Interactive News and information site for customers and users of CELCAT Scheduling software in Australia and New Zealand and other countries in our market.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Ask a question on CELCAT
If you have a question on CELCAT ask it here so other Users may be able to assist with their experience.
The mini usb scanners indeed should be available in February 2010 and are currently under testing. Speak to CDS (Australasia) about how to purchase. These will alleviate the need for networks in classrooms.
Automation is not just about pushing a button and magic happens. It is about having a very strategic approach to timetabling and ensuring that all data that the automated system is going to use has been vetted. You need to specify what you want to happen, when you want it to happen and with who or what. It can be very labour intensive for the first months and requires vigilence from the institution on data quality.
We are looking for a timetabling package but need a company that interacts with their clients to get us up and going.Due to our lack of expertise we do not want to be spold a piece of software and then dumped. What do you do?
Dear Anonymous CDS (Australasia) Pty Ltd and CELCAT pride ourselves on being very client focussed. Contact us for more details. Attend one of our User Group Meetings and see for yourself. The next one is August 2010.
The User Group meetings have been held regularly each year now since 2007. They are a forum for CELCAT Users to come together and discuss operational issues, how to do things better. We have a discussion time on what would be good initiatives for CELCAT and we also have guest speakers providing insight into how they run CELCAT on their campuses. Last year Vernon Chapman from CELCAT was here and he will be again this year. You have direct contact with the developer of CELCAT. We may also have training sessions that people can access this year and maybe some guest vendors. Talk to any of our attendees and they will verify the value.
Dear JM Gold Coast Institute of TAFE are in the process of negotiating a deal with a local Hotel Group for participants. Unfortunately this will mean only 40 rooms so they will go quickly. The price should be around $160 per night plus breakfast. Lunch (both days) and dinner on the first night are provided.
Dear JM Registration forms are out now for the User Group Meeting with an accomodation discount negotiated by Gold Coast TAFE for the Radisson Hotel. If you book direct make sure you mention that it was organised by GCIT
Back in January you said that there would be off line mini scanners. Where are they as I rang your office in Brisbane and they said they had not been released yet?
That is indeed what I said and my office is also correct. It is not the scanners we are waiting for. It is the software to run them in conjunction with our Attendance software. That is now nearing development completion and should be available in June 2010.
I have seen your attendance software. How does it work? I also can't find any other attendance software around - are you the only company with this type of software that you know of?
Dear Anonymous We believe we are at the front of the queue as far as this type of software on the market is. I am not aware of any other software that can do what ours does.
You have said in an email that I got that the Web version of CELCAT is going to be free for site licence holders for the first year. What will be the charge after that?
We are going to release the product to the market for users to trial it and provide feedback on additional features they want. We have not decided on costs as yet. If after 1 year you like it and your site is due for renewal we will provide a quotation to have it included in your licence.
PD There are several versions in fact. You can have a Windows versions, a Web version, Palm or PDA. You can also use Offline marking using mini scanners. Contact us for more details on 07 33503076
I have looked around now for some time at marking our rolls electronically. We do have CELCAT but I have to admit we don't use it as we should. What do we need to do to use your roll marking software? Hugh C.
Hello Hugh You will need a CELCAT Timetabler licence to create the cleass schedules from which registers (rolls) are created ready for electronic marking.
The biggest issue we have with using the electronic marking (SAT) is ensuring the students are all enrolled correctly. Seems simple but is the biggest hurdle at the beginning of each term. we have decided to give teachers access to add the student to the roll - this is something i had initially fought against - but to get the rolls up and running it is essential. And an improvement on the manual rolls they used to mark. The teacher then advises admin that the student was NOT on the original roll and admin follows it up. Better for the staff - better for the students. Lowers the frustration levels at the beginning of term.
I visited a tradeshow in the UK and saw PayClaim. It is exactly what we need to monitor our casual staff and contract staff but your website says it has not been released as yet? When will this occur?
Dear Anonymous We expect a release in the coming weeks. Please appreciate that we want to make sure the software is correct before releasing so any delays is due to quality improvement not an attempt to irritate users.
