SAMIS Help

Are you running Community Kitchen, English as a Second Language (ESL), Computer Training, Community Garden, 12 Steps, Budgeting, and Employment Programs? 

If you are running any of these programs, whether you are a Corps or a Community and Family Services unit, make sure you have the Program Activity  CSP - Lifeskills activated. 

For information on how to activate/de-activate programs for your ministry unit, visit the SAMIS Help area of this website.

CLOSING DATE:  The closing date for the SAMIS generally occurs during February of each year, for the prior annual period.

WHY DO WE CLOSE SAMIS?  The system must get closed so that THQ can collect the final numbers for the IHQ report.  Any figures in the system as of March, are the figures that will be used for the IHQ report.  Closing the year ensures that the statistics that are sent to IHQ will not change as we move forward.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Here is a check list of things to do before SAMIS closes.

1. Make sure all your statistics have been entered.
2. In order for you to ensure that your membership rolls are correctly updated, it is important for the YP and SR  Pastoral Care committees meet to discuss membership and roll changes.  These changes will be finalized when the Annual Review is completed for your location, but need to be entered into SAMIS so that the reports reflect these changes.
3. If you have been running programs, and not entering them into SAMIS because you are unsure of where to count them, email samis_help@can.salvationarmy.org with your questions.  We will tell you where to count the stats.
4. Activate any new program activities that you need to complete your statistics.
5. In order for your financial information to be ireflected on your reports  make sure your SHELBY entries are also up to date.
6. Review and update your LOCATION information. 
7. Run a test set of REVIEW documents, to make sure the information you get is what you expect.
8. Check to make sure all months are 'Closed' once you are done entering/editing your stats.

If you need assistance/information on how to perform any of the above tasks, check the SAMIS HANDBOOK - available on Lotus Notes home page, upper left corner link to IT ONLINE TRAINING -> SAMIS - you will find a link to the handbook in the lower right hand corner.

If you are trying to update your ROLLS in SAMIS, and didn't get time to complete the SAMIS training, here is a document that will outline for you:
-  how to move members between rolls,
-  how to complete your documents for the Corps Ministry Unit Review.

View this presentation - before you UPDATE YOUR ROLLS!



UPDATING SAMIS ROLLS POWERPOINT instructions

Download a PDF version here:  Updating SAMIS Rolls PDF Handbook

Brush up your SAMIS skills, and get a copy of the revised handbook.  You can find the revised version handbook on the Lotus Notes Notice Board, under CANADA AND BERMUDA -> INFORMATION-PROGRAM -> TRAINING called Documentation - SAMIS.

Here is a new form, to help you collect your statistics for your Women's Ministries.  Just download, copy and distribute monthly.  Then collect and submit to your SAMIS representative!

Download the form:  WM SAMIS STATISTICS

When you select ACTION -> ENTER STATISTICS, do you see a lot of numbers in the bottom frame, like in this image?  If so, either your Ministry Unit is very large, or you have a number of Program Activities which have been activated for your unit, but are probably not being used.

Download the following document, and follow the detailed instructions to clean up your listing so that you only have Program Activities available for which you are actually collecting statistics.

SAMIS Clean Up Your Listing.pdf

The following new functions have now been added to SAMIS. 

1) The menu item 'Activate-Deactivate Program Activities' has been changed to 'Manage Program Activities'.  Select this menu item to open, close, or rename a Program Activity for your location.

 
2)  You can now RENAME some Program Activities so that your Enter Statistics list displays your local names.  (eg.  Rename Seniors Fellowship to 'Dinner Club')  

Examples of items that CAN be changed include activities such as:  Adult Fellowship, Men’s Fellowship, Older Adult Ministries, some music items. 
Examples of items that CANNOT be changed include:  Social Services items, Women’s Ministries Items, most Administrative items such as Finance, Sunday Worship AM.

This means that you no longer have to rely on memory to remember where you collect statistics for programs for which your location is not using conventional names. 

In order to rename a Program Activity,  choose  ACTION -> MANAGE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.  Find the Program Activity you wish to rename, and 'select' it.  In the area on the right enter your new Local Activity Name, choose 'Save Local Activity Name'.


Your new activity name will now appear both in the drop-down selector list, and in the table listing.

3) The Update Rolls page has been enhanced to display ALL CHANGES for ALL ROLLS for the selected month.  



4)  Adjustments to the Women's Ministries (Enter Statistics items) include carrying forward the #groups, #members, and # regular attendees, and auto-filling the input boxes so you don't have to enter these numbers every month unless you have a change. To make a change, highlight the number in the box, delete, enter the new number and save. 



Download the attached document: SAMIS Rename Activites, Rolls Updated Chart Instructions

Since the launch of SAMIS4, over 60 requests for New Program Activities have been submitted through the system.  There are all types of new ministries taking place across the Territory, which Corps are attempting to document through the system.

Some of the common programs, that will be helpful for many locations include:

Why does it matter if I update my location information?
You might be tempted to think, THQ knows all, so why bother updating my SAMIS location information if I'm the one using it.  However,  did you know that the Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory location finder, displayed on public websites such as www.salvationarmy.ca, www.salvationist.ca and www.saMinistryResources.ca  draws  information directly from what you provide in SAMIS.  In other words,  if the public choose to find your location using this web tool, they will find the information about your location, operating hours, phone number and email information that you see on your SAMIS system.

Why does the new system require updating of rolls on a monthly basis?
In order to get an accurate, up-to-date picture of the Army's growth health in Canada and Bermuda, it is important that the rolls pages are updated monthly.  In SAMIS 3 your rolls were only required to be updated for your annual inspection, which meant that a health profile report produced in August, would give a very outdated view of membership numbers.  By updating your rolls monthly this type of report would be up to date.

What happened to all the other 'rolls' from SAMIS?
On the Update Rolls page you will find the five required rolls for our territory:  Senior Soldiers' Roll,  Junior Soldiers' Roll, Adherent's Roll, Sr. Recruits' Roll, and Friends' Roll.  These five rolls are the only rolls used for collecting membership totals - therefore, every regular attendee in your ministry unit should be counted on ONE of these five rolls.  Other rolls, which include Cradle Roll,  Home League Roll, Jr. Recruits Roll, Sunday School Roll, can still be maintained as registers, but the numbers there are for your own use, and do not get added into the membership total.

Did you know that visitors to our website can find the corps, social service, thrift store or ministry unit closest to them by using The Salvation Army Online Locator?  Information is drawn directly from SAMIS (Salvation Army Management Information System), and reflects up-to-date information submitted by local and/or corps officers.

To try out this feature, use the link in the left column of this page "Find The Salvation Army".  Choose to search by Facility or Program, enter your city and the kilometer range that you are interested in. 



Try out this feature today and give us your feedback by using the Rate this Article or Add Comment link below.