Shared User Management System
You are not currently logged into SUMS.  To become a member you only need to log into SUMS via the button on the top right corner of the screen using your GT username and password.  If you do not have one of these click this text which will take you to passport.gatech.edu for more informationThe help section is designed to orient new Researchers to SUMS and assist experienced researchers and Equipment Group members on conducting common tasks

Based on your role within SUMS we suggest you read through one or all of the manuals listed below

Researcher Manual

Billing Group Manual

Equipment Group Manual

- If I hide a block on my dashboard by clicking the red X, how do I unhide it?
If you hide a section of your dashboard, including the help section, you can unhide it in the hidden windows section which will appear at the bottom of your dashboard as soon as you have one or more windows hidden.  Also you can change the order of the blocks on your dashboard using the up and down arrows.
- What is the purpose of SUMS?
The purpose of SUMS is to provide a single interface through which the needs of researchers and departments at Georgia Tech are fulfilled regarding shared user equipment and facilities management is concerned.

For researchers SUMS provides a single interface through which to search for, gain access to and pay for the use of equipment on Georgia Tech Campus.

For departments SUMS provides a framework for the management of shared user facilities including access control, training, reporting and billing for equipment/facilities use.
- How is SUMS organized?
SUMS is divided into three groups.

A RESEARCHER is any person, either educational or industrial, who wishes to utilize equipment or facilities at Georgia Tech.

A Billing Group is one or more researchers, with a designated priciple investigator (PI), who use equipment or facilities at Georgia Tech and then pay the bill for these usages.  A researcher must be a member of a Billing Group before they can use any equipment at Georgia Tech and a researcher can be a member of multiple research groups.  In this case when the researchers logs in to equipment they select which Billing Group the usages will be charged to.

A Equipment Group is one or more people at Georgia Tech who provide one or more pieces of equipment for use.  Within the framework of SUMS the Equipment Group members have full control of the configuration of their equipment within the system and who is allowed to use that eqiupment.
- I logged into SUMS, now what?
Now that you have logged in, the next step is that you have to be a member of a Billing Group.  Think of a Billing Group as being where the bill is sent for any of your equipment or facilities usages at Georgia Tech.  You can be a member of multiple research groups, but you have to be a member or at least one to use an equipment or facilities through SUMS.  To see a list of research groups, click this text.  When you click on one of the groups in the list, there will be a button to request entry into the group.

After you have joined at least one Billing Group, your dashboard will update to include a section where you can create a list of your favorite equipment, log in and out of equipment and view your recent charges.  Also, even before you  are a member of a Billing Group, you can begin searching for equipment you want to use for your facilities.

There are two ways to search for the equipment you want to use.  The first is to search for equipment itself by the name or description of the equipment.  Click this text to see and search through a list of all equipment within the SUMS system.


The second method is to search by the Equipment Group.  A Equipment Group within SUMS is one or more people managing one or more pieces of equipment available for use.  Click this text to see a list of departments.  Once you select a Equipment Group you will be able to see the entry requirements to use equipment within the Equipment Group and a list of equipment within the Equipment Group.
- How do I report a problem or provide feedback?
SUMS is based on the needs of our users at Georgia Tech.  As such we welcome your feedback on the features provided by SUMS or an alert if you encounter any problems.

If you experience an error or have feedback, click on the small white dot in the bottom right of every screen.  Once you click on the white dot, a text window will appear. Click anywhere on the screen to place the feedback form, preferably close to the area you are providing feedback for.  Fill in the feedback form with as much detail as possible and then submit.
- What is the little question mark in a balloon I see on some pages?
This is the help icon.  If you mouse over or click one of these a help popup will appear and give you information on the item near the help icon.
- How can I get my Equipment Group or Billing Group added to SUMS?
To get your Equipment Group or Billing Group added to SUMS first you must log into SUMS.  Then send an email to sums@gatech.edu with information on your Equipment Group or Billing Group.
- What are conversations?
Once you are logged into the SUMS system there is a tab on your dashboard called conversations.  Conversations are a method for communication with one or more other SUMS members in a message board format.  At any point you can create a conversation with any other SUMS members.  Also several actions, such as disputing a charge, create a conversation.  Whenever someone is added to a conversation they receive an email and currently a daily email is sent out to participants of a conversation if new comments were added.  You may also upload files to a conversation which are visible to any member of the conversation.
- I logged into SUMS, now what?
Now that you have logged in, the next step is that you have to be a member of a Billing Group.  Think of a Billing Group as being where the bill is sent for any of your equipment or facilities usages at Georgia Tech.  You can be a member of multiple research groups, but you have to be a member or at least one to use an equipment or facilities through SUMS.  To see a list of research groups, click this text.  When you click on one of the groups in the list, there will be a button to request entry into the group.

After you have joined at least one Billing Group, your dashboard will update to include a section where you can create a list of your favorite equipment, log in and out of equipment and view your recent charges.  Also, even before you  are a member of a Billing Group, you can begin searching for equipment you want to use for your facilities.

There are two ways to search for the equipment you want to use.  The first is to search for equipment itself by the name or description of the equipment.  Click this text to see and search through a list of all equipment within the SUMS system.