I just wanted to thank you for the excellent service we received when we had a problem with CELCAT. As it turns out it was our issue not CELCAT but CDS and CELCAT both pitched in to resolve. Better than another vendor we had - told us not their problem and we were left hanging. Job well done people. GW
When is your web version going to be released. In a previous post in June 2010, you mentioned about the cost. Is there any change also to that thinking? POR
Thank you for your query. CELCAT Live is due for release probably early in the New Year now. It will be released as a free "Lite" version initially and then gradually build up to the full featured version within 12 months. At that time it will be invoiced for those users wishing to purchase. Pricing is not yet available.
CELCAT LIVE "Lite" version has now been released with V7 software. It is free for the first year while further development work continues. Contact us for more details.
CALI is under test now. CELCAT SAT will now be known as CELCAT Attendance. Data Sync Tool is being trialled. Contact if need a training course run on any CELCAT product.
Data Sync Tool is now functional and allows for transfer between databases like MIS to CELCAT and back. It will also work with Oracle as well as SQL. Ask us about pricing.
Our User Group meetings have been going for some 5 years now originally starting at the University of Sunshine Coast. It is an opportunity to deal directly with CELCAT staff from the UK, hear about new innovations in CELCAT, discuss concerns, suggest features but more importantly it gives like minded people the opportunity to mix, network and see how other people are using CELCAT. It was originally one day but due to the agenda getting larger we now have it over two days. Email me direct if you need more information.
If we buy your software do you charge for technical support or training? We have a very low end product but have found that the tech support is abysmal and they charge for the slightest thing.
Interesting. CELCAT software comes with tech support included as part of the site licence so no that is not chargeable. Having said that, we are not a charity and have staff wages to pay, infrastructure costs etc so if we do work that is outside of the normal site licence we then charge for that work. Training or data review are some things that we do charge for. We try to limit those fees where we can but our ongoing ability to service our customers means we have to meet costs and charge for services. Figures in Australia show that 90% of businesses fail in the first year.We have been in business for 15 years and don't intend going away any time soon so we must be doing something right. CELCAT has been around even longer than that. Like what you are hearing then make contact with us soon.
If you buy a car you have to get it serviced and you pay for that. If you want to learn how to develop software unless you teach yourself you pay. If I want to attend classes at your college .. I pay to do that. Training from us is no different. You are a training provider and charge people to attend ( or you would go broke). We are no different.
That makes perfect sense. Appreciate your feedback. Businesses have to earn money to be in business. I see you have been around for a lot of years so you must be doing something right.
We will have on our website very soon a range of articles, documents and other associated CELCAT and management information that may be of interest to customers and decision makers.
We do not put dates on our web site as we do not run courses each month. Training is scheduled as our customers need. That being the case we also contact Users when we have a course happening in locations.
Advanced Training sessions in Melbourne and Brisbane are filling rapidly. Don't know whether we can schedule any more at this stage. Brisbane is definitely closed.
We welcome Jill Colston who will be replacing Jemma Hirst. Jill is a qualified trainer and has loads of experience. Jemma is off to Melbourne to be be with her partner.
If anyone would like to see the functionality provided by Allocate+, LiveCal or the realtime CELCAT data tools we provide, please contact myself or Clive.
Another year full of exciting changes for CELCAT and CDS. CDS now have resident staff in Singapore and Western Australia. 2013 sees us back in Tabubil in Papua New Guinea and Perth in January. We look forward to catching up with all our clients again with a User Group Meeting being planned for 2nd half of 2013. Venue to be decided as yet but I suggest it will south of the Queensland border.
I am a new User. I am excited about the 2013 User Group Meeting you have just mentioned as I will get to meet other Users but my manager wants to know how much it costs.
