The Astra Schedule 8 release focuses on an enhanced user interface and valuable new functionality. Users will experience improved, consistent navigation with updated menus, filter panels, and streamlined usability. There are platform stability improvements with a considerable focus on quality improvement. The event creation process and event request forms have been refined, event reminders added, the homepage experience redesigned, and more. This release is exclusively hosted in Astra Cloud, helping to expedite issue resolution and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Astra Schedule and the resources of our partner institutions.
Enhanced User Experience
The application has been modernized with an updated user interface for a seamless user experience. The new design is focused on making your experience better and your business functions easier to accomplish.
Filter Panel
Filter panels within Astra Schedule 8 have been upgraded to include searching with the enter key, clearing all filters, collapsed filter panels by default, etc. The event list now includes a “Next 31 Days” filter for a rolling filter timeframe.
Intuitive Navigation
The menu navigation has been redesigned to remove the “landing pages” from version 7. The information architecture has been slightly rearranged, meaning some items will have new locations. Notably, all items related to People and Resources have been moved under the Settings tab. The Home tab now includes easy access to the 10 most recent items.
Color Branding
System administrators now have the ability to select the color scheme of the application to reflect school branding. This allows you to easily represent your school brand in Astra Schedule.
Refreshed Event Form
The event form is slightly rearranged to give priority to the most used features, with optional items easily accessible behind tabs.
Reminders
Event schedulers can create to-do items with optional email notifications to remind recipients of pending tasks.
Feature Image Upload
Event schedulers can upload a “featured” image on the homepage activity description.
Platform Stability
Our technical team has improved database queries to optimize system monitoring and performance. Astra Schedule also now supports single sign-on (SSO) using Shibboleth, a highly requested feature!
Astra Cloud Hosted
Astra Schedule 8 is exclusively hosted in Astra Cloud. This will result in expedited issue resolution, as well as an increase in the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the application.
Quality Dedication
To ensure your experience is stable and high quality, we have dedicated extensive attention to quality improvements within the application. This focus will not only improve Astra Schedule 8 usability but also position the application for growth in the future.
New Functionality
The homepage has been positioned to be more interactive, allowing users to start or complete tasks directly from the homepage. All of the non-essential items have been removed to focus on tasks that are crucial to the Astra Schedule user experience.
New Event Request Form Designer
The event request form designer is redesigned with new technology to provide easier creation of forms. “Add a Meeting” (formerly “Meeting Generator”) has been revamped to allow extensive customization, allowing schools to determine which fields should be displayed to a requestor (featured, private, etc.).
View Only Available Rooms
The Scheduler now displays only available rooms by default, making room selection much easier. The option can be unchecked to view rooms with conflicts.
Streamlined Event Creation Process
Based on user feedback that there were too many ways to create events, the event creation process is now streamlined to give a consistent experience regardless of where an event scheduler starts the process. The new “Create Event” form supports single, multiple, or recurring meetings – a major upgrade from our previous “Quick Event” form used on the grids and calendars. Additionally, it will provide the ability to find a different time for the desired room, a task that did not have easy visibility in previous versions.
For more information about upgrading to Astra Schedule 8, or any of our products or services, please contact your Account Team.
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