The second method is to search by the Equipment Group.  A Equipment Group within SUMS is one or more people managing one or more pieces of equipment available for use.  Click this text to see a list of departments.  Once you select a Equipment Group you will be able to see the entry requirements to use equipment within the Equipment Group and a list of equipment within the Equipment Group.
- How can I opt out of emails?
To opt out of emails by category based on Equipment Group, log into SUMS, go to your dashboard, click on my info then mail preferences.
- How can I get my Equipment Group or Billing Group added to SUMS?
To get your Equipment Group or Billing Group added to SUMS, send an email to Jason Herrington at jason.herrington@ien.gatech.edu with your information.
- How do I get training?
Once you are a membmer of a Billing Group, click on equipment on the top member and search for a piece of equipment to meet your needs.  When you click on the equipment name the equipment popup will open.  A tab on this popup is training.  Note that, depending on the Equipment Group configuration, you may have to go through Equipment Group scoped training before you can take the training for the equipment.  The training section will inform you as to what training you need to take.
- How do I see my usages?
To view your own usages, simply browse to the SUMS dashboard, click "My Info" and select the "All Usages" tab. This will display all Tool Usages, Scheduling, and Manual Charges associated with your account.
- How can I see my current authorizations?
To view your current authorizations, simply browse to the SUMS dashboard, click "My Info" and select the "Authorizations" tab. This will display all Billing Group memberships, Equipment Group Memberships, and list each equipment authorization you have.
- How do I log in and out of equipment?
You may list any piece of equipment on your Dashboard Favorite Equipment tab by searching for it in the Favorite Equipment search box.
This interface allows you to view information on that equipment by clicking its name, and also shows you the requirements and status for logging in and out of the equipment.
Before you are able to log into equipment, several steps must take place.
First, you must be a member of a Billing Group. Usually this is headed by your P.I. and they will either add you, or you can request entry.
Second, you must have a Equipment Group Authorization for the Equipment Group that manages the piece of Equipment you wish to log in/out of. Many Equipment Groups require training before authorization to the Equipment Group is granted. You can see the training steps listed on the Equipment Group page Training tab.
Finally, you must get authorization for the equipment you wish to use. Similar to Equipment Group requirements, tools also sometimes require special training before authorization will be granted. See the Tool Training page for a complete list.
Additionally, some equipment requires other specialized training requirements before it can be used.
Once all requirements are met a "Log into euipment" button may appear. If the equipment is in use, it will say "in use" - If the equipment doesn't use scheduled or first come usage, it may allow you to join the queue.
- How can I get my Equipment Group or Billing Group added to SUMS?
To get your Equipment Group or Billing Group added to SUMS first you must log into SUMS.  Then send an email to sums@gatech.edu with information on your Equipment Group or Billing Group.
- How can I view and pay my bills in SUMS?
As a Billing Group member with "can Modify Settings" you can view the Billing Group "Bill" tab via the Billing Group Dashboard.
Each Equipment Group has it's own billing period. For a quick and easy view, these are broken down for you at the top of the billing tab.
You can also search and view charges by Researcher, Equipment, or Equipment Group below the basic Equipment Group based view.
By default, the advanced charge search will not show charges that have already been paid.
When using the advanced search functions, it is suggested that you select "show all" under the "view charges for dates between:" heading, unless you're looking for specific dates. You can also select a billing period.
Please note, selecting "show all"  for dates will override a selected billing period and any dates entered. Also, a selected billing period, will override the two dates.
To simply view all unpaid charges for the Billing Group, you can select "show all" and leave every other option default, which will show all unpaid charges.

To pay individual charges, select the charge to pay by clicking the check box left of the charge detail, under the "Select for Payment" heading.
Once you have selected the charges you wish to pay scroll back to the top of the bill and select "Pay selected charges" - Alternatively, if you wish to pay all charges that are displayed by your search select the "pay all listed charges" button.
 This will bring you to a "Submit New Payment" Screen.
It tells you the total of the charges you have selected to pay.
Click "Add payment" to add WorkDay Driver, Doc ID number, and amount information for the payment. You can add multiple payments to the charge.
WorkDay Driver numbers are automatically checked with the Controllers office for validity.
When you have reviewed the payments and are ready to submit them to SUMS for processing by the Equipment Groups the charges are for select "Submit Payments" - SUMS automatically breaks the payments down into credits and debits and sends the information on to the individual Equipment Groups which the charges are for approval and final processing.
- How can someone become a member of my Billing Group?
There are multiple ways someone can join or be added to a Billing Group.
Any member with "can Modify Settings" or "can Modify Members" permission can add another SUMS user to the Billing Group by selecting the User Management tab and click the "New BG Member" button.
Additionally, if the Researcher has found the Billing Group on their own they may click the "Request Entry to BG" button on the same tab to request entry.
This button sends an email to all members with "can Modify Settings" or "can Modify Members" permissions, and adds the user to a list on the User management tab, allowing the BG management to accept or reject the request.
- How can I add someone to my group and what permissions do they have?
There are 4 basic types of "permissions" a Billing Group member can have.
Member - This is the most basic of permissions, they have no special permissions specified, they are merely a member of the Billing Group.
"can Modify Settings" - This authorization gives the user full access to modify the Billing Group info, members, budgets, bill, etc.
"can Modify Members" - This authorization allows the member to add, edit, and remove Billing Group Members.
"can View Financial" - This allows the member to view budget, payment, and billing information.

