Textbook Inventory System – Designing, Building and Using Robert Gulick, EdD DBA/Technology...

Textbook Inventory System –Designing, Building and Using

Robert Gulick, EdD

DBA/Technology Trainer

[email protected]

Carmi Gulick

Fifth Grade Teacher

[email protected]

Parma City School District

Why an Inventory System?

• From the Vendors

• Districts spend millions on textbooks

• Average district looses 5% - 10% of their collection yearly

• It is February. Do you know where your textbooks are?


• From our Experience

• Textbook found in hallway / parking lot

• Local library returns a textbook

• Student A 'borrows' a textbook from Student B to turn it in at the end of the course


• From our Experience

• How damaged was a book when it was issued to a student

• Locate unused copies of a book at another building

What was Available in 2000?

• A few PC based solutions

• Building Based

• More like Library Systems

What We Needed

• District wide system

• Web based

• Track books to building, teacher, student

• Transaction history

• Record condition, purchase value

• Mobile updating and teacher updating

Technologies Utilized

• Database• SQL Server 7 (now on SQL2000)

• Web interface for teacher, building, district access• Macromedia UltraDev, ASP on IIS


•Mobile Handheld Laser Scanner

•Symbol Palm OS based scanner

•Custom Software for Handheld

•SatForms used to write the Palm program•Program used to record assignments / returns


• VisualBasic 6• Used to write the client program to transfer

data from Palm to central database

• Laser and CCD Scanners already in Media Centers• Student Barcode ID - Already in use for

Media Center


•Bar Code Labels•1-5/8" x 5/8" rectangle with round corners. White gloss, black ink, permanent adhesive, clear protective plastic over-laminate.

•9 digit code 39

•Interstate Label

•Middle of inside back cover

Workflow

•Textbook Processing Center

•Barcode the books (publisher?)

•Record the book info (ISBN, barcode, cost, PO)

•Transfer books to building

Workflow

•Building Level - Issue Books

•Building assigns books to teachers

•Building or teacher assigns books to students

•Web Tool or Palm Scanner

Workflow

•Building Level – Return Books

•Building or teacher returns books

•Web tool or Palm Scanner

•Building transfers books

Information – District

Summary

Info

rmati

on

Dis

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mary

+ D

rill

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Information - Find Unused Books

Info

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Find U

nuse

d C

opie

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Information - Current Book Status

Info

rmati

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Curr

ent

Book

Sta

tus

Information - Book Transaction

Info

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on

Full

Tra

nsa

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n H

isto

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Information - Student Information

Information – Current Student Information

Information – Historical Student Information

Problems / Limitations

• Not accurate (GIGO)

• It may only be 85% accurate but that beats 0% accurate

• Not being done

• Less people to do the work

• People do not view it as important

Results – By the Numbers

On File(5/1/01)

Items 62,870

$ 2,979,000

On File(5/1/01)

KnownLost /

Destroyed

Items 62,870 314

$ 2,979,000 15,872

On File(5/1/01)

KnownLost /

Destroyed

Issued before 7/1/04

Items 62,870 314 1,807

$ 2,979,000 15,872 95,505

On File(5/1/01)

KnownLost /

Destroyed



Items 62,870 314 1,807 201

$ 2,979,000 15,872 95,505 10,276

515 items ($26,128) instead of 8966 items ($424,879) using 5% yearly loss

Current Vendors

• http://tbinv.com/• Textbook Inventory

• http://www.textbooktracker.com/• Textbook Tracker

• http://www.hayessoft.com/• TIP - Textbook Inventory Program

• http://www.fsc.follett.com/• Destiny Textbook Manager

The End

Materials and links at:

www.ParmaCitySchools.org/presentations

E-Mail

[email protected]

Textbook Inventory System – Designing, Building and Using Robert Gulick, EdD DBA/Technology...

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