Inventory Tracking Software

We are currently in the market for Inventory Tracking
Software. 
Something to track what the item is, who has it, location,
it's 
specs, warranty exp, etc. We're considering RedBeam as we
like the 
idea of barcoding everything, having a scanner be able to
identify 
items, and pulling reports. This will mainly be used for
PCs, 
Monitors, and Printers. Does anyone have a software/system
that you 
would recommend or suggest we consider?

Thanks for your input,

Lois Wareham
Information Systems
University Health Services, UC Berkeley
2222 Bancroft Way #4300
Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
lwarehamuhs.berkeley.edu
Helpdesk 510.643.2321
Direct 510.642.5670  


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The other grate point about using a barcode is that a print
disabled person
has the ability to use a barcode scanner that will speak 


Lucia Greco
Assistive Technology Specialist
University Of California Berkeley
(510) 643-7591 
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
[mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of Lois Wareham
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 3:24 PM
To: micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
Subject: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software

We are currently in the market for Inventory Tracking
Software. 
Something to track what the item is, who has it, location,
it's specs,
warranty exp, etc. We're considering RedBeam as we like the
idea of
barcoding everything, having a scanner be able to identify
items, and
pulling reports. This will mainly be used for PCs, Monitors,
and Printers.
Does anyone have a software/system that you would recommend
or suggest we
consider?

Thanks for your input,

Lois Wareham
Information Systems
University Health Services, UC Berkeley
2222 Bancroft Way #4300
Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
lwarehamuhs.berkeley.edu
Helpdesk 510.643.2321
Direct 510.642.5670  


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The only thing about the RedBeam system that I don't like,
is I'd want 
the system to be web based.  This way you wouldn't be tied
to a platform 
specific (in this case windows) client for entering data and
data could 
theoretically be entered and updated anywhere (for example
our 
department has a bunch of equipment in odd places, like at
intersections 
and in roadside cabinets on the freeway).

Also, the documentation on the site seems pretty sparse. 
Sure they have 
  the video and talk a lot about why you should use
barcodes, but they 
have very little information that discusses how the various
features work.

I tend to be wary of companies that are very light on the
implementation 
details while listing a boatload of product features.

For instance, it mentions a robust SQL database, but doesn't
mention 
which one.  If it's a proprietary database, how do we know
it's robust? 
It also mentions "multi user Network Versions" but
doesn't discuss how 
the networking works.  Is the server secure?  Is the client
secure? 
I've seen instances where networking meant having an entire
department 
share a single windows share where each user had to have
write access to 
all the data so their instance of the client could update a
centralized 
data store.  This method is not particularly secure or
robust.

With a web based system using standard sql databases
(postgres, mysql, 
sql server) and web servers (iis, apache), all of these
sorts of 
questions are non issues.  They are also selling points.

Lois Wareham wrote:
> We are currently in the market for Inventory Tracking
Software. 
> Something to track what the item is, who has it,
location, it's specs, 
> warranty exp, etc. We're considering RedBeam as we like
the idea of 
> barcoding everything, having a scanner be able to
identify items, and 
> pulling reports. This will mainly be used for PCs,
Monitors, and 
> Printers. Does anyone have a software/system that you
would recommend or 
> suggest we consider?
> 
> Thanks for your input,
> 
> Lois Wareham
> Information Systems
> University Health Services, UC Berkeley
> 2222 Bancroft Way #4300
> Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
> lwarehamuhs.berkeley.edu
> Helpdesk 510.643.2321
> Direct 510.642.5670 
> 
>
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> 

-- 
Jonathan Felder
Network and System Administrator
California PATH, UC Berkeley
http://ww
w.path.berkeley.edu/systemsupport/

Windows 9x (win-doze): a 32 bit Extension to a 16 bit
Graphical Shell
of an 8 bit Operating System originally coded for a 4 bit
Processor by
a 2 bit company that can't stand one bit of competition.

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Hello Lois,

Depends a little on what you want to track. There is, for
example, BETS,
which I think is an acronym for Berkeley Equipment Tracking
System. It's
used to track inventorial equipment (valued over a certain
specified price
point). Business Services - Property Management might be the
place to start
asking.

>From an ROI (return on investment) perspective, it might
be feasible to
think about approaching an inventory tracking system from an
enterprise-wide
point of view. I'm sure there are other folks out there
looking for similar
tracking capabilities for items that don't fall into the
inventorial
equipment category. For example, at PPCS we use a barcoding
system with
links to our Computerized Maintenance Management System and
our in-house
accounting and storehouse software.

Good question that I hope inspires some discusssion.

