Monitor Mass

[Staff Weenie]

MPRR problems on Monitor/MASS are most probably from bad data in HRMS - and I have a secret belief that the HRMS database spontaneously corrupts itself. People have decorations come and go, their dependants disappear, postings are gone, etc....I've even seen people have their gender change from one report to the next - no idea why this happens.

I like Monitor/MASS - the feature to show Class A parading is great. I use it every day now for a wide range of tasks. What I don't like, is that as far as I can tell, while I can input IBTS quals, it means nothing until the same data is entered into HRMS.

 

[FreeFloat]

I like Monitor/MASS - the feature to show Class A parading is great. I use it every day now for a wide range of tasks. What I don't like, is that as far as I can tell, while I can input IBTS quals, it means nothing until the same data is entered into HRMS.

Monitor MASS is a separate front-end database, with its own "additional" database fields - which pulls most of its data from the same backend database as HRMS uses.  Thus, you are correct in that you can enter items in Monitor MASS which will then be only visible/usable in Monitor MASS - and not within HRMS.  The data transfer works in only one direction between the two - HRMS downloads to MM, but MM cannot upload to HRMS.  And judging from the stories I hear of corrupt/spotty info input to MM and units not having access and/or trained personnel to use MM, this is a good thing.

Just remember that HRMS is the "virtual Pers file" and not MM, and you're golden  :nod:

 

[211RadOp]

Sorry to revive something that is a couple of months old, but here is a link to the ASST site with MM for Dummies as I call it.

http://clsapp.mil.ca/cls_mil_ca/monitormass/index.html

Sorry, but it is DWAN.

 

[agc]

While we're bringing this thread back...

I've been trying to correct an issue with my own MPRR for the past 10+years. Apparently I'm fluent in Spanish/ Castilian.

Probably someone else has been trying for 10 years to get their proficiency added to their MPRR. :

It's an easy enough fix, if the person you're asking has correction privileges in HRMS.  Most of us don't.  Ask the clerk at the counter to send a work ticket to HRIC if nobody in the OR has correction mode.

 

[PuckChaser]

I think its "failing" because people have a closed mind about it. I recently did my section's March Break leave passes in 30 minutes for 10 people. Handed them out to the troops for signature and good to go. They didn't need to spend 20 minutes themselves filling out that stuff. I personally find it an awesome tool for supervisors, people just need to be a little receptive to change. Its even pretty user friendly, not like that DRMIS program....

 

[Zoomie]

They didn't need to spend 20 minutes themselves filling out that stuff.

Am I the only one who thinks 20 mins for a leave pass is a bit extreme?  I average about 30 - 45 secs.

 

[PuckChaser]

20 mins is probably a bad estimate, but I'd rather just take the dates they want and throw them all in the computer for them while they're still out working in the shop.

 

[Help Desk]

This hellish application... god help us. Every now and then theres "initiatives" to retire the 500 Excel spreadhseets spread across the unit that manage everything from sick days to rucksack sizes. Is anyone out there using it? Its seems that due to the applications clunkyness, everyone has been slow to adopt, or only given a halfassed effort to use it. Right now, I see most people only using it to create leave passes.

Does anyone have any good queries they could share? Or maybe some useful screen setups, tips, comments..anything at all?

Promotion video: http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/land-terre/news-nouvelles/story-reportage-eng.asp?id=1907

Monitor MASS started out as an Army initiative and is now being use by 17,000 within DND, a new Version was rolled out on the 17 Feb 2011 with an event more User friendly look and feel. The Reserve Employment Opportunity - REO module has been improved upon quite a bit since it inception last year, you can use the filter field to narrow down the output by targeting only the opportunities you are interested in. Candidates applying for an opportunity will receive a confirmation email once they are nominated and REO Managers will receive email reminder at every step of the Employment process until the successful candidate is hired and the opportunity removed from the Web site and archived.
The Navy has adopted Monitor MASS in Dec 2010 and are fully engage in the Trg and deployment of the application at both coast. They are now keeping track of their sea days within Monitor MASS, everyone posted or attach to a ship while the ship was at sea got credited with the equivalent sea days, some minor adjustments are needed and are been entered in the member`s record. Sailors who have a Monitor MASS accounts can now look at their own records and the Chain of Command at every level can produce reports for their respective organizations.

The Air Force has been using Monitor MASS to keep track of there IBTS - Individual Battle Trg Skills qualifications (Wpns, CBRN, etc) for the past 2 years and some Wings are encouraging it`s use to the fullest although it is not mandatory.

Take a look at the Reserve Employment Opportunity - REO Website which is Generated form the REO module within Monitor MASS
http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/reo-oer/index.aspx

 

[Help Desk]

MM has failed miserably. Units are not using it peroid.

We currently have 17,000 satisfied customers who are using Monitor MASS across DND

 

[McG]

Monitor MASS started out as an Army initiative and is now ...

Having listened to some individuals involved with the project to replace HRMS, I understand that Monitor MASS will not be supported on the new system (whatever year it rolls out) and data that is currently held in the MM database will be lost under the new system.  I also understand that the CF will not be allowing various commands to develop "plug-ins" or periphery software, so there will not be a Monitor MASS 2.

... has anyone heard if the next generation HRMS will include the supervisor & managment tools that we currently get through Monitor MASS or will it be another exclusively RMS Clk piece of software?

