I’d broaden it a bit to improving the BSA user interface… where I have to explain to my advancement person the difference between IA2 and SB - and, mostly, to ignore IA2. The needs of professional council staff shouldn’t be visible to the units, and if you’re using third-party software (as we are) then all you need to do is ignore the parts of SB that you don’t need.
But I don’t have anything more to say, so I’ll drop it.
@JordanBrown1 If your unit is primarily using third-party software, have you looked into using Internet Advancement? There is an import file option that you or your advancement person can use to upload advancements.
I said I’d drop it, but this is a direct question…
We use third-party software (TroopWebHost) for e-mail and event planning. We use good old paper for advancement. From where I sit, IA2 and SB do the same thing with advancement, just differently. I missed the fact that IA2 can do bulk imports and SB can’t… but the obvious solution to that is to add bulk import to SB, not to create a whole new user interface.
I don’t want to use IA2. If SB’s e-mail support improves, we’d probably move to it, and I wouldn’t want to be using IA2 at that point because of the likelihood of confusion.
How does one move a Merit Badge from Approved to Awarded status so one can run the Advancement Report?
I don’t like the SB or the IA2 either…the old way worked for us…this new way does not.
In Scoutbook (scoutbook.com), there are instructions here:
In IA2 (scoutbook.scouting.org), I’m not aware of a way to mark something as awarded.
In Scoutbook or Internet Advancement? In Scoutbook, it is important that you mark items as Completed and Approved, but not Awarded. If you mark advancements as Awarded in Scoutbook, then the assumption is that you have already presented the item(s) to the Scout. Accordingly, there would be no need to purchase the item(s). In Scoutbook, you will find the Advancement Report by going to: Troop Reports → Needs Purchasing Report → Purchase Order → Advancement Report.
Good catch. I had assumed that the intent was to mark things awarded so that they would no longer show up on the Needs Purchasing report (and therefore not on the PO).
If this is the goal / intent, then I would recommend putting those items on a separate Purchase Order (PO), and close that PO. Then create a new PO for items that need to be purchased. If it is done this way, then you can always go back and “View Closed Purchase Orders” and access the older Advancement Reports, if needed.
how do I create a new PO?
Once you close an existing PO, it will offer the opportunity to create a new one from the Needs Purchasing report screen in Scoutbook.
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