barcode based management systems for fire related maintenance and test

[kurnal]

Hi
I am looking for an effective asset management system for fire safety equipment based on barcode readers- to enable the maintenance and testing of  fire alarm call points,  fire extinguishers, escape lighting units, fire doors etc  to be planned, carried out, supervised and audited using a database.

Probable other applications for the same system would be pat testing, IT records, locks and keys etc.

In general manufacturers literature looks very enticing but if anyone has experience of such systems and any  potential pitfalls I would be very grateful for your advice.

Thanks very much- emails welcome

[fred]

Not bar code but new technolgy - we are having a demonstration next week.  Digital pen and paper from MIDAS www.aclwebsite.co.uk - the contact is Tom Green 01656 768 916

Can't recommend or otherwise yet but it looks very clever.  My understanding is that you continue to use you existing paper forms - slightly customised - and the pen remembers what it has written and where - download by bluetooth / mobile phone via GPRS or by USB to a back office system.

Don't know the  pitfalls yet - I'll keep you posted

[Graeme]

Saw that system recently by another service company.
looks quite good but if it's like the system now used by courriers,they are impossible to write your signature on.

[fred]

It's impressive.  A standard A4 form, produced by you the customer, is reproduced by the suppliers to incorporate all the clever techno stuff.  To all intents and purposes it looks just like the supplied form - with extras.  It has a 'start' box in the top left hand corner of the page and a 'submit ' box in the bottom right hand corner.  Using the digital pen (which looks just like a chunky pen) you check the 'start' box and fill in the form as you would with a normal pen - and sign and date it at the bottom - then check the 'submit' box.  Within a couple of seconds the pen 'buzzes' and sends the data via bluetooth to a GPRS mobile phone - and the phone sends it to your accound on the server - the form appears on the screen in seconds (as a pdf file) exactly as it looks on the clipboard (including the signature).   Edit facilities are available on screen.  You can also use a USB link instead of bluetooth.  We are not quite ready for this system yet but the technology is very very clever.

[Allen Higginson]

We use PDA's now (GPRS) - no hard copies on site (it is sent with the onvoice) but,if the customer requests one at the time,I phone through to the office and they e-mail or fax it through to them once I send through the completed job with their "signature" to the office.It's also used for stock control,expenses and all the other paper forms we used to use.

[fireftrm]

www.redkitesystems.co.uk do a IT based maintenance (standard test) system with a radio/barcode add on.