Can developers consider reverting back to Scoutbook legacy interface until someone actually beta tests the new system? I have not found a single function to work “properly” … even the features that have been migrated or some time are still broken (Example - calendars do not contain sufficient “categories” to allow units to select events that map to the new unit scorecard/dashboards!!!) Please someone “ask a scouter” to give feedback on this system before pushing it out before its ready. Nothing is working without glitches. Unit advancement chairs everywhere are keeping side notebooks now of all the things they need to post and catch up just to keep track of their scouts awards while the system won’t allow things to post. One of the bigger “losses” in my opinion is also the one-pager summary of a scout’s advancement history. Currently it is still viewable on the legacy site before moving into “plus” but I fear it too will go away. Our scouts print that page for their eagle presentation binders. Its colorful and shows everything in one page, with color illustrations. Please do not delete that feature! The other thing here is the “separation” between the two, requiring parents to login to Scoutbook, then scoutbook plus… is confusing. Add to it the need to visit my.scouting.org for membership renewals and it is no wonder parents don’t interface with these systems more. Its too confusing for them to navigate. Is there any way developers can revert this “plus” rollout to a beta test market for the near term until they get the massive number of bugs addressed?
@DeeKivett- this has been stated many times that the move to advancements.scouting.org is not going to be halted or reverted as the code for scoutbook is no longer supported. Beyond that there are links to advancements.scouting.org on the my.scouting.org web site.
I get it, and thanks for even responding. I sometimes feel like I am just shouting into an abiss with the forum. The link tab you highlight in the photo is noted. However, parents don’t use the system this way. They need “one stop shopping” … so lets consider how to keep the membership expiration front and center on the profile page so their date is highlighted and they get an alert flag on their main screen if their membership is due to expire soon. 95% of families can barely process one system, much less multiple.
@DeeKivett - one stop shopping.. a link set at my.scouting I would consider one stop shopping. I have a term for those folks…..
Parents only use my.scouting.org when its time to renew.
Parents use Scoutbook frequently to view scouts’ progress, check calendar, etc. The point is that you need to consider user interface from how the user actually works in the system. They never go to my.scouting.org.
Kindly share your “term”… ? I am not trying to be difficult, just pointing out how parents use the system and the sequence of operations.
Perhaps the “time to renew” flag is being built in as a pop up alert that will take folks to the renewal automatically when its time. That may be an even more obvious solution than links, which require them to take initiative to follow them. If an automatic message is planned, then that may also solve that problem reasonably well too.
@DeeKivett - I am not on the dev team so I can not speak to design. I do know that I receive a renewal email for my registration and a copy of the renewal status of members of our units.
I share @DeeKivett frustration. I am the advancement chair for my son’s troop. I have been a scoutbook evangelist for our council and have served as our council’s scoutbook trainer long before BSA took control of it. With the migration to SB+ a couple of weeks ago, my job recording advancement transitioned from quick on-the-fly updates and additions that I could complete on my phone to hours of clicking and clicking. The system is needlessly confusing, over-designed, and is not usable. Our Scout master doesn’t know how to connect merit badge counselors with scouts. Merit badge counselors don’t know how to view and sign off. The old system was simple, intuitive; the new system is not. This is from a UX designer, systems developer, and 11-year user of scoutbook. At this point, I have to relearn SB+ to figure out how to get approved items onto the PO for purchasing advancement. The migration to SB+ has been nothing short of terrible. I understand that the old Scoutbook is unsupported and likely contains security holes, and was likely not secure for the amount of PII it holds. However, the workflow in the system was nearly perfect and could (can) be easily replicated in newer, more secure platforms. Count clicks, please - count how many clicks it takes to do anything in Scoutbook Plus - start there.
To @DeeKivett point, our adult volunteers ARE using spreadsheets and shadow notes again to track events, advancements, and other things and avoiding scoutbook altogether.
Some Examples (I’m compiling a list):
- old scoutbook the items for purchase was a simple list with radio buttons to choose what goes to the po. IN SB+ every record is a card with all information on it. requiring endless scrolling because the cards are 600px each. waste of sscreen space and time.
- After logging into scoutbook and going to quick entry, I am routed to SB+ and have to sign in a second time - why? waste of time.
Connecting Scouts to MBCs is still done through Legacy Scoutbook.
MBCs should be using the MBC section of their My Dashboard page in Legacy Scoutbook.
As Advancement Chair, you should be logging in directly to Scoutbook Plus (https://advancements.scouting.org). Go to Roster → Advancements → To Purchase.
