Overview
Set ID/Code type to be used in Employees cards/FormatEmployeeIdCards (Settings > Basic Customization > Card Settings) is the setting covered in this guide. It controls which piece of identifying information is used as the ID/Code shown on a printed _Employee_ (Staff) card, and that same code can later be used to search for the _Employee_’s record. This setting behaves the same way whether the institute is using K-12 mode or Higher Education mode; there is no difference in how _Employee_ cards are generated between the two modes.
What This Setting Does
Unlike a simple on/off switch, this setting lets an administrator build a custom code pattern (a “format”) that the system uses to automatically create the ID/Code value shown on an _Employee_’s printed card. The pattern is built by combining one or more available identifiers – for example the _Employee_’s internal code, National ID Number, Passport Number, Card ID, External Code, or email address – and can also include fixed text such as a prefix.
For each identifier included in the pattern, the administrator can also set a fixed number of digits. If the _Employee_’s actual value is shorter than that number, the system automatically adds leading zeros to fill the gap; if the value is longer, the system shortens it to fit. Any plain text typed outside of the identifier placeholders, such as a prefix like EMP-, is kept exactly as written and becomes a permanent part of the generated code.
The ID/Code value produced by this setting is also used by the system’s quick search feature, so staff can locate an _Employee_’s record simply by typing in the code that appears on that person’s card.
Main Settings / General Settings / Student-Parent Portal / Visibility Settings & Rights / Parents Portal – Hide a Student from a parent if the Academic Contact option is not checked
Parents Portal – Hide a Student from a parent if the Academic Contact option is not checked.
To set the parent as a student’s academic contact you need to go to the student list, to the tab of the student you want to edit and switch on the academic contact as shown below.
Example
Student: Franci Gri***
Mother: Moira Gri***
Father: John Gri***
Search the student and then click on Actions and Preview & Edit
Figure 1
In the first tab (Student Profile) scroll down
Figure 2
Student’s Father is Academic Contact but not his Mother
Figure 3
Setting -> Active
In Mother’s portal, Franci Grixti does not appear
Figure 4
In Father’s portal, Fanci appears
Figure 5
Setting -> Inactive
Now it appears on the mother’s portal because it doesn’t matter if she’s in academic contact or not
Figure 6
Where It Is Used
- Employee card printing – whenever a printed or digital ID card/badge is generated for an _Employee_, the ID/Code field on the card is filled in using the pattern defined by this setting.
- Card creation – when a new card is first issued to an _Employee_ (for example when a new staff member joins the institute), the system uses this setting at that moment to generate the person’s code.
- Quick search – once generated, the code becomes part of the information staff can search by, making it easy to find an _Employee_’s record from the code printed on their card.
This setting only applies to cards created for _Employees_. Cards issued to parents/relatives, _Students_, and Teachers use their own separate settings, listed under Notes below.
Business Logic / Behavior
- If the format is left blank, the system does not generate an ID/Code value automatically, and the code field on the _Employee_’s card remains empty until a format is defined.
- The information required by the chosen identifiers must already exist on the _Employee_’s profile. For example, if the format uses the National ID Number but a particular _Employee_’s National ID has not been entered yet, the system will not be able to generate a code for that person, and an incomplete card will not be produced.
- Several identifiers can be combined into a single code, in any order, together with any fixed text or punctuation the administrator wants to add, such as a prefix or a separator.
- The number of digits used for each identifier is configurable. Shorter values are padded with leading zeros; longer values are shortened to fit the specified length.
- One of the available identifiers, Card ID, is a unique sequential number assigned automatically to each physical card. The system recommends including this identifier in the format to guarantee that every generated code stays unique, even if two _Employees_ happen to share the same other identifier.
- For institutes that operate multiple linked locations or companies, for example a shared admissions profile between two branches, including the Cross Code identifier in the format allows the system to recognize the _Employee_’s existing card from the other location and reuse the same code, instead of generating an unrelated new one.
Example(s)
Example 1 – Simple numeric code
Alpha Institute sets the format to a 6-digit version of the Employee Code identifier. Maria P., an _Employee_ whose internal code is 42, receives a printed card showing 000042 as her ID/Code. HR staff can later find her record by typing 000042 into quick search.
Example 2 – Prefixed and combined code
Beta College sets the format to combine fixed text, a 4-digit Employee Code, and the Card ID identifier. George S. joins as a new staff member with internal code 17; his is the 305th card issued at the institute. His printed card shows EMP-0017-305 as the ID/Code.
Example 3 – Using the National ID Number
Gamma Academy sets the format to a 9-digit version of the National ID Number identifier. Before badges can be printed, HR staff make sure every _Employee_’s National ID Number has already been entered in their profile; if it is missing for someone, that person’s card cannot be generated until the number is added.
When to Use
When to Enable
- The institute issues physical or digital ID cards/badges to _Employees_ and wants a consistent, automatically generated ID/Code printed on every card.
- Staff need to quickly find an _Employee_’s record using the code printed on their card.
- The institute wants to standardize its _Employee_ codes with a specific digit length, a recognizable prefix, or a combination of identifiers, for example to keep numbering consistent across several locations.
When to Disable
- The institute does not issue physical ID cards to _Employees_, or manages employee identification through a process outside the system.
- The institute prefers to assign and print ID/Code values manually rather than have them generated automatically.
Notes
Prerequisites: before defining a format that relies on a specific identifier, such as the National ID Number, Passport Number, or External Code, make sure that identifier is already filled in on each _Employee_’s profile; otherwise the system will not be able to generate a code for that person’s card.
Related settings:
- Set ID/Code type to be used in Relatives cards/FormatRelativeIdCards (Settings > Basic Customization > Card Settings) – the equivalent setting for cards issued to parents/relatives.
- Set ID/Code type to be used in Student cards/FormatStudentIdCards (Settings > Basic Customization > Card Settings) – the equivalent setting for cards issued to _Students_.
- Set ID/Code type to be used in Teacher cards/FormatTeacherIdCards (Settings > Basic Customization > Card Settings) – the equivalent setting for cards issued to Teachers.
- Enable QR code for benefits/EnableQRCodeForCardsBenefits (Settings > Basic Customization > Card Settings) – adds a QR code to the card alongside the ID/Code produced by this setting.
- Enable Cross Period cards for the following entities/EnableCrossPeriodCardsForEntities (Settings > Basic Customization > Card Settings) – controls whether a card, and its code, remains valid across different academic periods for _Employees_ as well as other entity types.
- Default expiration date/DefaultCardExpirationDate (Settings > Basic Customization > Card Settings) – sets when a newly issued card expires.
