SL-Tech
SIF 1.5 Certified | Study Shows Improved
District Efficiency
We are pleased to announce that our automated food
service management software WebSMARTT/WinSNAP and
myCard@School universal ID card application have
both received Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF)
v1.5 certification status. The SIF Certification
Program involves a series of formal tests that
validate that software applications properly
implement the SIF specification.
The SIF specifications for data interoperability
allow different departments and schools within a
given school district to communicate electronically
across a variety of software applications. SIF also
allows easy sharing of data between the state agency
and school district. The U.S. Department of
Education, dozens of states and numerous schools
have encouraged or mandated SIF standards for data
interoperability.
An important consideration when looking at SIF
certification is to ask for the number of “objects”
in use. Objects represent the specific pieces of
information an application is able to share. SL-Tech
is certified and supports the largest number of
objects in the industry by a wide margin. SIF
standards are collaborated on by dozens of
companies, specifically 8 foodservice industry
members who provide guidance on objects which impact
foodservice.
SL-Tech as played a pioneering role in SIF and has
helped define new SIF Objects to communicate
transactional information, menu plan information,
meal price information, meal claim information,
student enrollment information and financial
information. These objects help in communicating
vital data for integration of schools with districts
and districts with the state information systems.
State Meal Claim Processing System and State Level
Reporting and Nutrient Evaluation system are
examples of advanced SIF implementations that are
made possible by these new SIF Objects.
SIFA, the SIF parent organization, maintains
up-to-date information on SIF and the certification
process. SIFA brings together the developers and
vendors of school technology with the federal, state
and local educators who use that technology. Visit
the following link
www.sifinfo.org for the
latest news, RFP language, success stories, and more
information on the participating companies.SIFA
has recently released a third-party study detailing
the operational and financial benefits realized by
school districts that implement the SIF
specification and use SIF-certified applications for
data interoperability.
Click HERE for
study details.
The School Nutrition Association , (SNA) has
also posted information on SIF being part of the
“Best Practices in Technology and Training Child
Nutrition Programs” for software solutions to meet
new requirements of the Reauthorization Act of 2004.
http://www.sifinfo.org/upload/news/8AF7FE_AmericanSchoolFoodServiceAssocation.pdf
The USDA FNS has recommended that technology
procurements contain a SIF requirement. The
following link details that recommendation:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Policy-Memos/2005-07-05.pdf
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