Equipment
Equipment Inventory
The Equipment Inventory focus allows a Local Authority to maintain a record of all types of equipment, especially items available to a Support Service, e.g. Wheel chair, Hearing device. A history is maintained for each item of equipment recorded.
The Equipment is available for allocation to Students and Bases.
When the focus is opened the Equipment Inventory Search page is displayed, allowing you to locate and view details of specific equipment.
Basic flow for equipment record creation and allocation:
- Access Equipment Inventory
- Review details of an Item of Equipment on the Inventory
- Create an entry on the inventory for a new item of Equipment and allocate it to an Equipment Category
- Assign item of Equipment to a Service Team
- Loan item of equipment to Subject
- Create record of loan of equipment to Subject
There will be a need to keep the Equipment Inventories discrete for different business areas, e.g. a user looking after SEN equipment should not necessarily be able to access/update equipment used for CSS. Within each 'business area' such as CSS, etc. there may well be separate business units/Service Teams that wish to keep their Equipment Inventory discrete from other business units/Service Teams within the same business area.
A Service Team can have many items of equipment assigned to it, but an item of equipment can be only assigned to a Service Team at any one time
This focus is opened by selecting Focus | Equipment Inventory. When selected this opens the Equipment Inventory Search.
Equipment Inventory Search
The main Select Equipment search page is opened when the Focus | Equipment Inventory option is selected. It allows you to search for a specific item by entering search relevant criteria. All individual items are grouped by Category, Make, Model and Description.
A Service Team must be selected to search, other optional search criteria fields are Inventory NumberInventory Number, Security NumberSecurity Number, Manufacturer Serial NumberManufacturer Serial Number, CategoryCategory, Make, Model, StatusStatus and Repair/Test StatusRepair/Test Status.
You cannot duplicate Manufacturer Serial Number.
The Category criterion may be used to filter the search on Equipment, for example, where an item is available for Referrals Hearing Impairment selection only. To filter the search to such items a Category which is mapped to external code RAD-Radio must be selected.
Clicking Search will return a list of all items matching the criteria. Details of each equipment record can be seen in the lower panel by selecting the Open icon, then use Previous and Next icons to move to the previous or next record.
The search will return a rowrow for each item matching the search criteria, showing the Category, Make, Model, Description, the Generic indicator and an Item Count, which shows the number of items that belong to the group.
You may expand or collapse the Enquiry Search Criteria panel by clicking the Expand icon (the arrows on the icon will invert appropriate to the next available action). Clicking the adjacent down arrow gives you the option to Automatically Collapse following a search. This setting will take effect on all Enquiry pages.
Selecting an item or clicking New will open the Equipment Inventory Details page listing one or more items of equipment of the same type or blank for a new item. The Equipment Items panel displays the Purchase Order No, Supplier, Service Team, Inventory Number, Security Number, Manufacturer Serial NoManufacturer Serial No and Status. If the Status is 'On Loan' the name of the Borrower will also be displayed.
Equipment Inventory Details
The Equipment Inventory is divided into two panels:
- Equipment DetailsEquipment Details
Equipment Details Panel
The Equipment Details panel displays the following editable information CategoryCategory, Make, Model and DescriptionDescription.
The Generic indicator and Number in Stock are read-only once a record has been saved. The Number in Stock will only be displayed if the item is flagged as Generic.
A Generic item may be one of many similar items which may be allocated to many different students or Bases. Such items are not necessarily Local Authority property and the only other information stored may possibly be the Make and Model. These items will always be flagged as In Stock (INST).
The purpose of the Generic checkbox is to allow for many similar items, which may not necessarily be Local Authority property, to be allocated to many different students or Bases. Such an item, e.g. radio aid, will be recorded in the Equipment Inventory as a single item with the mandatory Description and Category, and possibly Make and Model information. When flagged as Generic, the Status will always be IN STOCK (INST). For example, although the Local Authority may have many radio aids they will randomly be allocated to students or Base rather than allocating a specific aid to each individual student or Base. When the record is saved this flag becomes read-only.