Thanks,

Bond  

 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
[mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of Lois Wareham
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 3:24 PM
To: micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
Subject: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software

We are currently in the market for Inventory Tracking
Software. 
Something to track what the item is, who has it, location,
it's specs,
warranty exp, etc. We're considering RedBeam as we like the
idea of
barcoding everything, having a scanner be able to identify
items, and
pulling reports. This will mainly be used for PCs, Monitors,
and Printers.
Does anyone have a software/system that you would recommend
or suggest we
consider?

Thanks for your input,

Lois Wareham
Information Systems
University Health Services, UC Berkeley
2222 Bancroft Way #4300
Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
lwarehamuhs.berkeley.edu
Helpdesk 510.643.2321
Direct 510.642.5670  


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Hebert Diaz-Flores wrote:
> Colleagues,
> 
> I am sure that inventory tracking/management is a
common need across many
> departments, small and large.  My question to the group
is:  why do we
> always have to find our own little solutions to needs
that we have in
> common?  How can we change this practice?  I am not
trying to be critical
> about what we do, I am just trying to understand why we
do things the  way
> we do.

I've worked at UCB since 1991 and I've noticed this too. I
think there
are (at least) two reasons for this:

1) For most of the time I've been here, computing at UCB
has
been anarchy. This is both good and bad. One manifestation
of
the bad is what you've noticed. The good is that many of us
would go nuts if we had to work in an environment that was
run like a bank or an insurance company, especially those
of us who work in research environments.

2) There isn't sufficient central funding. Even if the
world's best
inventory tracking/management package were to appear on our
doorstep,
I doubt there would be any centralized effort to pay for it.
So,
the result of small organizations having to pay for software
is
that each organization does its own due diligence because
they'll
have to justify the cost of the software. This is also good
and
bad. One way it's good is that it prevents organizations
being
forced to use software that isn't a good fit for them. One
way it's bad is that we, as groups, probably end up paying
more for software than we should.

There are some exceptions to #2, most of which is available
on software.berkeley.edu. But, UCB is clearly different
than
some schools that somehow manage to centrally fund
campus-wide
licenses so that such popular packages as Microsoft Office
or Mac OS X are almost free.

Cordially,

-- 
Jon Forrest
Unix Computing Support
College of Chemistry
173 Tan Hall
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
94720-1460
510-643-1032
jlforrestberkeley.edu

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I fill the role of inventory police here in sociology and
BETS works 
great for me.

It is an inventory tracking system that is web based.
While the BETS GROUP is only concerned (auditing) for items
=>$5K you 
can use the system to inventory anything you want.
You can tell it who has what, and what that person's
location is (like 
PCs in faculty homes and not on campus).
You can give an item a $$ value, a lifetime expectancy,
pretty much 
anything, including creating your own information fields.
It pumps out barcodes too, and costs nothing to use cause
your supposed 
to be using it already  anyway.
You can also transfer ownership of equipment to other
departments, or 
track a loan of equipment to another department.

The really good part is that if you use BETS to track all
your stuff, 
when it's time to toss the old stuff, you can get the BETS
group to come 
pick it up. Then anything that you had in the inventory that
they sold, 
your group gets some of the money at the end of the year.

I would say, unless you have some specific need that BETS
can't do for 
you, why spend money at all when BETS is available for
free.




Hebert Diaz-Flores wrote:
> Colleagues,
> 
> I am sure that inventory tracking/management is a
common need across many
> departments, small and large.  My question to the group
is:  why do we
> always have to find our own little solutions to needs
that we have in
> common?  How can we change this practice?  I am not
trying to be critical
> about what we do, I am just trying to understand why we
do things the  way
> we do.
> 
> Hébert
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> [mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of E. Bond
> Francisco
> Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 7:47 AM
> To: 'Lois Wareham'
> Cc: micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> Subject: RE: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software
> 
> Hello Lois,
> 
> Depends a little on what you want to track. There is,
for example, BETS,
> which I think is an acronym for Berkeley Equipment
Tracking System. It's
> used to track inventorial equipment (valued over a
certain specified price
> point). Business Services - Property Management might
be the place to start
> asking.
> 
>>From an ROI (return on investment) perspective, it
might be feasible to
> think about approaching an inventory tracking system
from an enterprise-wide
> point of view. I'm sure there are other folks out there
looking for similar
> tracking capabilities for items that don't fall into
the inventorial
> equipment category. For example, at PPCS we use a
barcoding system with
> links to our Computerized Maintenance Management System
and our in-house
> accounting and storehouse software.
> 
> Good question that I hope inspires some discusssion.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Bond  
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> [mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of Lois Wareham
> Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 3:24 PM
> To: micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> Subject: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software
> 
> We are currently in the market for Inventory Tracking
Software. 
> Something to track what the item is, who has it,
location, it's specs,
> warranty exp, etc. We're considering RedBeam as we like
the idea of
> barcoding everything, having a scanner be able to
identify items, and
> pulling reports. This will mainly be used for PCs,
Monitors, and Printers.
> Does anyone have a software/system that you would
recommend or suggest we
> consider?
> 
> Thanks for your input,
> 
> Lois Wareham
> Information Systems
> University Health Services, UC Berkeley
> 2222 Bancroft Way #4300
> Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
> lwarehamuhs.berkeley.edu
> Helpdesk 510.643.2321
> Direct 510.642.5670  
> 
> 
>
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> visit the Micronet Web site:
> 
> http://micronet.berkele
y.edu/
> 
> Messages you send to this mailing list are public and
world-viewable, and
> the list's archives can be browsed and searched on the
Internet.
> This means these messages can be viewed by (among
others) your bosses,
> prospective employers, and people who have known you in
the past.
> 
> 
>
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> http://micronet.berkele
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> 
> Messages you send to this mailing list are public and
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> and the list's archives can be browsed and searched on
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> 
> 
> 
>
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the past.
> 


