I am thinking of having a go at developing a web-based equipment management system with emphasis on medical equipment maintenance.

Having noticed a number of gurus giving good advice on this forum, I am wondering if anyone out there would be willing to collaborate on such a project. Personally, I am in favour of an open approach (ie, everyone’s contribution would be welcome, and the resulting software would be made freely available to anyone in need of it).

Trouble is that we would still need to eat, and pay the rent! So I guess what we’re talking about here is sponsorship. Ideas, any one?

If such a group could be patched together, perhaps we could bring in revenue by doing other software-related tasks within the biomed community. Just a thought.

Another database system? Yes, but using the latest technologies. Just one last time, as it were!

Kaz

Hi Kaz,
Web based is a brilliant idea as we tried it with limited success several years ago. Latest technology is superb but if your computer cannot access the web due to lightening strike, your ISP broadband being down (as it regularly is), the server not playing or some other failure you are pretty much out of work. The other limitation, especially working in remote areas is actual maximum data speed. We found that even over a 56k dialup we had to keep the system pretty much free of "fancies" and keep the data to a bare minimum to make it really usable.
Will be glad to help and share the info we have with you either on the forum or via PM,
regards
Ed
Southwest Medical Ltd

I'm interested, too. Can we not just use (ie, pay for) a host server, and then let someone else worry about the things you mention, Ed?

Come on, Huw. You must be able to give us a bit of guidance on this, surely?

Hi geoff, the problem is accessing the host which I assume is where or your vital data will be kept, as if it's down or you connection to the web is interrupted you have no local data availabe to work from (unles you synchronise the database at the start of every login......this may take a while)
Regards
Ed

Sounds like we’re looking at our own server, then, Ed. There goes Kaz’s “for free” idea, then. Customers would have to subscribe to cover the costs of maintaining the server. Am I on the right track here, I wonder? Fancy having a go, Ed? Let’s thresh it out, guys. Kaz?

Thanks for your inputs, Mr. Ed, Mr. Geoff. I’m sure there are plenty more experts who regularly look in on this forum, and I’m hoping for more feedback and advice before proceeding with this one.

As I said before, everyone’s contribution would be welcome.

Hoping to hear from possible sponsors, too!

Kaz

I may be wrong but I think Kaz was thinking of something web based that is accessible from users "remotely"?
Like I said this is OK and of course we would need to host it but I am thinking that the problem with that is not the server but accessing it across the interweb thingy! i.e if you cannot access the internet you cannot access your data! Then comes Data protection etc.......
Ed

Client-Server architecture utilising a web browser is the way to go.

One solution would/could be to use MySQL and PHP/Perl or Java to connect and act as the interface.

Quick, simple and cheap to construct.

Thanks for that good information, Gee Bee. Interesting.

Yes Ed, I had in my mind that a user would log on to the website, enter his (her) password, then enter or select the data-set (job-site, hospital etc.) to which access is entitled.

The database engine (programs) would be common, as would as much of the data as possible (eg, addresses database, generic equipment data, PM procedures etc.). These common databases would be open for everyone to update, edit (or muck-up ).

But I would like to see links to standard databases wherever good ones already exist (eg, ECRI, ebme etc.).

User’s specific data (equipment list, user departments, customer database, parts stock etc.) would obviously be securely linked to them only.

OK guys, when do we start coding?

Kaz

Soon, Kaz, soon. But can I suggest that we link our new system into this thread ?