Well that was quick. Send me an email with your details and as soon as we know all the details we will send them to you. Go to our website on the Contacts page and you will see our details there. Look forward to receiving that email. Speak to anyone who has been to the User Groups in the past and they will tell you how much of a good time we have. It all started quite a few years back at University of Sunshine Coast and has grown from there. See Rudi's comments above as well. Regards Clive
If there are any potential new customers out there, we are offering a 60 day trial of the CELCAT software including 1 day User training . All free with no obligation. Contact us for details.
I am a staff member at a TAFE. I have an IPAD that has been allocated to me. Can I see my timetables in my calendar on the Ipad. Someone said you could. David, a TAFE.
Hi Dave You can indeed do this now with CALFEED a new application from CELCAT. Allocate + also have an application that will do this in real time from CELCAT timetables. Give me a call and we can discuss
Hello Ange. CELCAT Exam Scheduler is seamless to CELCAT Timetabler so you can use both from the one application. Setting the exams and saving automatically creates the exam timetables in CELCAT Timetabler.
Well Anonymous I have an answer for you - see below:
A week in the UK with CELCAT . Good to meet people I have only spoken with . Some very good innovations coming with Attendance especially. Stay tuned for release very soon. Saw also a new video screen software to push timetables to monitors in foyers etc. Impressive. Contact us if you are interested.
Send me an email direct to cliveos@celcat.com.au so we can discuss.
Hi There If we are running the full Celcat software, can we also run Celcat Live (ie: give some staff access to the Live version to use on the go) or can you only use one or the other?
I have heard there are mini usb scanners becoming available for off line roll marking. Can you tell us about these please?
ReplyDeleteThe mini usb scanners indeed should be available in February 2010 and are currently under testing. Speak to CDS (Australasia) about how to purchase. These will alleviate the need for networks in classrooms.
ReplyDeleteI have seen automation programs that take a long time to implement. Why is that and how long will the CELCAT one take?
ReplyDeleteAutomation is not just about pushing a button and magic happens. It is about having a very strategic approach to timetabling and ensuring that all data that the automated system is going to use has been vetted. You need to specify what you want to happen, when you want it to happen and with who or what. It can be very labour intensive for the first months and requires vigilence from the institution on data quality.
ReplyDeleteWe are looking for a timetabling package but need a company that interacts with their clients to get us up and going.Due to our lack of expertise we do not want to be spold a piece of software and then dumped. What do you do?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous
ReplyDeleteCDS (Australasia) Pty Ltd and CELCAT pride ourselves on being very client focussed. Contact us for more details. Attend one of our User Group Meetings and see for yourself. The next one is August 2010.
OK but what happens at your user group meetings?? I am at a private provider and don't want to hear TAFEs talk about TAFE stuff!
ReplyDeleteThe User Group meetings have been held regularly each year now since 2007. They are a forum for CELCAT Users to come together and discuss operational issues, how to do things better. We have a discussion time on what would be good initiatives for CELCAT and we also have guest speakers providing insight into how they run CELCAT on their campuses. Last year Vernon Chapman from CELCAT was here and he will be again this year. You have direct contact with the developer of CELCAT. We may also have training sessions that people can access this year and maybe some guest vendors. Talk to any of our attendees and they will verify the value.
ReplyDeleteOn your website there are details of an accommodation deal for the User Group. Can you provide details please?
ReplyDeleteJM
Dear JM
ReplyDeleteGold Coast Institute of TAFE are in the process of negotiating a deal with a local Hotel Group for participants. Unfortunately this will mean only 40 rooms so they will go quickly. The price should be around $160 per night plus breakfast. Lunch (both days) and dinner on the first night are provided.
Dear JM
ReplyDeleteRegistration forms are out now for the User Group Meeting with an accomodation discount negotiated by Gold Coast TAFE for the Radisson Hotel. If you book direct make sure you mention that it was organised by GCIT
We use a competitors software package and see that you have automation coming out. How will your software be better?
ReplyDeleteRJ
Back in January you said that there would be off line mini scanners. Where are they as I rang your office in Brisbane and they said they had not been released yet?
ReplyDeleteThat is indeed what I said and my office is also correct. It is not the scanners we are waiting for. It is the software to run them in conjunction with our Attendance software. That is now nearing development completion and should be available in June 2010.
