Thursday, 2 October 2014

Inventory and job logging database

Over the years I have been working, I've realised a searchable database of jobs done and using which inventory items would be very useful for both large organisations, and also for individuals as well.

The important things to log are (in no particular order):
When: Time frame
Who: The person or persons involved
Where: the locations involved
What: The objects involved
How: The process that was performed (e.g. replace, fix, switch off and then on)

What the database would require are:
Time
People
Places
Objects
Processes

One other aspect of this database that would be useful is booking equipment. But this could be thought of as a process?

Time:
Start time
Predicted end time
End Time

People
Login Name
Contact Details

Places:
Geographical
Room Number

Objects:
Serial Number
Make
Model
Specifications

Processes:
Type of process


An few working examples to help design the database:

A new iMac has just been delivered to the college and is put in a computer suite:

  1. The database is logged onto with Username and Password
  2. A process is selected called: Add item to inventory
  3. User adds:
    1. Make
    2. Model
    3. Serial Number
    4. Organisation made Serial Number
    5. Specifications
    6. Room
A student would like to borrow an iPad:
  1. The database is logged onto with Username and Password
  2. A process is selected called: book out item
  3. User selects
    1. type of item:
      1. Make: Apple
      2. Model: iPad 2
    2. Time from: Today at 12:15
    3. Time until: Today at 16:00
  4. User is show whether any iPad 2's available for that time
  5. User confirms booking
  6. User sees instructions
Well, just having another look at the database and found this nice little helpful question and answer about querying a database to find 'free' items. Also describes the database very nicely using MySQL (need to learn this)

I'm thinking about making it in Access and then exporting it to MySQL? Or perhaps I should just delve straight in?



Ready made alternatives:

Here is a list of starting points for different systems:
Drupal - Merci module - this looks good!!
Drupal - Resource booking
Drupal - Resource conflict

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