The Equipment Items panel lists a record of each item of the type selected showing its StatusStatus and who the Borrower is. The Equipment Items are sorted and displayed in Creation Date order.
Equipment Status can only be changed to 'On-Loan' through the Loan Record
- Equipment ItemsEquipment Items
Equipment Items Panel
As an item is highlighted the Add, Edit and Remove functions are available. A loan history is maintained for each item of equipment. Where applicable the History icon will be enabled displaying the Equipment History dialog showing a record of the equipment loan usage.
Clicking the Add or Edit icons opens the Equipment Item Details dialog.
You may only add new Equipment records from this dialog. New items are linked to the current Support Service and only that Service may edit or delete the item.
- Equipment Item DetailsEquipment Item Details
The Equipment Details dialog is opened by clicking Add, when adding a new piece of equipment or Edit, when the details are to be modified. The Delete icon is only available for items not 'On Loan'.
In add mode, the Equipment Details dialog has two panels, Purchase Order Details and Equipment Item Details. In add mode all fields will be blank in edit mode relevant information will be displayed.
In edit mode, the Equipment Details dialog has an additional panel, Equipment Item Repair Details.
Clicking the Memo icon at the top of the dialog allows you to enter equipment specific information, linked to the current record.
Purchase Order Details
The Purchase Order Details panel is read-only The information displayed in this panel is, Purchase Order No, Purchase Date, Purchase Price the Purchase PricePurchase Price, Manufacturer Warranty Expiry Date, Supplier Delivery Date and Supplier.
To add Purchase Order Details click the Purchase Order No. icon. This opens the Purchase Order Details dialog which will list details of items of equipment purchased.
Select the required Purchase Order No. and click Select. The information recorded will populate the Purchase Order Details panel.
Equipment Item Details Panel
The Equipment information recorded in this panel records the following fields, allowing comprehensive details to be entered: Creation Date, Service TeamService Team, Inventory Number, Security Number, Manufacturer’s Serial NumberManufacturer’s Serial Number, StatusStatus, LocationLocation, Date available for Loan. The following information may be entered allowing you to maintain a record of the current condition of the equipment, Portable Appliance Testing and related Test Date, ChargerCharger; if equipment has deteriorated with time or is damaged beyond repair, a Disposal Date and Disposal ReasonDisposal Reason must be entered. If Disposal details are entered the Status will automatically change according to the reason.
Equipment Status can only be changed to 'On-Loan' through the Loan Record.
Equipment Item Repair/Test Details Panel
This panel is only displayed in Edit mode for an item that already exists. It provides the facility to create a repair record which shows dates of the various stages of the repair process,eg when the Equipment is sent away for Repair/Test, how long for, who will be carrying out repair/test and the cost of the repair.
You can record the following details: Repair/Test Status, Date Repair/Test Notified, Repair/Test Date Sent, Repair/Test Cost, Repair/Test Due Back Date, Repair/Test Return DateRepair/Test Return Date, Date Equipment Returned to Borrower, Repair/Test ReasonRepair/Test Reason and Repairer/Tester Details. To select a Repairer/Tester click the browse icon; this will open the Base Enquiry dialog allowing you to locate the name of an appropriate agency/shop. Such establishments will be of a Local Authority defined 'Type' or may be under the Type category of 'Other'. The enquiry dialog allows you to filter the search on Type returning a list of recognised establishments. Once the record is saved the details icon allows you to view details of the selected Repairer/Tester.
- Equipment HistoryEquipment History
The Equipment History dialog is opened by clicking the History icon on the Equipment Details page.
Each loan record for the item will be listed showing: Loan Requested Date, Loan Start Date, Due Back Date, Loan End Date, Borrower (if Equipment Item loaned to Student or Person) and Base (if Equipment Item is loaned to Base)
If the Equipment Item has been loaned to a Student/Person and they have a registered Base, that Base name will be shown.
If the Equipment Item has been loaned to a Base this will be shown but the Borrower will be blank.
Each History record is shown at field level in the Equipment Loan History details panel. This information is read-only.