-- 
Aaron DuBois
Sociology Tech
489 Barrows Hall
Mon-Fri 8:30am-12:30pm
510-643-9389
Department Web Master
Department IST Security Officer
Departmental Equipment Custodian

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On Oct 16, 2007, at 9:13 AM, Aaron DuBois wrote:

> Then anything that you had in the inventory that they
sold, your  
> group gets some of the money at the end of the year.


Oh???  We've sent carts & carts of stuff over the past
couple of  
years.  Do you have references to this policy?

I'm off to talk to our accounting people to see if they've
ever seen  
revenues from salvage...

-Greg


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I think part of it is because different departments have
different 
needs.  Coming up with a single solution that satisfies all
of them is 
probably not practical in most cases.

Hebert Diaz-Flores wrote:
> Colleagues,
> 
> I am sure that inventory tracking/management is a
common need across many
> departments, small and large.  My question to the group
is:  why do we
> always have to find our own little solutions to needs
that we have in
> common?  How can we change this practice?  I am not
trying to be critical
> about what we do, I am just trying to understand why we
do things the  way
> we do.
> 
> Hébert
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> [mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of E. Bond
> Francisco
> Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 7:47 AM
> To: 'Lois Wareham'
> Cc: micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> Subject: RE: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software
> 
> Hello Lois,
> 
> Depends a little on what you want to track. There is,
for example, BETS,
> which I think is an acronym for Berkeley Equipment
Tracking System. It's
> used to track inventorial equipment (valued over a
certain specified price
> point). Business Services - Property Management might
be the place to start
> asking.
> 
>>From an ROI (return on investment) perspective, it
might be feasible to
> think about approaching an inventory tracking system
from an enterprise-wide
> point of view. I'm sure there are other folks out there
looking for similar
> tracking capabilities for items that don't fall into
the inventorial
> equipment category. For example, at PPCS we use a
barcoding system with
> links to our Computerized Maintenance Management System
and our in-house
> accounting and storehouse software.
> 
> Good question that I hope inspires some discusssion.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Bond  
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> [mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of Lois Wareham
> Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 3:24 PM
> To: micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> Subject: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software
> 
> We are currently in the market for Inventory Tracking
Software. 
> Something to track what the item is, who has it,
location, it's specs,
> warranty exp, etc. We're considering RedBeam as we like
the idea of
> barcoding everything, having a scanner be able to
identify items, and
> pulling reports. This will mainly be used for PCs,
Monitors, and Printers.
> Does anyone have a software/system that you would
recommend or suggest we
> consider?
> 
> Thanks for your input,
> 
> Lois Wareham
> Information Systems
> University Health Services, UC Berkeley
> 2222 Bancroft Way #4300
> Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
> lwarehamuhs.berkeley.edu
> Helpdesk 510.643.2321
> Direct 510.642.5670  
> 
> 
>
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> visit the Micronet Web site:
> 
> http://micronet.berkele
y.edu/
> 
> Messages you send to this mailing list are public and
world-viewable, and
> the list's archives can be browsed and searched on the
Internet.
> This means these messages can be viewed by (among
others) your bosses,
> prospective employers, and people who have known you in
the past.
> 
> 
>
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> 
> 
> 
>
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the past.
> 
> 

-- 
Jonathan Felder
Network and System Administrator
California PATH, UC Berkeley
http://ww
w.path.berkeley.edu/systemsupport/

Windows 9x (win-doze): a 32 bit Extension to a 16 bit
Graphical Shell
of an 8 bit Operating System originally coded for a 4 bit
Processor by
a 2 bit company that can't stand one bit of competition.


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past.

