PICSWeb Update – Recent Releases and Upcoming Developments

We are currently working on a number of new features for PICSWeb, the web-based interface for PICS, which is getting closer to offering full PICS functionality. This post runs through some of the features that have already been released, and some that are still in development, as part of the current six-week cycle.

For details of the key features released during the last cycle, please take a look at the previous PICSWeb Update.

PICSWeb Licensing

On the 31st August, we will apply all customers’ existing licences to their copies of PICSWeb. This means that you will no longer be able to access any areas of PICSWeb for which you do not have the corresponding licence.

If you have any enquiries about your licensing arrangement, please Contact our Sales Team.

Out Now – Restricting Tags to Specific Record Types

It is now possible to limit your PICSWeb tags to certain record types, rather than being able to apply them to any record.

Tag restrictions are managed from the Tags Admin page in the Configuration section of the side menu.

Editing a tag from this page will give you the option to add and remove record types from the Available for Types field. Select Save to apply any changes.

Out Now – List Sorting

Along with the extensive filtering options, we have developed the functionality to change the order of record lists, for example by learner name or start date.

Sorting options are available above the list and can be saved along with any filtering options.

Coming Soon – Session Timeouts

As an additional security measure, it will be possible to specify a maximum period of inactivity in PICSWeb before the user is automatically logged out. Users will be shown a warning message one minute before the time limit is reached.

Session timeouts will be configured from the User List page, which can only be accessed by users with the Database Administrator permission set.

Coming Soon – Switching between Child Records

Many of the tabs in PICSWeb record summary pages are made up of a list of ‘child’ records, such as qualifications, units and vacancy applications. Currently, if you open a summary of one of these child records, you have to return to the parent record summary before you can open a different child record.

We are introducing a function that will allow you to navigate directly from one child record to another, without having to return to the child record list in the parent record summary.

Coming Soon – FAS Interface

If you use PICSWeb to record vacancies and have API credentials to access the Find an Apprenticeship Service (FAS, formerly known as NAVMS), it will be possible to upload a PICSWeb vacancy record to FAS.

Additional data fields will be available in the vacancy summary for the FAS, as well as an option to push the vacancy to the service. You will be able to send the URL for a PICSWeb Sign Up Form with the vacancy so that potential applicants can make their application directly from the advert found on the FAS.

Coming Soon – Bulk Learner Validation

We are developing a learner validation report, which will run validation checks for all learners as a background task. Once the report has been produced, you can download it to view all errors that have been identified for your learners. It will be possible to filter who to include in the report, so that, for example, it only validates current learners.

If you have not done so already, please fill in this form to arrange a chat with us about your transition to PICSWeb, or contact support@pellcomp.co.uk with your specific queries and we will help you in every way we can.