Any member of the Billing Group is able to create charges for that group. If the researcher is a member of more than one Billing Group, they will have a Billing Group drop down or popup in any place that may result in a charge, so they can be sure the charge is going to the right place.
- How can I dispute a billing charge on my group?
- How can I get my Equipment Group or Billing Group added to SUMS?
To get your Equipment Group or Billing Group added to SUMS first you must log into SUMS.  Then send an email to sums@gatech.edu with information on your Equipment Group or Billing Group.
- I have a new Equipment Group, now what do I do?
Now that you have a Equipment Group, read through the Equipment Group manual linked above and this help section.  If you have any additional questions feel free to contact the SUMS administrative staff at sums@gatech.edu or provide a feedback by clicking on the white dot in the bottom right of the screen.
- How can I view the current members of my Equipment Group and what permissions they have?
Log into SUMS and go to your dashboard.  Click the Equipment Group tab and then select the Equipment Group you wish to work within if you are a member of more than one Equipment Group.  Click on the members tab.  This will display the members of the Equipment Group along with what permissions each member has.  Depending on your permissions within the Equipment Group you may add a new member or modify the permissions of an existing member.
- How do I configure training requirements for my Equipment Group?
To modify the training requirements for your Equipment Group log into SUMS, go to your dashboard and select the Equipment Group you wish to work within if you are a member of more than one Equipment Group.  Click on the training tab.  This will let you modify the training requirements for the Equipment Group.  Note that for someone to gain access to a piece of equipment within your Equipment Group they must go through 2 levels of training.  The first is the Equipment Group level training.  Each researcher will only have to go through this training once for any of your equipment.  Then per piece of equipment they must go through training.  The interface for setting up the 2 level os training are exactly the same with the exception that equipment may not include forms in the training.  For more information on the training setup, see the Equipment Group manual link above.
- How do I see what pieces of equipment are currently in use in my Equipment Group?
To see the status of any machines in use or down in your Equipment Group, log in, go to the Equipment Group tab and click on the status tab.
- How do I set up the billing for my Equipment Group?
First read through the billing sections of the Equipment Group manual listed above.  Next go to the Equipment Group and equipment billing pages and look through the available settings.  If you have any questions past this feel free to contact the SUMS administrative staff at sums@gatech.edu or provide a feedback via the white dot on the bottom right of the screen.
- What is the parts section of my Equipment Group?
The parts section within your Equipment Group is made so that you can create an online database of spare parts used within your Equipment Group.  It is located on your dashboard - Equipment Group tab - Auxiliary Services - Parts
- What is the utilities section of my Equipment Group?
The utilities section within your Equipment Group is made so that you can create an online database of utilities used by your equipment.  An example of this could be compressed air, Nitrogen etc.  It is located on your dashboard - Equipment Group tab - Auxiliary Services - Utilities
- What is the touchscreen section of my Equipment Group?
A touchscreen is a construct created to help departments, especially in areas where they have a high concentration of equipment in one area.  In normal circumstances the procedure for a researcher to log into a piece of equipment is that they log into the website via either a computer terminal in your location or via a smart device such as an iPhone.  This requires that the person log by typing their GT username and password.  The touchscreen streamlines this procedure by removing the need to log in via GT username and password by using the researchers buzzcard as the authentication method.
For a touchscreen a Equipment Group may use a normal PC running windows or, recommended, use an all-in-one touchscreen computer.  Attached to this computer the Equipment Group will purchase and install a USB card reader.  Once the touchscreen has been configured on the SUMS website it can be directed to an alternative page on the site.  This will display a modified version of the website specially configured to allow the researcher to scan their buzzcard to authenticate and then quickly log in/out of equipment, edit their schedule and for equipment trainers they may quickly access training functionality.
On the touchscreens tab there are links to instructions and files to set up the touchscreen and USB card reader.  A Equipment Group member may add a touchscreen by clicking the “Add New Touchscreen” button.  In the touchscreens table the list of current touchscreens is displayed and each may be edited by clicking on the touchscreen name.  Also equipment associated with each touchscreen may be removed by clicking the “Remove From *Touchscreen Name*” on the table.  The items required per touchscreen is the name, static IP address of the computer and which equipment are to be included in this touchscreen.  Note that you can select more than one piece of equipment by holding down the control key on your keyboard while clicking on pieces of equipment.
- How does automatic payment processing work?
Every time a charge is created in SUMS, a database entry is created to track it. When payments are submitted, they are automatically broken down into credits & debits for each individual charge. When the Equipment Group which the payments are made to is ready to send the data to the Controller’s Office, and if they have “Automatic Bill Payment Processing” enabled they will be able to review the transaction log, and if approved, upload this log of credits & debits directly to the Controller’s Office via SUMS. This database is batch processed once a day by Controller’s Office staff.