It's been a few years, but I think that if an item sells for
more than some
critical amount ($100?) then the originating department gets
anything over
that amount.  (and that was per item, not per lot)

-Al

At 09:47 AM 10/16/2007, Greg Merritt wrote:
Oh???  We've sent carts & carts of stuff over the past
couple of
>years.  Do you have references to this policy?
>
>I'm off to talk to our accounting people to see if
they've ever seen
>revenues from salvage...
>
>-Greg


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Perhaps IS&T could set up a Solutions Center which could
evaluate and advise
departments on common departmental software needs unmet by
central systems,
such as recommendations for packages that are most
compatible and least
duplicative of central systems, and information about how to
integrate them
with central systems. This could also serve as a more
stable/persistent
locus of knowledge than Micronet and similar forums, which
are essentially
serving now as an ad hoc solution center.

The Solutions Center could also assist departments in
retiring shadow
systems through better use of the reporting functions of
central systems, or
again, by packages most compatible and least duplicative of
central systems.

Richard Henderson
Institute of Management


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
[mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of Hebert
Diaz-Flores
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 11:11 AM
To: 'Jonathan Felder'
Cc: 'E. Bond Francisco'; 'Lois Wareham'; micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
Subject: RE: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software

Colleagues,

My question should not imply that I believe we need one
central system to
support each and every functional need of departments across
campus.  That
is not practical and is actually undesirable.  What I
believe we need is a
more managed approach to the development/deployment of
applications that
meet substantially common needs.  For example, if the campus
has an
inventory tracking system of record (in this particular
example, I guess it
is BETS), and that system does not meet 100% of my
department's need, does
that mean that I need to go procure a totally different
piece of software?
Doing that results in the proliferation of many systems that
do not relate
to the actual system of record (BETS).  Modern software
development
approaches allow organizations to build pieces of
functionality (software
services) that complement what the system of records
provides, thereby
meeting specific departmental needs without the need to
deploy a completely
new system.

Hébert

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Felder [mailto:felderpath.berkeley.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:09 AM
To: hjdiazfloresberkeley.edu
Cc: 'E. Bond Francisco'; 'Lois Wareham'; micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software

I think part of it is because different departments have
different 
needs.  Coming up with a single solution that satisfies all
of them is 
probably not practical in most cases.

Hebert Diaz-Flores wrote:
> Colleagues,
> 
> I am sure that inventory tracking/management is a
common need across many
> departments, small and large.  My question to the group
is:  why do we
> always have to find our own little solutions to needs
that we have in
> common?  How can we change this practice?  I am not
trying to be critical
> about what we do, I am just trying to understand why we
do things the  way
> we do.
> 
> Hébert
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> [mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of E. Bond
> Francisco
> Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 7:47 AM
> To: 'Lois Wareham'
> Cc: micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> Subject: RE: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software
> 
> Hello Lois,
> 
> Depends a little on what you want to track. There is,
for example, BETS,
> which I think is an acronym for Berkeley Equipment
Tracking System. It's
> used to track inventorial equipment (valued over a
certain specified price
> point). Business Services - Property Management might
be the place to
start
> asking.
> 
>>From an ROI (return on investment) perspective, it
might be feasible to
> think about approaching an inventory tracking system
from an
enterprise-wide
> point of view. I'm sure there are other folks out there
looking for
similar
> tracking capabilities for items that don't fall into
the inventorial
> equipment category. For example, at PPCS we use a
barcoding system with
> links to our Computerized Maintenance Management System
and our in-house
> accounting and storehouse software.
> 
> Good question that I hope inspires some discusssion.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Bond  
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> [mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of Lois Wareham
> Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 3:24 PM
> To: micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
> Subject: [Micronet] Inventory Tracking Software
> 
> We are currently in the market for Inventory Tracking
Software. 
> Something to track what the item is, who has it,
location, it's specs,
> warranty exp, etc. We're considering RedBeam as we like
the idea of
> barcoding everything, having a scanner be able to
identify items, and
> pulling reports. This will mainly be used for PCs,
Monitors, and Printers.
> Does anyone have a software/system that you would
recommend or suggest we
> consider?
> 
> Thanks for your input,
> 
> Lois Wareham
> Information Systems
> University Health Services, UC Berkeley
> 2222 Bancroft Way #4300
> Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
> lwarehamuhs.berkeley.edu
> Helpdesk 510.643.2321
> Direct 510.642.5670  
> 
> 
>
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-- 
Jonathan Felder
Network and System Administrator
California PATH, UC Berkeley
http://ww
w.path.berkeley.edu/systemsupport/

Windows 9x (win-doze): a 32 bit Extension to a 16 bit
Graphical Shell
of an 8 bit Operating System originally coded for a 4 bit
Processor by
a 2 bit company that can't stand one bit of competition.



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Messages you send to this mailing list are public and
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