Access control specialist, TDSi, has developed a security integration module specifically to interface TDSi eXguard PRO access management software with School Information Management System (SIMS) from Capita.
Such packages are increasingly being used in education to help establishments manage their student enrolment data, attendance records and academic performance more effectively. They also play an important role in the planning of timetables and curriculum courses, as well as in the maintenance of staff data and the control of finances and resources.
Like many universities, schools and colleges, Harrow High School introduced SIMS to help manage, analyse and report on the information that it needed to keep for staff and students, including a range of personal and academic performance records.
However, the school also maintained a database of staff and pupils to manage its security and access control systems and even though much of the required data was common to SIMS, the two systems were managed completely independently. The school identified that not only would the integration of the two databases represent an area for potential cost saving, but also presented an opportunity to reduce the risk of data error posed by double entry.
Working with specialist installer, Capstan Security, a detailed system specification was produced and TDSi's technical team embarked on developing the solution. TDSi's Sales Manager, Tony Wedgwood explained: "Essentially student's information would be input into the SIMS database, but to receive their access control card, they would then have to go to the security department and give many of the same details over again. Capstan identified the key requirements for an integrated solution, which would deliver some key performance benefits to the school immediately, as well as allowing scope for further system developments in the future".
In response to the brief, TDSi developed a plug-in module for eXguard PRO, which would take the applicable data straight from SIMS and directly populate the access control system database, making security and access rights an integral and immediate element of the formal enrolment process.
The new module allows for great flexibility in operation. For example, it may be configured to give certain groups access rights for different parts of the school campus. Or, so that specific groups may be tagged as ‘trackable' by the security system once their cards are used to access preset areas. Standard management reports can be run directly from the system to monitor security and movement.
Tony continued: "Having gone through field trials, the new system is now successfully in operation and delivering key benefits to the school. The data entry workload has considerably reduced and so have operational costs and the risk of error. And because the security system is integrated with enrolment, then it is always up to date; as students or staff leave, their access rights are immediately withdrawn, further improving site security".
Although the TDSi module was written for Capita's SIMS application, options are available for other proprietary or bespoke information databases.
