EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Biomed Databases EME/Estates Database Opportunity

Yup, and then this ONE member of staff leaves for pastures new and no one else has a clue how to maintain their Access (or whatever) database so they have to begin evaluating all the "real" databases out there.

Unfortunately I've seen this happen too many times over the years.

Paul Stockton
Barwick Systems
http://www.barwicksystems.co.uk

Theres obviously two sides to the coin here.
Quite a lot of the software packages available are only supported by small teams anyway, so the problem of someone in house working in a package and leaving can be duplicated by a member of staff fom a software house departing just as easily.
Also, as someone whos just finished an exercise in looking at alternatives to what we use, its very difficult to find what you actually want, even more difficult to get someone else to build it. So if youve got the know how why not have a go yourself. Speaking from experience there are a lot of ebme guys out there who could run rings around so called software suppliers.
Id also guess the software guys wouldnt want you to do this because theyd loose their jobs if we all went down that road.
We decided to stay with the package we have, just tweaked it in a few places.

Agree with most of that - there are 2 sides to the coin.

We have guys here who can't take holidays together to ensure that support for all our products is in place.

Ditto to the above quote, would work the other way around as well

Paul.

I suspect we are drifting from Philip's original question.
We have EMAT software now loaded with our data and I set up an icon on clerical, MTO's and Mangers desktop. With little or no help from me they all manage to navigate produce reports etc within a very short time. (Yes even the managers).
I have a little experience at creating access databases and I have seen nothing that could possibility touch the flexibilty and reporting of software houses products whether it be Eclipse EMAT HECS etc. Maybe I just don't have the experience.

I know it's a bit late for a reply but....
our estates currently use 'Pick WIMS' . In 1996 my department was forced to follow suit . This lasted only one month :p , I then reverted to my original 'DATAEASE' package .
It is a relational database fully configurable to individual needs. I use Ver 5.5 but newer versions are available, fully internet configured.
Their are no restrictions on passing '£££' on an application to another user . Your quite welcome to come and see it in operation, I'm on 01283 511511 ext 5407.
Pete

Here at Royal Berks we are in the middle of a database review and have been looking at ECRI HECS, Philips Optim, GE Asset+ and E-Mat. Any comments from users of these systems would be very helpful. We are of course in the process of visiting sites who have these systems installed.

Thanks

Andy

Andy.
Here at Altnagelvin Hospital we have recently purchased EMAT. We have at present around two hundred external contracts plus in-house 4 in-house MTO's. Of course I would say this but we liked EMAT. It came the closest to doing everything we wanted. The reports are excellent and exporting into Excel is a God send. Of course every hospitals need's are different and there are a few tweaks we would like, but we're working on it. The usability of EMAT is such that MTO's Clerical and Managers alike all find it friendly and easy to use. That takes some doing.