Introduction

Welcome to the California Department of Education (CDE) Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) user manual for the system’s School Nutrition Program (SNP) module. CNIPS is a software solution for Nutrition Program management. This system utilizes the Internet to provide administrators, state users, and sponsors with efficient and immediate access to claims, applications, and all nutrition program functions.

Online Help

This user manual is intended for use by the CDE SNP Sponsor users. It is designed to provide a general understanding of how to use the web site to perform SNP Module functions effectively and efficiently. To achieve this objective this manual will provide you with:

A general explanation of each feature available

Screen examples of web site pages and forms

Step-by-step instructions for utilizing the web site features

Tips and Notes to enhance your understanding of the system

Website Benefits and Features

The CNIPS system is a user-friendly web application that allows state agency personnel and sponsor users to submit and approve documents and claims via the Internet. Key system features include:

A single software system, which manages information regarding sponsors, applications, claims, and reports.

A single database, which works behind the scenes to combine configuration information that can be utilized across the child nutrition programs.

The ability to save partially completed documentation on-line, allowing the user to complete the process at a later time.

Individual User IDs and passwords for secure login to program functions and accurate tracking of user behavior.

Security Groupings, which streamline security setting controls by enabling administrators to easily assign users to numerous pre-defined groups and eliminating the need to manually set each user's security access.