LMBR Feedback

Tasklist has been an issue. Sometimes cannot even open the list. As the list has quite a few on it becomes difficult to work out which have been checked and already started the actioning process. It would be a benefit to be able to highlight or at least mark in the tasklist in some way. Errors are being made by those entering the details in the Process Director in some cases with wrong company codes. Another problem I have found is – If you wish to attach a message this is not possible without a PO number which is not always available.

Additional staff only provided when we moved to the new system. SSC has improved but still expecting schools to contact suppliers if they make a mistake.

I would like to attend a meeting with the Dept as I am being to think that the Dept think the 229 staff are unteachable and that their programs are working. Do we just let them bring the programs in and sit back and watch it all crash?, but that would cause untold stress on the SASS in the schools. What do we do? it is a program design for corporate business and not for schools. NSW schools are run by people that are NOT finance (bursars and accountants) trained are usually self taught – nothing the dept provides could be called finance training in accrual accounting and that is what their program is based on – the wording – figures on all reports are corporate bases. But as I said they are going ahead with it.

I have reported quite a few incidents this week in regard to the SAP Tasklist. I was told by the SAP Helpdesk to send a feedback email in regard to the length of time we can stay in the tasklist before it times out. I work in a high school and try to keep the tasklist under control but even this week had about 20 in the list . Going in to the tasklist and using it successfully has been quite difficult. If it does open I am only able to print out about 4 invoices before it comes up with an error which must indicate it has timed out. I was told that I must log right out of everything including the portal to get it to work again. This is such a waste of time not to mention that today when I did do that I could not even log back into the DEC portal for about 15 mins.

Is it possible to make some kind of adjustment in the system to prevent the timing out whilst in the tasklist. I have attached a copy of the error message.

Another suggestion would be to enable us who use these tasklist to be able to highlight or mark in someway the tasks that have been looked at already in the way our emails show read and unread. This would help identify the items that we are already working on.

I hope these suggestion can be considered.

Anxiety levels at a high level. Told at training to teach GA’s how to submit petty cash applications. We do not have time to train them. Department should be training GA’s on what to do for petty cash applications.   Many SAM’s under duress with workload and falling ill with the pressures of the position now. Harrassment from Shared Services continually sending emails re work task lists (even if you are away on sick leave). Schools being contacted why they haven’t submitted orders for stock even though not required they are feeling badgered by ongoing questions of why they haven’t done certain areas. Harrassment from Shared Services not needed. We need to work at our own pace and do the job the best we can.

I am in group 2 ie Closing Oasis over next few days, Starting SAP next Tue. Found out this morning that teachers today have typed a note saying office will collect money over the next week for an event in 2 weeks which also will have payments & receipting required. No advance notice given, depite reminders to staff throughout this term that we are transitioning & they needed to see me about any planned events involving receipts / and or payments. Have told Principal, & suggested it may need to be postponed, asked how to “fix it ” ie hold money until needed etc. My response was that DET suggested that no major events be scheduled over transition time, it breaches my job conditions to suggest we hold unreceipted money on premises & may be she needed to choose what was most important at this time a quickly planned event or the major transition of LMBR & associated stresses that has already brought to SAM & SAO’s. Was told “its life that these things happen & that I need to learn to be flexible”

I consider my self a very flexible staff member always willing to work things out but these are unusual times.

I do consider that I have a very understanding & supportive Principal however due to other recent events & past experiences with a previous Principal feel I need this on record somewhere as I consider myself in danger of being either intimidated, or threatened with being listed as uncooperative & underperforming by expressing my concerns

Hi All, I am in Group 3 for training and have been told I need to travel to Ryde for this?? I live in xxxx, my school is in xxxx and the travel will be around 1 hour 25min each way in peak hour traffic. If I take the M7/M2 roads, tolls will be around $30 per day on top of the extra cost of petrol. I believe that this travel is excessive and will make an already intense time even harder. I have children with after school jobs that will need to be cancelled as I will not make it home to take them.

Is there any way to change my schools venue to xxxx?

Thanks so much!

I choose to do overtime because the system has made me feel incompetent… so in order to keep up with the requirements and not to let the teaching staff down and our Principal… I feel I need to do this.

The system is complicated and the reports are useless.

I am concerned about the travelling to training at xxxx. The traffic at the time in the morning is peak hour and the best way to go is down the M2 from my home address, however, the M2 at that time in the morning is a car park and to arrive on time I would have to leave extremely early, plus pay tolls both ways every day and I would be doing well over my normal work hours each day of training.

Training for LMBR for our school is at xxxx. This is unsuitable for many reasons. The time to get there, M2 is a car park at that time of the morning. It will take approx 1 hour plus to get there. I think it is unfair for us to have to travel so long, when there are other viable venues for us to attend.

