NW Scheduler/Publisher - Updates, Support, and Suggestions

[computerwiz]

26 minutes ago, Floyd said:

Apparently is can take quite a bit of time for the "Updates Submitted Successfully" to clear.

 

I am still experimenting with updating my contact info and it keep sending it to a random person.

 

 

Do you have FULL authority in NWS?

 

Because I believe that message will stay there until someone in NWS imports it. 

[Floyd]

12 minutes ago, More4me2do said:

 

KHS seems for me to be toast as their support at best is dismal. Been using it for 3 years for scheduling Public Talks about a week ago there was an update to version 18.20 and after the update it no longer opens a brief pop up with the message "Do cancel" appears. Installed it on a different PC with the same software setup, same problem.

 

Fortunately I had synched the KHS data with NWS and it looks like I will from now on do all the scheduling in NWS as the support for over week now from the KHS tech support has been two emails with duplicate copy past instructions that don't work.

 

What version of KHS are you running? I installed an old 2022 version and it works including the restoring the backups. Their practice of handling their releases is juvenile as I asked for a copy of the previous version and they said they don't keep those versions. That questions their release and build structure. How they can entrust congregational scheduling to such procedures is terrible.

 

It took a week for NWS support to get back to me on something. If I have to wait a week for this issue to be corrected then the whole database could be corrupted. I want to use NWS and just paid for it. But wow this last update has been way worse than anything KHS has ever done. I have never needed KHS support for anything.

 

I always kept the old copy of KHS so I could always go back to a previous version. 

[Floyd]

See image. Why does it want to import some of my emergency contact information to another brother? And then when I did do the import Mike did not get imported anywhere. Sandra ended up as somebody else's EM contact. Laura was listed 2 times as my EM contact. But in NWP it shows up correctly, until I send app data and then on the app its incorrect again.

 

[molnarj]

There is a new Build #1284. Maybe Update and see if some issues are resolved. 

[Floyd]

The problem is only when importing app data. The data I send matches what is in NWS.

 

I updated to build #1284. I went to the app and all I did was check the box for notifying the contact and submitted. The preview looked good but afterward I see that Mike is now entered twice and my wife is deleted.

[molnarj]

It may be good to report this as a Bug. This can be done here:

NW Scheduler | Contact Us

Please add some pictures if possible and a good step by step description of what you did and what happened. 

[Floyd]

I deleted all my EM contacts in NWS and syncs with NWP. From NWP I entered my wife as a EM contact and submitted. I imported to NWS. The preview looked good. Once I was done and checked my EM contacts and there was nobody. My wife has been imported to another brother's contact and replaced the contact that was there.

[More4me2do]

28 minutes ago, Floyd said:

 

It took a week for NWS support to get back to me on something. If I have to wait a week for this issue to be corrected then the whole database could be corrupted. I want to use NWS and just paid for it. But wow this last update has been way worse than anything KHS has ever done. I have never needed KHS support for anything.

 

I always kept the old copy of KHS so I could always go back to a previous version. 

 

As already mentioned you probably have chosen the worst time for migration. The brothers running NWS will give 1st priority to any problems with the new major release and then to problems with individual users installations. But you have this forum while KHS does not have anything like this.

 

KHS released a minor update and final over the last week and 4 releases later TODAY it got fixed. So do what our convention theme says plus it is always a good idea to run a staged server / installation and a live server / installation. if the staged (new/trial) version doesn't work you don't change the working live version.

 

I ran two different software packages in parallel KHS and NWS that way I am never in the situation of being stuck with nowhere to go.

[Floyd]

21 minutes ago, More4me2do said:

it is always a good idea to run a staged server / installation and a live server / installation. if the staged (new/trial) version doesn't work you don't change the working live version.

 

That is what I like about KHS. If there was a problem with the new version I could always go back to the previous version and continue. With NWS I don't see a way to revert back.