- Purchase Order DetailsPurchase Order Details
This dialog is opened from the Equipment Item Details page, by clicking the browse icon, when adding or editing the Purchase Order No.
It shows details of all items recorded in the selected Category. To select a Purchase Order, highlight the required item and click Select.
The lower panel on the dialog show details of a highlighted Purchase Order allowing certain fields to be changed, if necessary, eg Supplier Delivery Date, Supplier Details. To select a Supplier click the browse.gifbrowse icon; this will open the Base Enquiry dialog allowing you to locate the name of an appropriate agency/shop. Such establishments will be of a Local Authority defined 'Type' or may be under the Type category of 'Other'. The enquiry dialog allows you to filter the search on Type returning a list of recognised establishments. Once the record is saved the details icon allows you to view details of the selected Supplier
To add purchase order details click the New icon. This will clear the fields for you to enter the new details.
Clicking Save will add the new Purchase Order to the list for selection.
Clicking the Set ACL icon opens the Access Control List dialog allowing you to define access levels to data for individual Users or users in a specific Post or Group.
Clicking the Alerts icon opens the Alert Messages dialog for the current record, displaying existing messages and allowing you to add new messages. These messages are displayed when the person record is opened.
Clicking the SQL Mail Merge button opens the SQL Mail Merge dialog for the current record, showing the name of the person logged on and the area where the Mail Merge is being created.
Clicking the UDF Manager button opens the UDF Manager dialog for the current entity. It displays the Entity Selector and Design and Preview tabs. UDF Management can also be found in Tools.gif Tools | Administration.
Equipment Loan
- Equipment Loan EnquiryEquipment Loan Enquiry
This page is opened by selecting Equipment in the Links panel from a student record or the Student Enquiry, Person record or Enquiry and Bases.
It will list information on all loan instances. Equipment can be loaned to subjects (eg laptops for SEN Statemented/School Action Plus Pupils, Audiology equipment or to Bases for allocation to students.
The Equipment Loan Enquiry will automatically display Summary details of existing Equipment Loan records for the selected subject.
It allows you to search for specific items by Service Team, it also allows you to Include Previous Equipment.
Clicking Search will return a list of all items matching the criteria, under the headings of Start Date, Due Back Date, End Date, Inventory No, Category, Make, Model, Description and Service Team.
You may expand or collapse the Enquiry Search Criteria panel by clicking the Expand icon (the arrows on the icon will invert appropriate to the next available action). Clicking the adjacent down arrow gives you the option to Automatically Collapse following a search. This setting will take effect on all Enquiry pages.
- Equipment Loan - BasesEquipment Loan - Bases
The Equipment Loan Enquiry may be accessed via Bases. This allows the Local Authority to maintain a record of learning equipment loaned out to schools rather than individual students.
From a Base record select the Equipment hyperlink located in the Links panel. Items listed in the upper section of the Enquiry page, shows, Start Date, Inventory No, Description, Category, End DateEnd Date, Service and Student Name. The Student Name is only displayed for equipment allocated from the Student focus. Such items cannot be deleted from here.
The items in the list may be changed, by checking the Include Previous Equipment box.
- Equipment Loan DetailsEquipment Loan Details
A Loan record may be updated to reflect the current loan status, such as, Date Loan Requested, Loan Start Date, Due Back Date, Loan End DateLoan End Date, Repair Required and Test Required.
Access Control List functionality is available on the Equipment Loan record; this allows a person with System Administrator rights to set user read-write access to the Equipment Loan details.
Clicking the Alerts icon opens the Alert Messages dialog for the current record, displaying existing messages and allowing you to add new messages. These messages are displayed when the person record is opened.
Clicking the SQL Mail Merge button opens the SQL Mail Merge dialog for the current record, showing the name of the person logged on and the area where the Mail Merge is being created.
Clicking the UDF Manager button opens the UDF Manager dialog for the current entity. It displays the Entity Selector and Design and Preview tabs. UDF Management can also be found in Tools | Administration.