NW Scheduler/Publisher - Updates, Support, and Suggestions

[TheKid23]

23 minutes ago, Mike047 said:

We operate a number of litcart services, both for one congregation and a Metropolitan style version for a number of congregations. Does anyone know whether it is possible to include details within NWP? There would seem to be two parts of interest. Firstly, a way for individuals to hold their own scheduled assignments, and secondly a way for the congregation to monitor the congregation litcart schedule - on NW Scheduler? 

We use NWP for all our cart bookings. Publishers can book on themselves or can be booked on by appointed men with access to the PC version 

[coolbrz731]

17 minutes ago, TheKid23 said:

We use NWP for all our cart bookings. Publishers can book on themselves or can be booked on by appointed men with access to the PC version 

We switched from cartsmart.io to using this.  It's been a blessing for our congregation ever since.  The friends LOVE this app.

[Mike047]

Hannah and Chris. Thanks very much for your updates on the use of NWP for the litcarts. Getting down to one app would be much easier. Do you know how it works when two congregations share?

[foghorn]

   Mike - we are using the cart reservation features in our congregation. Each cart is first assigned a location, then shifts for attending the carts are created. Publishers use the app to reserve shifts for a location.

   It is hard for me to see how this is compatible with 2 congregations. The publisher app for one congregation has no way of knowing what is happening in another congregation.

[coolbrz731]

3 hours ago, Mike047 said:

Hannah and Chris. Thanks very much for your updates on the use of NWP for the litcarts. Getting down to one app would be much easier. Do you know how it works when two congregations share?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but there isn't a way to link two congregations in the public ministry portion of NWS, is there?  I'm a very limited admin on the computer app.

[Jf800]

While we wait for the update, publishers can select "Less than 1 hour" when submitting their Field Service Report. 

[Adam!]

Yeah it doesn't look like the report has been updated yet. Its 1 November now

[Luk_KK]

I know my attitude may be a bit demanding, but since we paid for the program they could at least write an information when they plan to implement the new solution or whatever. If it was a free program then I couldn't expect anything. And so, however, I am a bit disappointed. 

[jwhess]

My secretary said to just send the whole report as normal and he knows which part to use.  The new publisher cards only came out yesterday, so he has had no chance to move all of our data over to the new system, anyway.

 

Next months report will be fixed.

 

EDIT: remember, they didn't have any more notice to plan the coding changes than any other publisher.

Edited November 1, 2023 by jwhess

[Mike047]

There may well be some extra planned shepherding activity to discuss the new arrangement with the the brothers, likely overseen at a group level, but it will be after the November 6th. monthly broadcast. 

Whatever the NWP provision is and however it changes over time, we will still need to keep our own ministry arrangements and details of our activity.

 

 

[carlos]

I expected NW Publisher developers would implement some temporary workaround, since they just needed to add a box to say "Active", or even simpler, allow to send a report without entering any number of hours, just a "yes" in Notes.

 

I guess they were waiting for instructions and ran out of time. Probably it will be fixed for next month.

 

We told our publishers to just enter Yes or Active in Notes, but then realized it would not enable to Send button without a number in the hours box. So we told them to enter 1 or any other number.

[airban]

On 10/25/2023 at 7:12 AM, Mike047 said:

Could it be that using a 'Yes' or tick in a box changes our appreciation for the privilege of sharing in the ministry? If we are keeping our own accurate records we will see if there is a need to adjust in our ministry share so as to maintain our own spirituality.

 

The GB certainly knows what they are doing - were you able to see Brother Herd's talk on this subject at the annual meeting? In a roundabout way it seems as if you are questioning the direction. Each one will carry his own load regarding this.  

 

[airban]

10 hours ago, Luk_KK said:

I know my attitude may be a bit demanding, but since we paid for the program they could at least write an information when they plan to implement the new solution or whatever. If it was a free program then I couldn't expect anything. And so, however, I am a bit disappointed. 

 

I do not think you are being demanding, just a modicum of transparency regarding this would have been nice by now. One sentence that says 'we're working on this, give us a month'.

 

I realize this will be an unpopular opinion but I find a lot of the verbiage from the creators of this program to be condescending. Every time I look up a reason as to why a certain thing can not be done with the app/NWScheduler they make up a theocratic reason when in reality it is an obvious limitation in the software (for example turning in time 1 hour before the strike of midnight on the last day of the month). Or when mentioning other programs that other brothers have developed they can have a sarcastic tone. I mean is this really a competition? 😆

[airban]

3 hours ago, carlos said:

I expected NW Publisher developers would implement some temporary workaround, since they just needed to add a box to say "Active", or even simpler, allow to send a report without entering any number of hours, just a "yes" in Notes.