ReplyDeleteI have seen your attendance software. How does it work? I also can't find any other attendance software around - are you the only company with this type of software that you know of?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous
ReplyDeleteWe believe we are at the front of the queue as far as this type of software on the market is. I am not aware of any other software that can do what ours does.
Where is your automated CELCAT you keep promising???
ReplyDeleteAutomated CELCAT is due out in August 2010.
ReplyDeleteYou have said in an email that I got that the Web version of CELCAT is going to be free for site licence holders for the first year. What will be the charge after that?
ReplyDeleteWe are going to release the product to the market for users to trial it and provide feedback on additional features they want. We have not decided on costs as yet. If after 1 year you like it and your site is due for renewal we will provide a quotation to have it included in your licence.
ReplyDeleteWe are looking at a timetabling package but need one that has student roll marking included. I have read about your Attendance. Is it web based? PD
ReplyDeletePD
ReplyDeleteThere are several versions in fact. You can have a Windows versions, a Web version, Palm or PDA. You can also use Offline marking using mini scanners. Contact us for more details on 07 33503076
I have looked around now for some time at marking our rolls electronically. We do have CELCAT but I have to admit we don't use it as we should. What do we need to do to use your roll marking software?
ReplyDeleteHugh C.
Hello Hugh
ReplyDeleteYou will need a CELCAT Timetabler licence to create the cleass schedules from which registers (rolls) are created ready for electronic marking.
The biggest issue we have with using the electronic marking (SAT) is ensuring the students are all enrolled correctly. Seems simple but is the biggest hurdle at the beginning of each term. we have decided to give teachers access to add the student to the roll - this is something i had initially fought against - but to get the rolls up and running it is essential. And an improvement on the manual rolls they used to mark. The teacher then advises admin that the student was NOT on the original roll and admin follows it up. Better for the staff - better for the students. Lowers the frustration levels at the beginning of term.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris
ReplyDeleteYou can also run the Add/Withdrawn Student report to get the list of students that have been added by staff
I visited a tradeshow in the UK and saw PayClaim. It is exactly what we need to monitor our casual staff and contract staff but your website says it has not been released as yet? When will this occur?
ReplyDeleteThank you. It looks brilliant
ReplyDeleteDavid
If you are needing to convince anyone in your organization about the benefits of a timetabling scheduler and CELCAT in particular check this out:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.celcat.com.au/CELCAT%20Software%20-%20Our%20Views.pdf
[cut and paste into your browser]
And still we wait for automated CELCAT. What is happening???
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous
ReplyDeleteWe expect a release in the coming weeks. Please appreciate that we want to make sure the software is correct before releasing so any delays is due to quality improvement not an attempt to irritate users.
I just wanted to thank you for the excellent service we received when we had a problem with CELCAT. As it turns out it was our issue not CELCAT but CDS and CELCAT both pitched in to resolve. Better than another vendor we had - told us not their problem and we were left hanging. Job well done people.
ReplyDeleteGW
When is your web version going to be released. In a previous post in June 2010, you mentioned about the cost. Is there any change also to that thinking?
ReplyDeletePOR
Thank you for your query. CELCAT Live is due for release probably early in the New Year now. It will be released as a free "Lite" version initially and then gradually build up to the full featured version within 12 months. At that time it will be invoiced for those users wishing to purchase. Pricing is not yet available.
ReplyDeleteCELCAT LIVE "Lite" version has now been released with V7 software. It is free for the first year while further development work continues. Contact us for more details.
ReplyDeleteHave a safe Christmas everyone and we will speak in the New Year.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Clive
CELCAT Automated Version was released just before Christmas. PayClaim for V7 and Cali are now not too far away.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for 2011 everyone. Hope the floods did not affect too many people.
CALI is under test now. CELCAT SAT will now be known as CELCAT Attendance. Data Sync Tool is being trialled.
ReplyDeleteContact if need a training course run on any CELCAT product.
Can you advise when Pay Claim is available in Australia?
