Like many institutions, the seasons are not marked by a change in the weather or the calendar, but instead by the influx of new interns. Invariably, I will get a call requesting access to TMS for them, but their start dates and schedules make scheduling a group training session untenable. Here’s an easy way to get new users started with TMS.

Whenever I create a new user account in TMS, I send the user a copy of the Quick Start Guide. This single-sided, tabloid format guide is informative, yet easy to read. The Quick Start Guide explains how to login to the system (the whole “your password can be anything, just as long as it’s not nothing” shtick), how modules are organized, the basics of searching, and where to locate assistance. It includes some quick tips and shortcut keys for good measure.

The guide is printed on brightly colored stock, so it will be easy to locate and reference – particularly when requiring assistance. I found that white stock is easily camouflaged and lost on most desks.

The guide took an afternoon to produce, but it has saved countless hours of getting new users up and running. Especially when that new wave of interns start in the fall… or spring… or summer.

Download “Quick Start Guide”

cheat_sheet.pdf – Downloaded 2439 times – 30.35 KB

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