Seat Allocation
The seat allocation functionality allows organizational units to create long-term course scheduling for their employees containing seat reservations. The seat capacity is defined on the course template and automatically applied to all courses derived from that template. Seats can be therefore reserved for groups as contingent. It is up to the organizational group to split their contingent of allocated seats. Further enrolment for members of a group with a contingent is prevented if the number of maximum allocated seats is reached.
Base Setup for Seat Allocation
Recipient of Log Files Generated by the Seat Allocation Import
The import generates a log file for the seat allocation import. To define an email address to whom that file will be sent via email a new corresponding setting is introduced on the client object tab "E-mail settings" in the section "Recipient of system emails". There is a new email entry field "E-mail address for the seat allocation import (100 characters max.)".
Enhancement on Client "Functionality and Settings Tab"
On the bottom of the "Functionalities and settings" tabs of the client object a new section "Seat allocation" is added.
Upload of a "Seat allocation import" template: A seat allocation import template can be uploaded. The upload accepts only files in .csv format. The file uploaded here has to be displayed for download during the seat allocation import conducted by a user of this client.
The default value for "Time span for seat capacity check": The time span for seat capacity check defines the point in time which is used for identifying the threshold of seats available in the seat allocation process. A default setting can be defined per client. It is used when a group is added to the seat allocation of a course template for the first time. The following options are available:
Per year: Only the value per year is displayed and editable. The warning during the enrolment is issued when the yearly capacity is reached.
Per quarter: The yearly and quarterly values are displayed. Only the value per quarter is editable. The yearly calculation is computed automatically based on the quarterly value. The warning during the enrolment is issued when the quarterly capacity is reached.
Per quarter on monthly recommendation: The yearly, quarterly and monthly values are displayed. Only the monthly value is editable. The quarterly and yearly capacity is calculated automatically. The seat capacity warning during the enrolment is issued when the quarterly capacity is reached.
Per month: The yearly, quarterly and monthly values are displayed. Only the monthly value is editable. The quarterly and yearly capacity is calculated automatically. The seat capacity warning during the enrolment is issued when the monthly capacity is reached.
Enhancement of Seat Allocation Navigation Functions
The imc Learning Suite navigation manager is enhanced with two new navigation functions needed for the management of the seat allocation process. For the course template manager the following new functions set is added to the left-hand toolbar under the participant Administration icon:
Import seat allocation: The navigation item has to have specific authorisation rights for the template download as well as for the seat allocation import.
Manage seat allocation: The navigation item has to have specific authorisation rights for
Show allocation status in details
Add course template
Add group
Remove course template or group
Update seat allocation
Export seat allocations
Enhancement of Group Description
The file type of the import file is .CSV and it is to be encoded in UTF8 format. The field separator to be used is the "TAB". The order of the columns in the file is not mandatory. However, all columns have to be in the file.
The import runs as an incremental update import. This is to say that already existing seat allocations will be overwritten with the values in the import file even if the values have been changed via the user interface in the meantime.
Manage Seat Allocation
The seat allocation can be modified after the initial upload in imc Learning Suite by clicking on the "Seat Allocations > Manage seat allocations" function. The function is available without the selection of course templates.
When the search is not filtered in any manager and the magnifying glass symbols is clicked, all templates with assigned seat allocations are displayed. Course templates which do not have a seat allocation are not displayed in the "Manage seat allocation" dialogue at all.
Seat Capacity Check During Enrolment
During enrolment processes in frontend as well as backend a check is conducted to find out whether a user is allowed to enrol because he or she is part of a group which has allocated seats and still seats are available. Therefore all users with status enrolled, started, passed and failed are considered as counting towards the seat allocation capacity.
The capacity check in the front end takes place in any given context if the enrolment is conducted for a course derived from a template with seat allocation. The seat allocation capacity check is added as first check in the enrolment process because all following checks only make sense afterwards and can be avoided if the user is not allowed to enrol at all.