Event Admittance

Introduction

Soliant Event Admittance app streamlines your events with a faster admittance system. Our application integrates with your student ID system to more quickly check your students into and out of school events while verifying they have an event ticket or pass. When scanned, the app will present the registered student’s photo onscreen for easy verification. The scan is logged as a timestamp notification for the student’s record.

The app is perfect for documenting the attendance for a variety of events, such as:

• Prom and other dances
• Football, Basketball, and other sporting matches
• Plays and Musicals
• Band and Choir Concerts
• Booster Sponsored Events
• Sports Banquets
• Student Club Events
• Proctored Tests

Soliant Event Admittance was developed with the generous contributions of Glenbrook High School District 225, Glenview, Illinois.

Overview

Soliant Event Admittance contains two interfaces: The administration interface and the event admittance mobile interface.

Setup Support & Consulting Services

To streamline your setup and application deployment, our FileMaker consulting team at Soliant Consulting is offering two additional paid packages:

Standard Setup

Our standard setup package is $8,000 and includes the following:

1. Application deployment
   • Basic security and accounts setup using FM internal accounts
   • Active Directory and Open Directory setup
   • Mobile device connection and set up
2. Server set up, configuration, and best practices
   • Basic backup and disaster recovery plan
   • Optional cloud hosting set up on Soliant.cloud with a waived setup fee
3. One day of application training
4. One day of application usage security review
5. Business needs and workflow analysis comprising of 8 hours of consulting

A la Carte Setup Options

The following services are available a la carte for an additional charge after standard setup:

1. Server hardening
2. Integrating with current identity providers
   • i.e., Ping Octa, Azure AD, and more
3. Template customized for your school district
4. Claris Connect set up
5. Claris Connect training
6. Mentoring for in-house developers
7. Proof Of Concept for SIS integration
8. Data migration (services may vary based on data needs)
9. Enhanced vaccination tracking functionality

Please contact Soliant Consulting at info@soliantconsulting.com to learn more about our Standard Setup package and a la carte offering pricing.

Premium Setup

For an additional $8,000, we provide services beyond our standard setup package. These can include integrations with other core systems and applications, custom application development, workflow management, or additional training. Please contact our team to learn more.

All packages must be paid in full in advance. Please contact our team at info@soliantconsulting.com to learn more.

Administrative Interface

The administration interface was designed for FileMaker Pro running on a Macintosh or Windows PC. Here administrators can manage the list of Organizations, Students, and Events in the app.

Main Menu

When you open Soliant Event Admittance using FileMaker Pro, the app will present the Main Menu. It contains three large buttons for navigating to the main entities of the app:

• Event List
• Student List
• Organization List

The header on the Main Menu contains two buttons:

• iPad Scan – this button provides quick access to the iPad interface for demonstration and only appears for users with [Full Access] privileges. See Security for more information.
• Help – navigates to the applications Help page, which provides links to online help, shown below.

Organizations

The Organization List is accessed from the Main Menu. It displays a list of the organizations whose event attendance are to be tracked in this app.

Sort the list of organizations by clicking on a column label. Click the Home button (located in the upper left corner of the header) to return to the Main Menu.

Organization Detail

Click any row of the Organization List to navigate to the Organization Detail view.

The Organization table contains several details:

• Full Name – the full name of the Organization
• Short Name – the short name of the Organization, displayed when there is not enough space for the Full Name
• Identifier – unique serial number of the Organization, manually assigned
• Minimum ID Length – the minimum number of characters in a Student’s ID, used for validation
• Source ID – SIS identifier
• Icon – store an image file of the Organization’s icon

Click the chevron button (located on the left side of the header) to return to the Organization List.

Adding Organizations

• Manual Entry – select the menu item Records > New Record or type the shortcut Control-N on Windows / Command-N on Mac to enter Organization records one at a time.
• Import – select the menu item File > Import Records > Import File… to batch import a list of organizations.
• Claris Connect – create a workflow to automatically update Soliant Event Admittance app with data from your student management system.

Students

The Student List is accessed from the Main Menu. It displays a list of the students who are enrolled at one of the organizations and attend events. Sort the list of students by clicking on a column label such as “Organization”. Click the Home button (located on the left side of the header) to return to the Main Menu.

Adding Student Records

Student records can be added to the app in one of three ways:

1. Manual Entry – select the menu item Records > New Record or type the shortcut Control-N on Windows / Command-N on Mac to enter student records one at a time.
2. Import – select the menu item File > Import Records > Import File… to batch import a list of students.
3. Claris Connect – create a workflow to automatically update Soliant Event Admittance with data from your student management system.

Import Student Photos

Many student management systems do not include a student photo with their data. But with Soliant Event Admittance, you can import a folder of student photos as a batch. Each image must have the same name as the Student’s Source ID and must be in either .jpg or .png format.

1. To begin, click the Import Photos button (located on the right side of the header). A series of dialogs provides instructions and confirms the action.

2. In the next dialog, select a Folder containing the student’s images.

3. Each image in the folder is imported into the student record where the Student ID is the same as the image file name. A dialog message will report any images that did not have a corresponding image file.

