Professional Support for University Management

AIMS has considerable experience in the specification and introduction of corporate computerised timetabling systems, and has produced strategic reports on this topic for several universities.

 AIMS has produced a Good Practice guide that addresses many of the issues of the planning, specification, procurement, introduction and use of such systems, and that has been distributed widely to UK universities and to several foreign institutions. AIMS also conducts surveys of UK institutions to determine current developments in timetabling practice and arrangements, and to gather views on the strengths and any weaknesses of the software products that are currently available.

Key Benefits

AIMS can:

• conduct surveys and interviews to record current practices and determine needs;
• provide functional specifications describing the requirements of a computerised corporate system to meet the particular requirements of an institution;
• prepare implementation plans for the procurement and implementation of corporate systems.
• survey existing arrangements, identify problems and recommend strategic solutions and beneficial development of the systems in use.

Capabilities

AIMS staff have been co-opted to Working Groups of institutions where the benefits of central computerised systems were being evaluated. AIMS has experience of investigating the operational requirements of functioning Central Timetabling Units, leading to recommendations to improve the service. AIMS has assisted institutions in the design and interpretation of room usage surveys, which are very informative in establishing needs prior to specifying the requirements of a computerised system. At one large institution, AIMS was able to show that a proposed new 500 seat lecture theatre could not be justified by a shortage of capacity within the university.

AIMS has reviewed established arrangements for timetabling in several institutions where difficulties had been experienced and has proposed effective and acceptable solutions.

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