ReplyDeleteChris - how did you get your students from isas into celcat?
ReplyDeleteData Sync Tool is now functional and allows for transfer between databases like MIS to CELCAT and back. It will also work with Oracle as well as SQL. Ask us about pricing.
ReplyDeletePayClaim will be available in coming weeks . Once available I will advise Users on pricing etc
ReplyDeleteHad a verbal preview of CELCAT LIVE - the full release version due out in a few months. Sounds fantastic and rich with features
ReplyDeleteUser Group Meeting advices seeking interest will be out late this week or early next week. Excellent venue and good program.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteUser Group is confirmed as Wide Bay Institute of TAFE, Hervey Bay , Queensland, 6-7th October 2011.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a User Group Meeting?? Do you do just talk about how to use Celcat software? I am keen to go but my boss wants more information!
ReplyDeleteOur User Group meetings have been going for some 5 years now originally starting at the University of Sunshine Coast. It is an opportunity to deal directly with CELCAT staff from the UK, hear about new innovations in CELCAT, discuss concerns, suggest features but more importantly it gives like minded people the opportunity to mix, network and see how other people are using CELCAT. It was originally one day but due to the agenda getting larger we now have it over two days. Email me direct if you need more information.
ReplyDeleteUser group accommodation deal is available from beverley@cdsbrisbane.com.
ReplyDeleteKeep up to date on the User Group - see associated forum on this blog
ReplyDeleteIf we buy your software do you charge for technical support or training? We have a very low end product but have found that the tech support is abysmal and they charge for the slightest thing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. CELCAT software comes with tech support included as part of the site licence so no that is not chargeable. Having said that, we are not a charity and have staff wages to pay, infrastructure costs etc so if we do work that is outside of the normal site licence we then charge for that work. Training or data review are some things that we do charge for. We try to limit those fees where we can but our ongoing ability to service our customers means we have to meet costs and charge for services. Figures in Australia show that 90% of businesses fail in the first year.We have been in business for 15 years and don't intend going away any time soon so we must be doing something right. CELCAT has been around even longer than that. Like what you are hearing then make contact with us soon.
ReplyDeleteI read your blog from last week. If we want training why should we pay?
ReplyDeleteJC Sydney
If you buy a car you have to get it serviced and you pay for that. If you want to learn how to develop software unless you teach yourself you pay. If I want to attend classes at your college .. I pay to do that. Training from us is no different. You are a training provider and charge people to attend ( or you would go broke). We are no different.
ReplyDeleteThat makes perfect sense. Appreciate your feedback. Businesses have to earn money to be in business. I see you have been around for a lot of years so you must be doing something right.
ReplyDeleteJC
What is this CELCAT 1 Calendar - is this CALI??
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous
ReplyDeleteIf you come to the User Group Meeting you will find out all about it. It is not CALI.
CELCAT 1 Calendar to be released globally in the United States this month. Stay tuned
ReplyDeleteWe will have on our website very soon a range of articles, documents and other associated CELCAT and management information that may be of interest to customers and decision makers.
ReplyDeleteI need training in CELCAT. When is your next course in Victoria. Your website should have the dates.
ReplyDeleteWe do not put dates on our web site as we do not run courses each month. Training is scheduled as our customers need. That being the case we also contact Users when we have a course happening in locations.
ReplyDeleteTraining courses (Advanced) are on our Home Page
ReplyDeleteCELCAT has severed ties with 1Calendar
ReplyDeleteCDS (Australasia) Pty Ltd office is closed from next Monday, reopening on 9th January 2012. Emails, telephone calls will still be attended to.
ReplyDeleteAdvanced Training sessions in Melbourne and Brisbane are filling rapidly. Don't know whether we can schedule any more at this stage. Brisbane is definitely closed.
ReplyDeleteNew Maintenance Release of CELCAT is available. Printing from Usage Charts is included
DeleteWe are close to having a live feed from CELCAT to PowerPoint to allow for screens in foyers etc completed. Stay tuned
ReplyDeleteYAY - this is BIG. Congrats.
