WAMS: Workload Allocations Management System
Managing educational staff workload allocations is typically done through complex spreadsheets, with each School or Departments models evolving and diverging overtime. Custom-built database applications have not been flexible enough to manage more than one model, nor allow the models to change from year to year.
WAMS by Academ provides a secure, customisable online solution for managing and planning staff workload. WAMS can handle one or many academic workload models and can scale to service even the largest institution.
WAMS Design Philosophy
Bye-bye spreadsheets
Spreadsheets are great! At least, for some tasks. But not for academic workload management. WAMS is web-based, database driven application that guarantees data integrity through secure, formulae-driven work allocations. WAMS reduces human error and ad-hoc manipulation of data.
As a bonus, allocations can be viewed and updated by many people simultaneously, and multiple, visual reports support users’ quick insight into their data. And if you love spreadsheets, all WAMS data exports easily to Excel.
Keeping it Simple
The KISS engineering principle ensures that applications are fit for purpose and cost effective. In combination with Loosely Coupled design philosophy that WAMS adheres to, our software is small but beautiful. WAMS can be deployed independently of integrated with other institutional software such as student management systems.
Genericity done right
Custom-built database applications are often not general enough to be able to deal with different workload models at the same time. However WAMS can handle multiple workload models and be updated as models and reward formulae change over time.
Empower people
WAMS uses the Role Based Access Control (RBAC) method to support user permissions to govern system read and write capabilities that align with their work roles. You can decide whether academics can see just their own work allocation or also the work allocations of subjects in their School or Faculty. And while WAMS is primarily a workload management and planning tool, the optional views and functions can enable estimation of casual and continuing staff cost of teaching in courses, Terms and for Sections (such as Schools or Faculties). The choice is yours.
Built by academics for academics
The defining strength of WAMS is that it is designed by academics and ongoing development is informed by our users. WAMS business logic and workflows are in tune with the needs of academic managers, based on solid theory and informed by feedback on best practice by our users.
WAMS User Stories: I
We talk to our clients and we listen.
Hear Umang Mehta, Academic Workload and Planning Manager at Monash University speak about the WAMS experience at Monash.
WAMS User Stories: II
Hear Andrea Thomas, Project Lead at the University of Newcastle speaks on Newcastle’s WAMS experience.
WAMS Features
WAMS sports a range of features designed to optimise the workload allocation process and to enhance organisations’ resource management. Best of all – new features are constantly being added.
Workload Models
WAMS is designed to be versatile enough to handle complex and evolving workload models that differ across faculties, schools and departments.
WAMS can handle multiple academic workload models, provide consistent tracking and reporting and manage a wide range of diverse and evolving workload model types, envelopes, rules and calculations.
The WAMS system can also be configured to work with various modes and teaching campuses by allowing allocations to be assigned to staff, units or offers.
Staff and Unit Workload Management
Managing unit (subject/course) and staff workload go hand in hand. A teaching allocation in one affects the other, so WAMS supports both a Staff and a Unit perspective on workload management. For staff, the system supports setting targets for the various Envelopes defined in the workload model.
Actual allocations are then compared against the target. For units, some allocations may be based on enrolments;
WAMS validates the allocations against those. For both staff and units, details printable reports can be downloaded. It’s also possible to send email notifications to staff if their workload allocations have changed since they las accessed them.
Reporting
At its core WAMS is a data editing and viewing tool. The software’s reporting capabilities are grouped into three categories. First, a small number of dynamic and generic reports are built-in to support much of the day-to-day reporting requirements. These reports allow managers to check on casualisation levels, project staffing requirements, and enhance their budget management. Secondly, all reports (and also the data entry screens) can be exported in variety of formats including Microsoft Excel. Finally, XML data feeds are accessible for use in reporting software such as SSRS.
Reporting can be done at any level in the organisation’s hierarchy – an arbitrary section depth is supported.
Flexibility and Customisation
WAMS is highly customisable! Clients can skim WAMS with all local terminologies. These then populate into all screens, meaning staff can search, filter and reference data fast and easily.
WAMS can adapt to complex access and rights requirements through the use of a Role Based Access Control module. Clients It can be set up to be used only by a handful of workload managers, or by all academic staff in a Section, or various options in between. Finally, WAMS can import data via CSV imports, scheduled file cron jobs or APIs to ingest or round-trip data with institutional systems.
Other Features
WAMS keeps track of allocations over time. Unit allocations have comprehensive versioning mechanisms and staff also carry allocation records.
Various other features are available in WAMS – the list is growing at a steady pace and new additions are explained in the version control and user documentation.
Deployment Services
Software as a service (SaaS) is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is made available on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. User access WAMS via a web browser.
Trial
Trial the full version of WAMS in a sandbox for three months. Free of charge. Contact Academ below to organise your free trial. Our expert WAMS team will also be able to assist you with the initial configuration of your trial site.
Deployment
Proceeding to a yearly licence? We can help you migrate your trial and institutional data and configuration into a full-featured Production version of WAMS.
WAMS Community
WAMS is currently deployed in five Australian universities and is being trialled in a handful of others. We can introduce the software to your team in a free one-hour online demonstration, via Skype, Zoom, or other teleconferencing technology. Contact us to discuss a demonstration.
Requirements
- Legal requirements
- Trial and Free Use: Trial Agreement
- Full deployment: Contract
- Setup requirements:
- A list of courses (units / subjects)
- A list of staff in spreadsheet format
- Supply a Work Allocation Model
- Terminology, Section hierarchy, and other localisation information
Support & Training
- Training:
- Trial and Free Use: Trial Agreement
- Full deployment: Contract
- Support:
- Inbuilt online Help system
- Embedded tips on pages
- Support of Lead user Team in Trial and Deployment
- Train the trainer approach used in project implementation
- Staff capacity development and transfer model
- Help:
- Email and phone support available
- On-site visits
- JIRA Help Ticketing system