This post discusses options for the Cloud database as well as for the Legacy database.Different resources and situations mean there are different approaches to data entry. Here are the most common:
When there are multiple people with access to the database during club time:1.
With any internet connected devices - PCs, tablets, phones (For the Cloud database):
Multiple people (commander, secretaries, leaders) can log in from a PC (Windows App or Web App) or from a phone or tablet (Web App). This makes live data entry easy since multiple people can each do a little bit of the work as clubbers arrive (attendance data) and say sections (handbook data). The work is distributed instead of all done by one person. Data for the club session is available immediately on the Web App's Club > Today pages. Formal reports can be printed through the Windows App's Reports module.
2.
For PCs with a wired/wireless network connection {For the Legacy database - this situation requires multiple licenses.}:Say there is a networked notebook PC available for each club (Cubbies, Sparks and T&T). Select one PC to be the file server. This 'server' will be the only computer with the program loaded on it in a shared folder. It will hold all of the data for all of the clubs. The other PCs will only have a shortcut to the database that resides on the 'server' PC.
Each club director or secretary that has a notebook does data entry live during club time. Since they are ONLY dealing with clubbers and visitors in their own club, records can be filtered to streamline data entry. Any/all of the reports are available to be run that night.
For more information on using a PC as a server, see this post:
https://www.approvedworkman.com/forum/index.php?topic=287.0.
3.
For non-networked PCs {For the Legacy database - this situation requires multiple licenses.}:
Say there is a notebook PC available for each club (Cubbies, Sparks and T&T) but none are connected to a network. One secretary will maintain the Primary database and check-out Secondary databases on USB flash drives to the other secretaries. Each secretary will enter and edit their own data during club time. At the end of club, the USB flash drives are turned back into the main secretary. The main secretary will then check-in the Secondary databases to the Primary database.
For more details on the Check-out/Check-in process, including videos, see this post:
https://www.approvedworkman.com/forum/index.php?topic=145.0.
When there is no access to the database during club time (this most often applies to the
Legacy database, but could apply to the
Cloud database also if internet access is poor at the church or it is preferred to not use phones for access):
Before club time, print the Check-in and Progress Report Worksheets for each club (grouped based on how clubbers are organized). Distribute them to the leaders/listeners to record attendance and mark off completed sections as well as collect info on any visitors. After club, the worksheets are returned to the secretary who uses them for data entry before the next club night. Then, fresh worksheets are printed that include the up-to-date information.
Even without direct data entry during club time, this approach is still much faster and more accurate than transferring hand-written listener records into each clubber's master record. Listeners check a few boxes on the worksheet (for attendance and misc categories) and note the completed sections (e.g. "Disc 3:3, 3:4"). The leaders/directors do not have to calculate points or determine awards because the program handles that. It also provides additional information through various reports that would be impractical to do manually.
Entering data from a club session can be done pretty quickly. Except for the keystrokes required to enter Visitor details, all the club session data may be entered using a mouse. Using this approach, awards earned for a club session would generally be given out during the next club session once the database determines the awards. Print the Awards List report and use it to 'pull' the relevant awards and tag them to be presented during the next club session.
When one person has access to the database during club time (this most often applies to the
Legacy database, but could apply to the
Cloud database where one secretary chooses to use the Windows App):
This is similar to the option for no access during club time in that Check-in and Progress Report worksheets are printed and given to leaders. However, instead of doing data entry after club is over, worksheets are collected following book time for data-entry. For the Legacy database or the Cloud database's Windows App, the Awards List report can be printed and used to present awards that night. There are also reports for Attendance statistics and Birthday Lists. The Check-in grid can be used to see points for individuals or determine Team points. (In the Cloud database's Web App, use the Club > Today pages to get information on Attendance, Awards, Birthdays, Team Points, and Visitors.)
Note: A very popular derivation of this is to have clubbers "go see" the secretary during book time after a completed section is signed-off. The secretary then checks off the newly completed section for that clubber. Those are the most common scenarios, but many clubs have unique situations and use a combination of strategies. If you would like additional recommendations for a specific situation, please contact customer support. We'd be happy to have a conversation about how to improve efficiency!