[Floyd]

36 minutes ago, molnarj said:

It may be good to report this as a Bug. This can be done here:

NW Scheduler | Contact Us

Please add some pictures if possible and a good step by step description of what you did and what happened. 

 

Here is what I sent them except unredacted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Floyd]

Sunday morning is a very busy time for me and I really didn't have time to spend 3 hours on this so I am little frustrated. I have been trying to convince the BOE to use this and this type of problem is not helping especially when they have been very satisfied with KHS. 

 

The last time I submitted a problem to NWS it took them a week to get back to me. I get it, everybody is busy. But this may be what makes the BOE not want to use this and that is sad for me. I feel the last 2 months of work and the years of people trying to convince me to use NWS will be for nothing.

[More4me2do]

13 minutes ago, Floyd said:

 

That is what I like about KHS. If there was a problem with the new version I could always go back to the previous version and continue. With NWS I don't see a way to revert back.

How do you go back in KHS unless you don't update and then go to their site download and save the new version. Now you have saved older version and new version. That is a hassle since I expected that on the site they would list older versions and they don't. I asked their tech support to send me the previous version and their answer was "We do not keep older versions". So I learned I will NEVER update when the program asks for it. Save the version and if it doesn't work install the previous version that was saved on my HDD.

 

Most software vendors I deal with have a separate download section listing versions for different OSs and older versions. Looks like both NWS and KHS do not use such method. It would help their tech support if those with good IT knowledge would be able to narrow down their problem so that they can correct it.

[More4me2do]

9 minutes ago, Floyd said:

I have been trying to convince the BOE to use this and this type of problem is not helping especially when they have been very satisfied with KHS.

To make your presentation to the BofE it really helps to have someone on the body that is tech savvy. Also if you know something about their tasks that helps. Ask the CLM overseer, the Secretary and the Service Overseer plus Talk coordinator, what are their biggest problems and what do they wish they would like to see a program do for them.

 

The easiest to convince are the CLM overseer, Secretary and Talk coordinator. Report collecting and reminders are done by the NWP app and it simplified their jobs. Do a marketing pitch it works for multi billion dollar companies it worked for hundreds of BofEs in the country.

[Friend of Peace]

Sorry if this has been covered but can NW scheduler be downloaded on IPad/IPhone? Does it have a feature where you can create a cart shift rota for the congregation? 

[Floyd]

30 minutes ago, More4me2do said:

How do you go back in KHS unless you don't update and then go to their site download and save the new version. Now you have saved older version and new version. That is a hassle since I expected that on the site they would list older versions and they don't. I asked their tech support to send me the previous version and their answer was "We do not keep older versions". So I learned I will NEVER update when the program asks for it. Save the version and if it doesn't work install the previous version that was saved on my HDD.

 

Most software vendors I deal with have a separate download section listing versions for different OSs and older versions. Looks like both NWS and KHS do not use such method. It would help their tech support if those with good IT knowledge would be able to narrow down their problem so that they can correct it.

 

Make a copy of the KHS folder before updating. Then you can run khs from the old folder.

[Floyd]

26 minutes ago, More4me2do said:

To make your presentation to the BofE it really helps to have someone on the body that is tech savvy. Also if you know something about their tasks that helps. Ask the CLM overseer, the Secretary and the Service Overseer plus Talk coordinator, what are their biggest problems and what do they wish they would like to see a program do for them.

 

The easiest to convince are the CLM overseer, Secretary and Talk coordinator. Report collecting and reminders are done by the NWP app and it simplified their jobs. Do a marketing pitch it works for multi billion dollar companies it worked for hundreds of BofEs in the country.

 

 

[computerwiz]

1 hour ago, Floyd said:

Sunday morning is a very busy time for me and I really didn't have time to spend 3 hours on this so I am little frustrated. I have been trying to convince the BOE to use this and this type of problem is not helping especially when they have been very satisfied with KHS. 

 

The last time I submitted a problem to NWS it took them a week to get back to me. I get it, everybody is busy. But this may be what makes the BOE not want to use this and that is sad for me. I feel the last 2 months of work and the years of people trying to convince me to use NWS will be for nothing.