Filter Student List

To filter the student list, click the Filter button (located on the right side of the header). A popover opens where you can enter values to which will change the found set of students.

Enter one or more filter values and then click the Apply button to filter the list of students. You can clear a filter by clicking the X button to the left of the field.

The Filter dialog also includes a Show All button, that will clear all the filters and display the full list of students.

Student Detail

View a student’s detail by clicking on a row of the student list.

The student table contains only the basic student info and a photo which is used as a reference to confirm the student’s identity as they enter the event. Fields include:

• Given Name and Family Name – the name of the student
• Student ID – the unique identifier imbedded in the barcode on the student’s id badge
• Organization – the Organization ID, which links this student to an organization record
• Address – the street, city, state, and zip where the student resides
• Gender, Date of Birth, and Grade –basic info to help identify the student
• Emergency Contacts – the name, relation to student, and phone number for three contacts

The Event Entry/Exit Log will contain an entry for each time the student’s ID card is scanned.

Click the chevron button (located on the left side of the header) to return to the Student List.

Events

The Event List is accessed from the Main Menu. It displays a list of scheduled events. Soliant Event Admittance can be used to track the attendance for all kinds of events. Only one Organization can be listed as the organizer of an event. However, an event’s authorized attendees may come from any Organization.

Filter Event List

To filter the list of events, click the Filter button (located on the right side of the header). A popover opens where you can enter values to restrict the found set of events. In addition to filtering by the organization and event name, you can specify your own event date range or select from one of the date quick filter options:

• Today – sets the Start Date and End Date to today’s date
• Week – sets the date range to display 7 days starting from today
• Month – sets the date range to display 30 days starting from today
• Past – sets the date range to display all events before today
• Future – sets the date range to display all events after today

Enter one or more filter values and then click the Apply button to filter the list of students. You can clear a filter by clicking the X button to the left of the field.

Event Detail

Click on an event row to navigate to its Event Detail.

The event table includes just a few fields to manage the event admittance:

• Event Name – the name of the event
• Organization –the Organization’s source id, entered using a Pop-up Menu listing the organization’s name
• Type – the type of event: Extracurricular, Sport, or Lunch
• Date – date the event is scheduled to take place
• Start Time and End Time – time range of the event
• Description – description of the event
• Activity Pass Purchase Equals Ticket Purchase – checkbox to indicate that students with an Activity Pass are considered to have purchased a ticket

Refresh Charts

The right side of the Event Detail includes charts and tables providing a breakdown of students attending the event. Click the Refresh Charts button and the app will update the totals.

There are three types of charts, and each type can be summarized By Grade or By Gender:

• Total Purchases –The number of students who have a ticket.
• Currently Checked In – The number of students who are checked into the event but have not yet checked out.
• Attendance Summary – The number of students who checked into the event.

Event Actions

Some of the event actions can be accessed from a popover menu. Click the Actions button, located on the right side of the Event Detail header, to open a popover menu of actions to perform.

The actions available include:

• New Event – app will create a new event record for you to enter
• Add Students – a picker to choose one or more students to add to this event
• Delete Event – delete the current event (will not be permitted if the event has tickets)
• Import Tickets – Import a file containing a list of student’s who have tickets to the event
• Import Guests – Import a file containing a listing of ticketed student’s and their guest

Add Students to Event

The Add Students action on the event will open a picker card window with the full list of students.

The student picker includes several features:

• Select Student –Click the + button to select the student. Repeat for each student you’d like to add to the event. (Note that Student’s previously added to the event are grayed-out and do not have a + button.)
• Filter the List – Enter a student name or organization and click the search button to filter the student list.
• Show All will clear the filters and reset the list to all students.
• Cancel – the app will close the Picker window without adding the selected students to the event.
• Add Students – the app will create a ticket record for each selected student and then close the Picker window.

Import Tickets

When an event coordinator can provide a file containing a list of students that have a ticket to the event, it is easy to use FileMaker’s native import ability to import the list as a batch.

1. While viewing the event detail, click the Import Tickets button, located in the Actions popover menu.
2. In the next dialog, select the file to import. (See FileMaker help for supported file formats: https://help.claris.com/en/pro-help/content/import-export-formats.html)
3. Align the fields with the data in the source file. (See the FileMaker Help for more information on importing data: https://help.claris.com/en/pro-help/content/importing-data.html)

Import Guests

For some events such as the prom, each student is allowed to bring one guest. Import guests provides a way to update a batch of student ticket records with their guest record. Note that the student must already have a ticket. Use the Import Tickets feature to add a batch of students.

The file must be tab-separated, with the first value being the Student ID followed by the Guest Name.

1. While viewing the event detail, click the Import Tickets button, located in the Actions popover menu.
2. In the next dialog, select the text file to import.
   The file must be tab separated, with the first value being the Student ID followed by the Guest Name
3. The Ticket list will be updated with the Guest names.

View Tickets

From the Event Detail, click the View Tickets button, located on the left side of the header, to view a list of students who have a ticket for this event.

