As more and more of what is useful to us becomes digitised and embedded in the systems we use, the need to efficiently and effectively sift through the reams of information becomes ever more important. How do we quickly find what we need in modern software?
We don’t thumb through our Contacts list like an old-fashioned Filofax to find the right person, instead we just start typing a name to return the result we need… If you need some help in your Word processing package, instead of reading through the Help section index and table of contents, these days it is quicker to type into the box labelled “Tell me what you want to do” to be whisked to the right section… And on your computer’s Start menu, you can simply begin typing whatever you are thinking about to return a list of relevant apps, files and documents in a flash.
It has become second nature for us to use search tools in our software to quickly find what we need. Bromcom has introduced an refreshed UX for 2020 and with it comes a powerful way of finding what you need with the new Global Search Bar. This intuitive tool is the SatNav of your Bromcom CloudMIS, navigating you quickly and effortlessly to the information or section of the MIS that you need to be.
How does it work? You already know… It’s second nature! Simply type a name, word or phrase in the Global Search bar which is found on the header at the top of every page. As you begin to type, Bromcom gets to work finding relevant results and presents them to you in a drop-down box. The more you type, the more specific the search results become.
For example, start typing “Dav” and you will be presented with a list of any person in the MIS with this search term in their name. The results are grouped together to keep things tidy, with Students first, then Staff and finally Contacts. Simply continue typing “David” to hone down the list. Clicking on a result from the list takes you straight to the profile of that person.
The new Global Search not only quickly finds people in your database, the same search bar also shortcuts you to areas of the Bromcom CloudMIS system. As you type the word “Attendance” the system starts sorting through all the Groups, Features and Reports that contain the phrase and presents them in a neat list for your convenience!
Global Search is set to become even more powerful in the next release with more related results being returned such as Primary Contact for a Student and Student siblings. Search terms will become smarter too, meaning you can simply type an address, phone number, email or car registration plate to return people with those attributes.
This modern and intuitive way of navigating the system is invaluable for new users as it means you don’t have to know, or be shown, where to find things in the system. Even experienced Bromcom users who know the system like the back of their hand are enjoying the benefit of simply typing a data destination and being transported straight there!