 

[dapaterson]

Having listened to some individuals involved with the project to replace HRMS, I understand that Monitor MASS will not be supported on the new system (whatever year it rolls out) and data that is currently held in the MM database will be lost under the new system.  I also understand that the CF will not be allowing various commands to develop "plug-ins" or periphery software, so there will not be a Monitor MASS 2.

... has anyone heard if the next generation HRMS will include the supervisor & managment tools that we currently get through Monitor MASS or will it be another exclusively RMS Clk piece of software?

The Military Personnel management Capability Transformation project is intended to upgrade the current system.  Among other things, it is intended deliver increased client self-service (so things like leave will be electronic vice paper; members will be able to long on themselves to update address or PEN information...) 

The ECSes and others have provided input into defining the requirements; however, one goal is to minimize the customization of the off-the-shelf software to reduce costs.  So part of the analysis is looking at how we do things and why we do things that way.  Leave is a good example - our business process, with paper forms, is a very old method that makes little sense - why do we generate forms on a computer, print them, send the paper copies around by internal mail, get them signed off, sent to the clerks who take the paper copy of the originally electronic document and input it into another computer system, then send paper copies back?  DND civilian leave is managed through a more recent version of the same software the CF uses - log on, select the type of leave and the dates, add a comment, and submit to your supervisor (default setting) - or, if they are out of the office, to someone else.  The supervisor gets an email with a link; they select "Approved" or "Disapproved"; and the submitter gets an email saying "Your leave transaction was approved".

When the current system was implemented, we largely took existing processes and added a computer to them.  This time, the goal is to streamline the system to reduce the work required.

 

[PanaEng]

dapaterson,
does it address "leveraging existing data"  instead of re-creating it?

 

[dapaterson]

Where possible I believe that's the intent - but keep in mind HRMS is intended as the HR system of record.  All the skunk works systems that have popped up are not "official". 

 

[McG]

The leave process is a no-brainer given that we are already doing it with the civilians using a web portal.
We also need the more advanced profiles for supervisors, staff, managers and commanders to brows the database and retrieve individual data & group statistics (including things like DAG summaries & parade states).  Currently, only RMS Clks do this in HRMS while everyone else is using skunk-works (ie Monitor MASS).

MITE & CFTPO also probably need to be a fully integrated components of the new system.

 

[Franko]

Having listened to some individuals involved with the project to replace HRMS, I understand that Monitor MASS will not be supported on the new system (whatever year it rolls out) and data that is currently held in the MM database will be lost under the new system.  I also understand that the CF will not be allowing various commands to develop "plug-ins" or periphery software, so there will not be a Monitor MASS 2.

... has anyone heard if the next generation HRMS will include the supervisor & managment tools that we currently get through Monitor MASS or will it be another exclusively RMS Clk piece of software?

Glad I keep updating UERs the old fashioned way....with a pen.

Regards

 

[armyvern]

Glad I keep updating UERs the old fashioned way....with a pen.

Regards

Not me; I`ve been using MM for years now to do that, then I print a hard copy of whatever updated sheet after updating to put on the UER. makes for much easier searching when I have to find someone with qualification `X`to have it electronic (& complies with the Army`s thou shalt use MM)`line too.

 

[PuckChaser]

Not me; I`ve been using MM for years now to do that, then I print a hard copy of whatever updated sheet after updating to put on the UER. makes for much easier searching when I have to find someone with qualification `X`to have it electronic (& complies with the Army`s thou shalt use MM)`line too.

Same here. If there's something missing from the UER I'll either pen amend, put it into MM, or have the Regt Trg office put it into MM. Only problem I have with it is that you have to rely on someone else to do certain additions (IBTS, etc and it may just be the way my unit does it) instead of putting the onus on the supervisor to input the data.

 

[Franko]

Not me; I`ve been using MM for years now to do that, then I print a hard copy of whatever updated sheet after updating to put on the UER. makes for much easier searching when I have to find someone with qualification `X`to have it electronic (& complies with the Army`s thou shalt use MM)`line too.

Seeing that the powers that be have decided to not put any of us in the lower CoC on a MM training course or even given access, it's kind of hard to do any updates at all. Hence why all updates are done by the tried and true Bic pen.

When the powers that be decide it may be in their best interest to get Tp NCOs access, not just unit clerks, maybe it'll work the way it's supposed to.

Oh, and I (along with MANY others) have asked for access and some tutelage but to deaf ears. Just thought I'd throw it out there. It's not a particular unit thing either as I've been with 3 in the past 4 years. It's systemic and it's been identified too many times.

Regards

 

[dangerboy]

We are in the same boat, they don't run formal training on Monitor Mass but expect you to use it.  I basically taught myself how to use it and just went over and bugged our unit Monitor Mass administrator if I had any questions.  The good thing it is fairly easy to use once you play around with it.  But it does seem at least with the Combat Arms that they love to implement programs and never really train us to use them we are just supposed to learn on our own.

 

[dogger1936]

We currently have 17,000 satisfied customers who are using Monitor MASS across DND

Why am I still send parade states to base side in a excel worksheet? Why am I still forced to use excel to formulate per's qualifications?
I personally love MM; its the fact that half of this base refuses to use it, or don't update it to make it current....which makes it pointless.