Private Funds system is fully auditable.
Documents giving guidance on "Opening the New Financial Year" and "Closing the Old Financial Year" will be emailed to schools in either March or August.
Adaptable - Can be used with any third-party income system e.g. Parent Pay
More efficient and secure than keeping details on a spreadsheet

What's Included?

Service Features

Feature	Description
Installation	The installation of a blank SIMS FMS database on the school's server and configuration of the SIMS FMS Database selector. Installation of the database will be carried out remotely.
Configuration of the new database	An on-site visit or remote consultancy will be provided by one of our SIMS FMS experts. They will configure the new system for private funds and tailor it to your school's requirements. The SIMS FMS database is used to record all totalled receipts, all expenditure, banking and to generate full accounting reports.
Consultation Services and FMS Overview	An overview of the new system and associated processes. The on-site consultancy or remote consultancy session also provides the school with the opportunity to address any areas of SIMS FMS they are unfamiliar with.
Documentation	"Getting Started with SIMS FMS Private Funds" document and annual financial year end documentation.

What's Excluded?

Following sign-off of the consultancy service, no further amendments or support for the SIMS FMS Private Fund Database are included. Further issues or queries with the SIMS FMS Private Fund Database Set-Up Service should be logged with the Lancashire County Council Education Digital Services Service Centre using our My Incidents online form or via 0300 123 6797 (option 1).
The annual support charge excludes additional consultancy or changes to the setup configuration. Individual pupil payments are recorded via ParentPay or other third-party products, not in the SIMS FMS database.

Additional Information

Is there anything I need to have in place before I can use this Service?

In order to use this service, your school will need to subscribe to one of our SIMS Software and Administration System Support Service options.
Your school will need to have SIMS FMS operational on a SIMS server, hosted within the school to use this service.
The server will need to be accessible remotely by our engineers.

Will there be any additional licensing charges to use this service?

Please contact ESS direct for a quote on additional databases. The use of a second database will not incur an additional ESS licence charge or ESS Annual Maintenance charges, however for each additional database thereafter (up to the maximum limit of six) you will incur an additional ESS licence charge.
In addition, our charges for installation and support are quoted per database.