@AlexMauer - are you using scoutbook plus on mobile because you mention cards as that is how it is viewed on a mobile device or a browser window that is small
@AlexMauer Thank you for chiming in with these details. I share the same sentiment and interestingly have a background in user interface design in the automotive industry myself. This system requires too many steps for basic tasks. I have done advancements for my pack and my troop now for 12 years. I have also been the council SB trainer. The change day hit us on the week right before a big court of honor as we were trying to finish records for nearly 80 scouts. Our unit is huge. It took four of us working with this new system in parallel to get all the kids’ information completed in time when normally, as you mentioned… we could just do it from the palm of our hand on the mobile as we were walking around and actually interacting with the youth as we kept up. I have handed over this job now to others as I am taking on a new role as a council commissioner, but it could not have come at a better time. I am so disappointed. I was the “scoutbook advocate” for the council for years and years. This rollout has worn-me-out.
Up until the migration in mid-August, I was doing it quickly and efficiently using the quick entry tools. I have noticed updates to the screens since the rollout that are making it easier, but having continuous updates roll out every time I log in is frustrating. I spend time figuring it out, and the next time it’s different, and I need to figure it out again. This is the sentiment from all our adult leaders who use the system. My texts are full of “how do you do this now” messages. The net result is the perception that this system is unstable. Volunteers are dropping their positions because the use of the system is presenting a barrier to success. Parent volunteers are not signing up to use a tool that is constantly changing and requires relearning. They want to get in, get out, and support the program their children are participating in.
this is a new screen. 2 weeks ago, this was not the screen. The approved advancement showed a long list of advancement cards with all the information on the approved advancement. This was fixed or redesigned, but each week I log on, there is something different.
@AlexMauer- that response tells me that your complaints are more about change and how painful it is. That screenshot is the way it has been since the transition. What you were describing with cards is what it looks like is you compress your browser windiw down to the size of a mobile device. Neither one of you like or want change or anything related to change and so it time to walk away. I am also a long time scoutbook user and manned the both at the national annual meeting in Atlanta in 2015. I truly doubt scoutbook is the cause of leaders dropping but it does make for an easy excuse.
They can also renew directly from My.Scouting. If using My.Scouting for one stop shopping, they will see if there is a renewal. See screen shot
@Stephen_Hornak How disappointing,
What you are hearing are long-time users’ concerns and critiques. The roll-out and workflow organization are terrible. The team designing this is not getting feedback from users, or it does not appear to be, and you are just rolling out new stuff. what @DeeKivett and I are describing is significant disruptions to critical time-sensitive processes around the scouts and our responsibility to their correct processing of advancement. We are also volunteers with lives and jobs outside of scouts and scoutbook.
As I stated, I have been an SB evangelist since 2016, when we were paying for it. I have spent that time using and managing all aspects of the system as a cub master and later as a UL and Advancement chair. I was such an evangelist that I would train other units on how to use it, how to set it up, how to use the extension, and more. But what has been consistent throughout is that enhancements and changes to process are rolled out with little regard to impact on end users - take what we think works and use it. And the snarky attitude towards feedback and complaints.
I can assure the the developers are working as fast as they can to fix the issues. Scouting America does not have a seemingly infinite IT budget like Microsoft, Apple or other big software companies so it takes time to get through the problems.
If you have concerns about the rollout, I suggest providing feedback to your Council professional staff. They know how to forward feedback directly to Scouting America IT.
@Stephen_Hornak I don’t know your specific role in this system, but I can tell you that all of our power users are long-time scouters who have been involved in our troop since their kids were in Cub Scouts, and many have continued beyond their children’s 18th birthday or Eagle rank. The sentiment is the same….scoutbook changed how they do x,y, or z, and I don’t know how to do it or it doesn’t make sense. You may not like to hear it, but unfortunately, it’s the reality. Volunteers attempt to use the system in good faith but are constantly interrupted by workflow changes, forcing them to adapt their approach. With little warning and little consideration paid to the end user. I have rolled with every change Scoutbook has made for 11 years, I have calmed the agitated end-users through training and retraining. So please don’t lecture me on change.
@AlexMauer- i am a 15 year user of Scoutbook and a volunteer like you as are all the others on these forums. My point is this that as Ed noted your feedback is more viable if routed through your council. No developer or Scouting America it team member is on these forums.
Howdy - I did just that - gave feedback to my Council professional staff. She told me the council can do nothing since “…it is a Unit based software”. She also told me she is not aware of a comment feedback system. Since there is no “help desk” contact posted anywhere I am assuming Scouting America doesn’t want to hear feedback nor offer direct help.
Here is a specific issue I would really like a solution for. It would go far towards improving life tonight. For Star rank requirement 3 someone “completed” the rank and it shows the incorrect date, which is months after the real completion date. It is preventing me from entering the real BOR date. I want to change it to the correct date and do not see a way to do it. I can do it for the other requirements, but not this one. The date does not match the completion dates of any of the merit badges. How can I correct the date??
(Moderator: Do not use an acronym for Scouting America)