Is the PSA aware that the DoE is advising new LMBR schools to contact particular 229 schools for help and advice. We didn’t receive help and advice until our principals called for help for us, nor did we receive 10 days training or given a list of casuals to fill in for us when we went to training……. I don’t mind helping anyone, but then pay us for being LMBR helpers and advisers or supply us with extra days to make up for the time we spend helping other schools…. My boss (who is a good boss) organised for the SAM and a SAO from a local new LMBR user to visit our school and that I would give them any assistance necessary. I didn’t know about this until I returned from sick leave on the day they were due to arrive!!! Again willing to help but who is going to pick up my work load after they leave…..!!!   This system has its good points but it is still toooooo clunky and so much more convoluted and yet we are expected to be accountants and IT specialists and being paid peanuts for our good will and natures. Please advise all new LMBR users not to STRESS about anything because as I have learned the hard way, the DoE don’t care about our/my health and well being as long as you get the work done.   If you don’t survive it they will get somebody else in and pay them peanuts to do the work. What would the DoE do if we all worked to RULE….. they would need a lot more people in their admin offices in schools !!! But while they are all being paid the big bickies we are being screwed….!!! There is a comment in this weeks SALM/Finance Update from Garry Raftery which says

‘news from Group 1 has been very positive, with the first 50 schools operating effectively’…… Is this his assessment or the 50 school users ….? Finished my rant for today, thank you.

I believe that the job of SAM has changed with the deployment of this system. I think the salaries should be reviewed in line with the responsibilities now.

An incident in relation to a down payment took 2 months for a response from Shared Services.

Issue: Overseas waiver is being applied to non overseas students when using bulk operation in EBS4. I was told that this is currently being investigated. The problem still exists yet the incident I raised has been ‘completed’. It should remain open until the problem has been fixed and the fix released to schools.

The closing of incidents that remain a problem is giving a false picture of the number of on-going problems we are facing.

Its great now that our school has switched to Sentral. There is a significant reduction in stress levels and it is now more appealing to come to work. Not having to deal with the helpdesk is a daily relief.

* Revised Work Instructions and QRGs much appreciated.

* Difficult to take part in Adobe Connect sessions due to interruptions.

* More time is required to introduce SASS work colleagues to LMBR components other than those they have become competent in using.

* It is impossible to train and do own work at the same time.

* There is still a strong reliance on the goodwill of SASS.

This is an ongoing issue. The tasklist will not reopen and you have to log out completely and log back in.

As I have said before the stress and frustration has made my xxxx worse and now we are being told that the Dept think that the 229 SAM’s are negative about everything and the system is fine. I did a report in SAP trying to find out what funds have come into the school other than RAM. There are funds come in with the posting code of 50 and we were told that until that code is changed to 40 the funds are not cleared. Maybe that has changed and I have not been told – waiting on the SSC to phone back re the incident I logged. If it is the case then I have funds coming into the school in Feb 2016 that still have not been cleared. Plus I logged and incident xxxx requesting someone to phone re the xxxx funds coming into the school and how I get a clear understanding of the GTIL funds and what teacher the funding is for as we have had no paperwork on the funding. Still waiting for help – but remember I am a 229 SAM – negative.

I have been employed as a permanent employee of the xxxx for more than 5 years. I commenced employment through a transfer starting week 2 term 4, 2015 to xxxx. This is a 229 school and the SAM was xxxx. xxxx began teaching me the basics of LMBR such as the banking and attendance but being a new school for me I also had to learn the general running of the office. xxxx 3 weeks later was seconded to xxxx. xxxx who had been a casual SAO at this school returned to take up the relieving SAM position. xxxx had only limited experience on SAP finance. This left no one with experience to train either of us. We have been sharing the relieving SAM position since term 2 2016 and in that time I have had to learn through self teaching, using the Quick reference guides and trying to find time to do Adobe connect sessions but mostly batting through with limited time and many calls to Edconnect. We had a 1 day session with xxxx and xxxx which equated to 3 hours each of instruction. This while informative was no where near enough. Since then we have had no training other than Adobe Connect sessions which we struggle to find time to watch because the office is so busy. We are constantly stressed, frustrated and exhausted by this constant barrage of work with lack of instruction. This is not acceptable and it urgently needs to be addressed. I am extremely capable and with the right training I can run this office both professionally and proficiently. The session with xxxx and xxxx was held on the xxxx and this is the only training I have been given which is a total of approximately 3 hours and whilst it was informative I urgently need more training. From xxxx I will be relieving SAM full time, xxxx will be leaving due to the workload and lack of training and support. This is an urgent issue that needs addressing. URGENT!