Is there any automated Timetable program that I can use?

SMS Auto Timetabling is one of the options available for generating timetable for new academic year. When the timetable for new academic year is much different from previous year, SMS user is advised to select SMS Auto Scheduling Module to generate timetable for new academic year. There are 13 steps the SMS user needs to do in order to auto schedule the timetable. If there are changes in timetable general setting, cycle day, timetable template, recess / assembly group, SMS user needs to perform all steps as illustrated below. On the other hand, if there is no changes on the mentioned items, SMS needs to perform Step 5, 7 and 9 onward

Step 1- Set Up Level, Class & Subject Offered

SMS user has to ensure that level, class and subject offered for the new academic year have been set up. To offer the level, please go to . To offer the subject, please go to Curriculum Mgmt ~> Subjects Offered ~> Create & Update.To create the class, please go to Curriculum Mgmt ~> Class Details ~> Create.

Step 2 – Timetable General Setting

This is to set up the processing options for timetable as required by the School. Eg, to define the timetable start time and end time; recess and assembly; printing and displaying the timetable and so on.   To set up the timetable requirement, please go to Timetable Mgmt ~> General Setting.

Step 3 – Define Cycle Day

This is to define the number of days a timetable template will have. Users will use this template to rotate the subjects offered in the school, instead of repeating the timetable week by week. For example, if the School adopts 3-day cycle which means that a timetable will have a 3-day template. After the third day, the timetable will go back to day cycle 1. To create a new cycle day and its name, please go to Timetable Mgmt ~> Parameter Setup ~> Cycle Day ~> Create and  Timetable Mgmt ~> Parameter Setup ~> Cycle Day Setup.

Step 4 – Link Level to Cycle Day

This is to define the relationship between the Cycle Day to the levels that have been offered by the school. To do this, please go to Timetable Mgmt ~> ParameterSetup ~> Link Level to Cycle Day.

Step 5 – Semester Start Day Set Up

This is to define the cycle day and the first day of each semester or term. Eg, The cycle day for Semester 1 is 5 days and 2 cycle day is the first day of the semester. To set the semester start day, please go to Timetable Mgmt ~> Parameter Setup ~> Semester Start Day.

Step 6 – Timetable Block Template Set Up

Block template is where SMS user creates the “frame” of a timetable by inputting the day cycle, time and number of periods for time slots creation. This created template will then be used for inputting the subject and teacher for each allocated slot. To define a timetable template, please go to Timetable Mgmt ~> Parameter Setup ~> Block Template ~> Create.

Step 7 – Link Level to Block Template

Upon creation of the block template, SMS users need to link the level / class to the block template. To define block template and level relationship, please go to Timetable Mgmt ~> Parameter Setup ~> Link Level to Block Template.

Step 8 –  Create Assembly / Recess Group

This is to define the Recess / Assembly Group for staff and student eg for morning and after session. To define assembly group, please go to Timetable Mgmt ~> Parameter Setup ~> Slot Type ~> Assembly Group ~> Create. To define the recess group, please go to Timetable Mgmt ~> Parameter Setup ~> Slot Type ~> Recess Group ~> Create.

Step 9 – Auto Timetable General Setting

SMS user needs to define the maximum continuous teaching period per day, maximum / minimum teaching period per day /week and so on. To setup the general settings for auto timetable, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Timetable Parameter ~> General Setting.

Besides, if committee forms part of the reasons for blocking certain timetable slots from scheduling, SMS user is required to create the committee. If the selected committee type is panitia, the created committee is required to assign to the level of subject code for which the committee is responsible. Eg Bahasa Malaysia Committee is responsible for BM subject for Transition and Form 1. To do this, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Timetable Parameter  ~> Group ~> Description ~> Create. Thereafter, SMS user needs to assign teacher in charge for the committee for the new academic year. To do this, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Timetable Parameter ~> Group ~> Custom.

In the event whereby there is not enough teacher to teach certain subject for new academic year, some classes need to be combined and thereafter assigned the subject teacher. To joint these classes, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Timetable Parameter ~> Joint Group Setup.

Step 10 – Resources and Constraints Building

There are two activities need to be performed in this step. The first activity is to distribute the subject and allocate the resources by class, subject and teacher in term of number of teaching periods within the cycle day. To do this, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Timetable Parameter ~> Class and Subject.

The second activity is to block only the necessary timetable slots from assignment while simulating the timetable. The block type can be by Committee (Panitia / Custom) or by location (Classroom / Non classroom) or by subject or by staff or by class. SMS User has to bear in mind that the more blocking reasons  are assignd, the less will be the percentage of timetable slots assignment by the system. To do this, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Timetable Parameter ~> Group and Slot Block Set Up.

Step 11 – Timetable Simulating

SMS user is allowed to simulate the timetable; and thereafter preview the simulated timetable before confirmation. As long as the timetable for the academic year is not yet confirmed, user is allowed to process simulation in numerous times with the assignment of different  case number. System will display a statistical report on the percentage of completion of timetable by class after each simulation. SMS user needs to know that the percentage of completion of timetable by class will be varied for each simulation even though the auto timetable parameter is remain unchanged for each simulation. To simulate the timetable, please go to . To preview the simulated timetable, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Enquiry.

Step 12 – Maintain Timetable Manually

SMS user is allowed to maintain  the simulated timetable manually by inserting the subject and teacher for the empty slots or make changes on the assigned slots. Only the chosen timetable for new academic year is required to be maintained. To maintain the simulated timetable, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Manual Maintenance of Timetable.

Step 13 – Timetable Confirmation

Upon completion of timetable maintenance, user needs to confirm the chosen  timetable as official timetable for new academic year. To do this, please go to Auto Timetable ~> Auto Scheduling of Timetable ~> Confirmation of Timetable.