ReplyDeleteWe have commenced testing............
ReplyDeleteWe welcome Jill Colston who will be replacing Jemma Hirst. Jill is a qualified trainer and has loads of experience. Jemma is off to Melbourne to be be with her partner.
ReplyDeleteJill Colston has returned from a holiday in the UK and managed to spend some time with CELCAT in the UK as well honing her CELCAT skills.
ReplyDeletePatrick Pleass from Allocate Plus is presenting at the CELCAT seminars in the UK in October demonstrating the links to CELCAT
ReplyDeleteIf anyone would like to see the functionality provided by Allocate+, LiveCal or the realtime CELCAT data tools we provide, please contact myself or Clive.
DeleteAnother year full of exciting changes for CELCAT and CDS. CDS now have resident staff in Singapore and Western Australia.
ReplyDelete2013 sees us back in Tabubil in Papua New Guinea and Perth in January. We look forward to catching up with all our clients again with a User Group Meeting being planned for 2nd half of 2013. Venue to be decided as yet but I suggest it will south of the Queensland border.
CELCAT User Training planned for April 2013 in Melbourne. Contact JillC@celcat.com.au if you are interested.
ReplyDeleteI am a new User. I am excited about the 2013 User Group Meeting you have just mentioned as I will get to meet other Users but my manager wants to know how much it costs.
ReplyDeleteWell that was quick. Send me an email with your details and as soon as we know all the details we will send them to you. Go to our website on the Contacts page and you will see our details there. Look forward to receiving that email. Speak to anyone who has been to the User Groups in the past and they will tell you how much of a good time we have. It all started quite a few years back at University of Sunshine Coast and has grown from there. See Rudi's comments above as well. Regards Clive
ReplyDeleteIf there are any potential new customers out there, we are offering a 60 day trial of the CELCAT software including 1 day User training . All free with no obligation. Contact us for details.
ReplyDeleteJoin us on Twitter @CliveO_Sullivan
ReplyDeleteI am a staff member at a TAFE. I have an IPAD that has been allocated to me. Can I see my timetables in my calendar on the Ipad. Someone said you could. David, a TAFE.
ReplyDeleteHi Dave
DeleteYou can indeed do this now with CALFEED a new application from CELCAT. Allocate + also have an application that will do this in real time from CELCAT timetables. Give me a call and we can discuss
By the way I put this on your Facebook page as well
ReplyDeleteCELCAT User Training in Melbourne starting to fill up. Looks like it will be a goer so stand by for those who have nominated.
ReplyDeleteDoes your Exam Scheduler fit in with CELCAT Timetabler? Ange, a University
ReplyDeleteHello Ange. CELCAT Exam Scheduler is seamless to CELCAT Timetabler so you can use both from the one application. Setting the exams and saving automatically creates the exam timetables in CELCAT Timetabler.
ReplyDeleteHi...I want to be able to put my timetables on monitors in foyers. Can you do this with CELCAT?
ReplyDeleteWell Anonymous I have an answer for you - see below:
ReplyDeleteA week in the UK with CELCAT . Good to meet people I have only spoken with . Some very good innovations coming with Attendance especially. Stay tuned for release very soon.
Saw also a new video screen software to push timetables to monitors in foyers etc. Impressive. Contact us if you are interested.
Send me an email direct to cliveos@celcat.com.au so we can discuss.
CELCAT 7.4 is now released with many enhancements including clusters in Attendance. Registered Users can down load from the CELCAT portal
ReplyDeleteBeen advised that 7.4 is not yet compatible with CELCAT Calendar apps as yet
ReplyDeleteClusters in CELCAT Client and flow through to Attendance looks really good!
ReplyDeleteCalendar is now 7.4 compatible.
ReplyDeleteMobile Web Attendance (V7.4) is not LDAP active as yet
ReplyDeleteHi There
ReplyDeleteIf we are running the full Celcat software, can we also run Celcat Live (ie: give some staff access to the Live version to use on the go) or can you only use one or the other?