 

In my experience, NWS works best with fresh data.

 

When you deal with importing, you are dealing with two very complex and very different systems.  The amount of things that can go wrong are almost endless.

 

I don't suppose you tried importing multiple times? In my experience, that leads to crazy issues, like what you seem to be experiencing. If the 1st import isn't to your satisfaction, just deal with the rest manually. Subsequent imports really really screw things up. And if that's your case... unfortunately your best option is to scrap it all and start fresh. Otherwise you may be plagued with new issues as time goes on. 

 

I could write a whole page of why that is and the technicals behind it. But suffice it to say, that's what you can expect. And yes they probably should warn that you should only try the initial import once.... 

[Cruzer]

7 hours ago, Floyd said:

 

I did that but where is it on the app?

 

From the NWS website, info on this can be found at:

https://nwscheduler.com/how-to/nw-publisher-app/jws-publisher-app-settings/

 

[Floyd]

1 hour ago, JoshD said:

 

From the NWS website, info on this can be found at:

https://nwscheduler.com/how-to/nw-publisher-app/jws-publisher-app-settings/

 

 

That is interesting since all the congregations I know have always scheduled hospitality by group when they schedule the talks. When the talk schedule is made public, hospitality is already scheduled. So it seems there is no opportunity to make a request except by emailing the talk coordinator.

 

[Floyd]

1 hour ago, computerwiz said:

When you deal with importing, you are dealing with two very complex and very different systems.  The amount of things that can go wrong are almost endless.

 

Really? I would have thought they would have made NWS and NWP more compatible. Maybe we should not be using the app at all if they are that different.

[Floyd]

3 hours ago, More4me2do said:

To make your presentation to the BofE it really helps to have someone on the body that is tech savvy. Also if you know something about their tasks that helps. Ask the CLM overseer, the Secretary and the Service Overseer plus Talk coordinator, what are their biggest problems and what do they wish they would like to see a program do for them.

 

The easiest to convince are the CLM overseer, Secretary and Talk coordinator. Report collecting and reminders are done by the NWP app and it simplified their jobs. Do a marketing pitch it works for multi billion dollar companies it worked for hundreds of BofEs in the country.

 

I am the secretary and I will do my best to convince them but my ultimate pitch will be this: The secretary has decide to use NWS. 

[Floyd]

2 hours ago, computerwiz said:

I don't suppose you tried importing multiple times?

 

I don't think you can import multiple times from the app. Once the import is done there is no way to import it again.

[computerwiz]

28 minutes ago, Floyd said:

 

Really? I would have thought they would have made NWS and NWP more compatible. Maybe we should not be using the app at all if they are that different.

 

I was talking about importing from KHS to NWS. Very different systems. And trying the import multiple times will no doubt lead to crazy issues. 

[Cruzer]

29 minutes ago, Floyd said:

 

That is interesting since all the congregations I know have always scheduled hospitality by group when they schedule the talks. When the talk schedule is made public, hospitality is already scheduled. So it seems there is no opportunity to make a request except by emailing the talk coordinator.

 

 

Our congregation does the same, we schedule hospitality by service group at least 2 months ahead of time. I'm sure other congregations worldwide may do it differently however. Since we schedule hospitality a couple months ahead, we have the request feature disabled on NWP.

[Floyd]

24 minutes ago, computerwiz said:

 

I was talking about importing from KHS to NWS. Very different systems. And trying the import multiple times will no doubt lead to crazy issues. 

 

Yes everything has been very stable since importing from KHS. I did that about 7 weeks ago. This problem with the EM contacts only occurred after the update Friday. I had no issues until after the update. And I don't even know how to "reset" it.

 

Whenever I send the EM contacts to the app its fine. It's only when receiving data from the app that it is a problem. So as of right now I don't feel safe importing EM contacts from the app. If I get any I will have to read the data in the preview and then manually update it.