 

I guess they were waiting for instructions and ran out of time. Probably it will be fixed for next month.

 

We told our publishers to just enter Yes or Active in Notes, but then realized it would not enable to Send button without a number in the hours box. So we told them to enter 1 or any other number.

 

This is what we told our publishers too. I said "you can enter 99 if you like, I'll deal with it" 

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

I found 'work-around' posted on the "Help" section re the reporting (temporarily) while waiting for the 'fix'.

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

To Quote:

NOTE: We are aware of the new branch direction regarding reporting publisher time. NW Scheduler and NW Publisher app will be updated in mid November to reflect the new directions, and the new S-21, S-1 and S-4 forms.

In the meantime, publishers can either tick “Less than 1 hour” to indicate they participated in the ministry, or simply enter any Hour amount.

There is no need contact us about this.

[carlos]

I don't wish to bother the friends now when they must be so busy to adapt to the new reporting arrangement. So maybe someone here can give me a clue:

 

In this screenshot you can see I am assigned to public witnessing on two dates this month, November 3 and 17. You can see the yellow little guy next to those dates. If I click on them, my name appears together with my other partners:

 

 

However, there is no mention of public witnessing in my assignments list:

 

 

I have different parts at the meeting, conduct some meetings for service, a talk in another congregation, but no mention of public witnessing. Is this a bug or are we doing something wrongly? When you are assigned to do public witnessing does it appear in your list of assignments?

 

[coolbrz731]

2 minutes ago, carlos said:

I don't wish to bother the friends now when they must be so busy to adapt to the new reporting arrangement. So maybe someone here can give me a clue:

 

In this screenshot you can see I am assigned to public witnessing on two dates this month, November 3 and 17. You can see the yellow little guy next to those dates. If I click on them, my name appears together with my other partners:

 

 

However, there is no mention of public witnessing in my assignments list:

 

 

I have different parts at the meeting, conduct some meetings for service, a talk in another congregation, but no mention of public witnessing. Is this a bug or are we doing something wrongly? When you are assigned to do public witnessing does it appear in your list of assignments?

 

Those two are separate.  It seems like the assignments have to do with any "meeting".  And cart work doesn't count as a "meeting", so it's in its own category.

[Cruzer]

1 hour ago, coolbrz731 said:

Those two are separate.  It seems like the assignments have to do with any "meeting".  And cart work doesn't count as a "meeting", so it's in its own category.

 

I brought up this same question with the developers some time ago & received a similar response as @coolbrz731's. Not sure what the cons would be in setting "public witnessing" as an assignment, getting a reminder about cart witnessing would be nice however. With my busy schedule, I've sometimes have forgotten I scheduled myself a shift 😬.

[jwhess]

Not all of my assignments, duties, etc show up in the same place.  I am an attendant and it shows under the "Duties" tab but not under the "Assignments" tab.

[Mike]

Not all of my assignments, duties, etc show up in the same place.  I am an attendant and it shows under the "Duties" tab but not under the "Assignments" tab.

That’s because being an attendant is a duty and not an assignment.


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[jwhess]

11 minutes ago, Mike said:

That’s because being an attendant is a duty and not an assignment.
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Maybe that is how the brothers making the program feel.  No volunteer is ever assigned to go in service.

[Mike047]

It's a shame we do not have a filter option called 'Privilege' which maybe all of us would readily ascribe to, and it would cover every aspect of our theocratic life?

[carlos]

10 hours ago, jwhess said:

Not all of my assignments, duties, etc show up in the same place.  I am an attendant and it shows under the "Duties" tab but not under the "Assignments" tab.

 

I would say it's an assignment because I was assigned that day to go with the carts. But anyway, I wouldn't mind if public witnessing appeared under Duties. That would be much better than not appearing anywhere. I recently forgot I had that privileged and missed it.

 

It would be even better if all the things I have to do, whether assignments, duties or whatever, appeared in one single place. What is the point of having to look in several places?

[Mike]

 
I would say it's an assignment because I was assigned that day to go with the carts. But anyway, I wouldn't mind if public witnessing appeared under Duties. That would be much better than not appearing anywhere. I recently forgot I had that privileged and missed it.
 
It would be even better if all the things I have to do, whether assignments, duties or whatever, appeared in one single place. What is the point of having to look in several places?

Agreed! One place … simple and logical.


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