UTeach Inventory System

My Contributions to the Project

• Planned and implemented the software architecture of the web application
• Designed and implemented the system in ColdFusion 5 and a Microsoft Access Database
• Later, migrated from ColdFusion 5 and Microsoft Access Database to ColdFusion MX 6.1 and MySQL

Description: UTeach has a library of books and a sizeable inventory of lab equipment and teaching materials that are checked out to students to use when teaching classes in local schools. Several systems for tracking who has checked out which items predated this Inventory System, including paper and pencil and commercial inventory tracking products.

The UTeach Inventory System tracks the physical location of thousands of books, tools, teaching resources and pieces of lab equipment. Items can have one of several statuses such as Checked Out or Available. Most items can be checked out for three days. After the third day (or whenever the item is due back), the person who checked it out will begin receiving email reminders to bring the items back or re-check them out.

Each time someone checks out one or more items, a transaction is generated. The transaction can be printed and used as a receipt. It includes a barcode to make it convenient for inventory managers to call up the transaction in the system.

Most common tasks of inventory managers can be performed with nothing more than the barcode scanner and a “Quick Op” index card containing barcode commands of the most common tasks.

This system significantly improved check in/out efficiency and tracking of over ten-thousand items.