Click the chevron by the event name, located on the left side of the header, to return to the Event Detail.

Filter Ticket List

To filter the list of tickets further, click the Filter button (located on the right side of the header). A popover opens where you can enter values to restrict the found set of tickets.

Soliant Event Admittance includes three event reports:

• Event Statistics Report
• No Show Student CSV
• Ticket List Report

Each of these reports produces a digital document that you can, print or share with others who perhaps do not have access to Soliant Event Admittance. To access the Reports, click the Report button (located on the right side of the header). A popover opens where you can select a report to generate.

The No Show Student CSV will save a text file to your desktop that lists the students who had a ticket but did not show for the event.

The Event Statistics Report and Ticket List Report will open in a new window, with buttons at the top to allow you to Save as a PDF or Print the report. When you are done, close the window.

Event Admittance Interface

The event admittance interface is designed for an iPad in landscape orientation, running FileMaker Go. It’s primarily intended for use during the event to scan event tickets or student IDs and manage the admittance. Multiple faculty members each equipped with their own iPad can run the hosted Soliant Event Admittance app simultaneously and will see changes made by other users.

Event List

When you log into Soliant Event Admittance while using an iPad running FileMaker Go, it will display the Event List. From this screen, you can do a variety of actions.

Event Check In

Tap the Scan button on the Event List.

The event’s check-in interface offers several ways to locate a student’s record:

• Use the devise’s keyboard to manually enter the Student’s ID.
• Click the Camera button to use the iPad’s built-in camera to scan the barcode on the Student ID.
• Click the Student Lookup button to search for the student.

Student Lookup

With the Student Lookup, you can find the student by their name or student ID.

Typically, the found set is displayed as the Student List. However, when only one student matches the request, the student’s Ticket Details are displayed directly.

The Ticket Details includes a photo and button to Confirm Entry.

The Ticket Details displays a red alert when a ticket was not purchased and provides a way button to indicate the student has just purchased a ticket.

Event Statistics

To view the event’s statics, click the event’s Statics button, located on the right-most side of each event row, or the Event Statistics button on the Event Check-In screen.

There Event Statistic layout includes four views:

• Summary
• Total Purchases
• Currently Checked In
• Attendance Summary

Security

The app comes preconfigured with three privilege sets:

• Admin – [Full Access] privileges to the files.
• Kiosk – privileges for iPad users to scan admittance to an event.
• Roster – privileges to create, edit, and delete Organization, Student, and Event records.

The app includes a test account for each of these privilege sets. See ReadMe file included with the app download for credentials.

Encryption at Rest

Both the files that comprise Soliant Event Admittance are encrypted. This helps secure the data in case both of the files that comprise Soliant Event Admittance are encrypted. This helps secure the data in case the files fall into the hands of an unauthorized user. To open the files locally or to host the FileMaker Server, you must enter the encryption password, located in the ReadMe document included with the application download.

Installation

Soliant Event Admittance is comprised of two files:

• SC_Event_Admittance.fmp12
• SC_Metadata.fmp12

SC_Metadata.fmp12 is the same file that comes with our app Soliant Health Questionnaire. If you choose to run both apps, you only need one copy of SC_Metadata.fmp12 on your FileMaker Server.

License

Soliant Event Admittance is free for commercial and non-commercial use, licensed under the business-friendly standard MIT license, but cannot be redistributed nor resold. Soliant Event Admittance was developed by Soliant Consulting, Inc. with the generous contributions of Glenbrook High Organization District 225, Glenview, Illinois.

Customization Services

Soliant Event Admittance is a basic app built to meet the specific needs of one school district. Our team can work with you to customize it to meet your specific needs. This work can include:

• Integrate Soliant Event Admittance with your Student Information System (SIS) to dynamically refresh the student information. Note that Soliant Event Admittance and our related app SC Health Questionnaireshare the same Student and other SIS metadata. Any integrations can be coded one time to benefit both apps.
• Extend the event statistics to support other grade levels.
• Add additional reporting such as viewing a found set of student’s activities across all their events.

As a Platinum Claris Partner, Soliant Consulting, Inc. specializes in all aspects of FileMaker and Claris Connect, including development, integrations, and mobile solutions. We can extend and improve existing solutions as well as design new ones. See our website for more details and contact us for a free consultation and estimate.

FAQ

Can i manage the event ticket purchase using Soliant Event Admittance?

No, the Soliant Event Admittance app has a narrow scope and does not support this feature out of the box. Since the financing and ticket sales of various events are managed by a variety of boosters, we thought this feature would not be helpful. However, we are happy to work with you to customize the app to meet your needs or you may customize the app yourself.

Can I use an iPhone running FileMaker Go to scan event admittance?

No, the Soliant Event Admittance does not include layouts optimized for the smaller iPhone screens. However, we are happy to work with you to customize the app to meet your needs or you may customize the app yourself.

Can I automate the sharing of my Organization Information System data with Soliant Event Admittance?

Yes, you can use Claris Connect to configure a workflow to automatically refresh our app with your latest Student and Organization data.