Run a Student Data Export (SIMS)

Overview

This article uses the SIMS format, which is primarily used by organizations in Europe. For information on the PSPA format that is primarily used in North America, click here.

Creating a student data export is an important feature in your account, as they are frequently requested by organizations. With GotPhoto, this no longer has to be a long, tedious, and sometimes impossible task. You can acquire more organizations, save time and stay organized by creating your student data export using GotPhoto. In this article, we'll review the steps necessary for creating a student data export in SIMS format.

Job Setup

In order to run a Student Data Export, the Photo Job must use the settings QR-Tagging — with list of names. The required columns are Firstname, Lastname, and Identifier. All other columns can be left blank.

When photos are uploaded, the first photo directly following each QR code (i.e. the Index Photo) will be used by default for the student data export. If you allow customers to select their favorite/yearbook photo, their selection becomes the index photo. Anyone who does not choose will keep the first image by default.

While you can manually change the index photo once uploaded, this may be time-consuming depending on the number of students you’ve photographed. We highly recommend taking the first photo in the correct format to save time.

Creating the SIMS Export

Once all your images have been activated, you can complete the student data export by following the short steps below.

1. Navigate to the Selling tab from within your Photo Job.
2. Look for the box towards the bottom that reads Student Data Export and click on Overview.
3. You will be directed to a page where you can:
   • View who selected the index images
   • Check students with missing data or photos (you can download the list that includes all galleries/ students with issues)
   • Create your export by pressing the black Create Export button on the top left of your screen. 
   • View and download previous exports via the Actions button next export. 
4. Click the blue + Create export button in the upper right corner to begin the export process
5. On the next screen, select the data source you would like to create your export from (1). Do not select any filters (2), as SIMS exports do not apply them.
   Click Next to continue.
6. On the next page, select the formatting for your export. You can adjust (1) the export type (which will be SIMS), and (2) the image file type (which will usually be JPEG).
   
   Click Next to continue.
7. Choose the settings for your exported files:
   1. Select a file name: Choose the format for the filenames in the export. In most cases, Identifier will be used for SIMS exports.
   2. Replace spaces in the filename with underscores: If you are using subject names for the filenames, you can replace spaces with underscores.
   3. Include students without photos or incomplete data: This is not recommended unless schools request it.
   4. Include student data as CSV file: Essentially, this is an export of the student data as it appears in the job's list of names.
   5. Include additional file: You can upload additional files to send to your organization as part of the export.
8. Click Preview to continue.
9. On the following screen, you will see some key insights into the student export you have set up.

   The top bar shows a visual representation of how many students are missing photos or data, and how many access codes are missing students:

   

   The next section breaks down the format and settings of your planned export, as well as provides the ability to download lists of missing students and students in general:

   

   The Missing Students section provides you with an in-depth look at students missing photos or required data:

   

   Data can be updated by clicking on Actions → Edit. Missing photos must be uploaded from within the Photo Management tab.

   Finally, the Ready to Export section will show a list of all students who are ready for export:

   

   You can use the Actions dropdown to select an alternative photo under Select student photo.

10. Click the blue Run student export button in the upper right-hand corner to begin your export.

Creating a Custom Export

If you don't have student ID numbers available, you can still create a student data export without the Identifier by using the Custom format instead of SIMS:

1. Under Select the export file type, choose Custom.
2. Under Select a file name, select a pattern for the file names using the dropdown. If you don't see the pattern you want to use in the list, pick Custom again and then select the labels you want to use. Only the first label is mandatory.
3. Continue with the Student Data Export flow as above.

The Takeaway

By following the outlined steps, from setting up the necessary parameters to running the export, you can easily generate organized exports for SIMS formats. This feature not only streamlines your workflow but also provides insights into missing data or incomplete photos, ensuring a comprehensive and hassle-free student data export experience.