2024/2025 Service Definition

SIMS Software and Administration Systems Support

About the Service

Lancashire County Council Education Digital Services provide a range of support options for SIMS. Our support service ensures your school's management information system effectively supports your staff to:

  • Manage and administer student and staff data.
  • Assist in curriculum, planning and academic performance monitoring.
  • Financial management and strategic planning.
  • Evidence compliance with statutory regulations.

What are the benefits?

Our SIMS Support services provides your school with access to a team of SIMS support and technical staff who will provide you with:

  • Specialist support to help your staff understand and make the best use of your school's data using your SIMS system.
  • Technical support to keep SIMS running smoothly, ensuring the effective management of your business-critical system.
  • Support services designed with security and data protection as their underlying core principles.
  • A service that is designed to minimise occurrences of downtime.

What's Included?

Service Features

Recommended Support Option

Support Option

 Description

SIMS Managed Service
  • Support for your staff in the use of your SIMS software.
  • Our highest level of support for your school's SIMS system and is the option recommended for all schools.
  • Managed upgrades to SIMS software.
  • Support for the key devices used to access SIMS.
  • Support for enabling access to the SIMS NextGen "Slices"

We also offer SIMS Software Only, SIMS Finance Only and SIMS Basic support options – please refer to the Features Comparison table below for more information.

Service Features Comparison Table

Our recommended support option is SIMS Managed Service. This service option provides a comprehensive support package to ensure the effective running of your SIMS system.

Our features table illustrates the differing levels of our support available on other options. Please note, we have specific requirements that your SIMS and ICT systems will need to meet before we can provide you with our SIMS Managed Service option. These ensure that we can provide you with our highest level of support, protecting your data and system security (See Customer Requirements).

SIMS Application Support for School Staff

Description of Features Included

SIMS
Managed Service

SIMS
Software
Only

SIMS
Finance
Only

 SIMS
Basic
Support

Support for School Staff

Telephone and remote support for specific software problems and features as listed:

  • Support on SIMS software functionality.
  • Using the SIMS FMS module.
  • Support for Statutory Returns including documentation, resources and free annual roadshows.
  • Support in using Microsoft Office Word and Excel with SIMS.
 YES YES SIMS FMS ONLY YES

Software Management

  • Release relevant patches and upgrades for SIMS, FMS, Discover and SOLUS3.
  • Comprehensive testing programme for ESS SIMS upgrades and patches, prior to release to schools.
 YES YES YES YES

SIMS Software Managed Upgrade

  • Fully managed support for the installation of relevant SIMS patches and upgrades ensuring minimal disruption to schools.
  • We will also perform relevant upgrades to SOLUS and SIMS Services Manager.
 YES YES YES

NO

(All patches and upgrades released to SOLUS only for self-serve installation by your third-party ICT support)

Reports and Filesets

  • Support for the download and installation of standard report definitions and filesets.
 YES YES

YES

(Application
level support
only)

YES

(Application
level support
only)

Documentation

Access to over 200 comprehensive SIMS guidance documents, all prepared by our SIMS specialists providing invaluable help for school staff. Topics include:

  • Using SIMS software
  • Statutory Returns
  • Information and features
  • Sample SIMS reports and templates
  • Post-upgrade procedures
 YES YES

SIMS FMS FEATURES ONLY

(Documents for other areas of SIMS are excluded)
 YES

SIMS NextGen Slices

  • Support for configuring access to the SIMS NextGen "Slices"
 YES YES

N/A

 YES

SIMS Technical Support

Description of Features Included

SIMS
Managed Service

SIMS
Software Support Only

SIMS
FMS
Support
Only

 SIMS
Basic
Support

Support for SIMS servers (Domain and Peer-to-Peer)

  • Configuration and operation of SIMS server and the SIMS application.
  • Where applicable, SQL, DNS, DHCP and file services as relevant to deliver SIMS.
  • Firmware patching for physical SIMS servers supplied by us.
 YES NO NO NO

Support for Admin office PCs and PCs/Laptops running SIMS or FMS

  • Technical support for subscribed ESS SIMS applications.
  • Technical support for Microsoft Office and Microsoft Operating Systems as used with SIMS.
  • Investigation into SIMS failures.
  • Arranging warranty repair for failed units, provided they are still in warranty and were purchased through us.
  • Restoration of functionality following warranty repair of failed systems.
 YES NO NO NO

SIMS NextGen Technical Support

  • Support for SSM and Dex on the schools SIMS Server.
 YES NO N/A

NO

 

Feature Description
Support from our ICT Service Centre & SIMS Support Team

Telephone and online fault reporting via our ICT Service Centre with escalation routes ensuring that if your school does experience problems with the service, that our staff are focused on solving your issues.

Online: By our "My ICT Incidents" reporting form on our website
Telephone (Please ensure you choose the correct option):  

  • 0300 123 6797 (Option 1) for SIMS Technical Support, including technical issues experienced during a SIMS upgrade.
  • 0300 123 6797 (Option 3) for SIMS application support for school staff.

Operational from 8am to 5pm (Monday – Friday excluding Bank Holidays and statutory leave days)

Notes:

  • Customers on the SIMS Managed Service option should always contact us first for SIMS support for all devices covered by the support agreement. We will quickly assess the problem you are experiencing and identify the appropriate resolution.
  • Customers on SIMS Basic support should initially contact their third-party ICT support to check the deployment schedule for SIMS upgrades on SOLUS, and for hardware and technical support for SIMS devices. All SIMS application support calls will be taken by our ICT Service Centre – see tables above.

Customer Requirements for each SIMS Support Option:

Each support option has specific requirements, which your ICT and SIMS systems need to meet:

Requirement

SIMS Managed Service

SIMS Software Support Only

SIMS
FMS
Support
Only

Basic

(Default where third party restricts our access)

SOLUS to be installed and available on the SIMS server so we can release upgrades and patches to it.

 Required Required Required Required

SOLUS scheduling to be switched on at all times (allows automatic deployment).

 Required Required Required Not
Required

SIMS Server to be switched on, connected to the network, and remotely accessible at all times including holidays, evenings and weekends.

 Required Required Required

Not
Required

Our MECM (Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager) client to be installed on the SIMS Server and any supported desktops/laptops to allow us to provide remote management of SIMS (additional licences required).

 Required Not Required Not
Required

Not
Required

Devices using ESS products must meet the minimum requirements published in the Technical Roadmap in the support section of our website (this includes Microsoft and ESS requirements).

 Required Required Required

Required

Devices must meet our build standards.

 Required Not
Required		 Not
Required

Not
Required

We must hold unique administration level account credentials for the SIMS server and workstations, the SIMS application, SOLUS and SQL.

 Required Required Required

Not
Required

All devices must have an active, current and up to date anti-virus product, Sophos Anti-Virus & Threat Protection, installed.

 Required Required Required Required

We must be able to use our preferred remote access tool to support school staff who use SIMS (currently ISL-Light).

Required

Also includes ISL AlwaysOn (see Additional Info)
 Required Required

Not
Required

Your school provides an agreed remote access service e.g., ISL to enable us to remotely provide support for ESS products.

 N/A N/A N/A

Required

Full administrator rights to support SIMS installations on Class Teacher's laptops.

 Required Required
Support for SIMS on Teachers laptops not offered with this option
Support for SIMS on Teachers laptops not offered with this option

Your system must be protected by our RBUSS backup Service.

 Required Not
Required		 Not
Required

Not
Required