Posted by acts_as_flinn
Sun, 30 Jul 2006 08:26:00 GMT
When designing our Inventory Management application TRAQInventory one of the biggest design decisions we faced was whether to use Web 2.0 style AJAX or popups to handle certain actions. I read a post someplace recently about AJAX replacing the need for popups. I tend to disagree in most cases.
Here is the scenario… as a user on TRAQInventory, you search for a specific set of criteria – category, starting letter of a part name, and starting number of the part number, or you search for a specific term. Once you have the list there are a number of options that you can take – edit, show, add, or delete parts. If the main window changes to an action or set of actions, the user should be able to get back to their list easily. Herein lies the problem.
AJAX seems to offer a limited solution for this problem. We can add whizbang Script.aculo.us effects to usher in our actions, then bring us back to the list. This requires a few things, sessions to store the list criteria, browser compatibility, and a number of visual changes to GUI elements (titlebar, title, etc). The AJAX method gets complicated when your actions stray far away from the original list.
Popups seem to offer a nice method of handling actions with an open list. Opening actions in a new window ensures that the list doesn’t need to be stored in a session, regenerated, etc. In order to carry out some action on an object in the list, a new window is opened leaving the list in tact. It is pretty browser friendly as well. It isn’t really Web 2.0-ish, but it seems to be the most practical method in this case.
Popups do create one little problem – once a user has a list and they open a popup and edit a list item, the list item in the original window isn’t updated until the list is refreshed. Now here is a case for some AJAX trickery. I will meditate on this one and post my solution.
Anyway, there is my logic on why popups are better than AJAX for taking detours from lists in TRAQInventory.
Posted in Web Development, Application Design, Usability | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by acts_as_flinn
Fri, 28 Jul 2006 14:33:00 GMT
Inventory Information Management is one of the processes by which a businesses can establish and maintain a competitive advantage. Walmart is perhaps the best known case of technology (besides buying power) providing an edge over the competition. I think it matters both in small business and in the arena where the big boys play.
So what exactly are the benefits of inventory information management?
Accountability
For starters, Accountability! Accountability of equipment and parts within a production environment is crucial for a number of industries. Give all of your parts or equipment a serial number so you can keep track of who has what and where it is.
Reorder Notifications?
How about Reorder Notifications? Inventory Management means you can set automatic triggers to notify managers or even vendors when inventory levels need to be replenished. Trigger an email or a page to the right person before you run out of inventory that you need.
Vendor Managed Inventory
Interested in Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)? Managing inventory for a customer?— Inventory Information Management is a necessity for this type of arrangement.
SaaS
Now the Software as a Service (SaaS) drum has been beaten to death, so I won’t go in-depth about it here. In short, SaaS is a way to deploy high quality solutions for a number of inventory information management problems. SaaS is perfect for VMI, geographically dispersed operations, traveling sales reps that need real time inventory data…the list goes on.
Technology Consulting
In my years of experience as a technology consultant I have dealt with a number of companies, both large and small. Most of the time companies are aware of the their inventory information management shortcomings, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear solution.
One company I’ve dealt extensively with shared some of there dealings with a number of sales representatives peddling a variety of solutions. One of the sales representatives came and examined their inventory procedures and offered their advice, which of course was to use a very expensive to deploy piece of software that required training packages, upgrade agreements, etc. When all was said and done, they were looking at about $30,000 up front cost with ongoing maintenance agreements and per-incedent support charges.
Solution
Before designing TRAQInventory I watched a number of other successful companies launch SaaS based CRM services like Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, etc. Inventory information management is perfectly suited for a similar setup. SaaS solutions benefit small and mid-sized businesses the most by offering cost-effective high quality solutions.
Read More
Inventory & Asset Management : Right Traq
TRAQInventory – Web Based Inventory Management
Posted in Inventory Management, Business Development | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by acts_as_flinn
Thu, 27 Jul 2006 19:13:00 GMT
I am writing this blog post from my desk in our new office at the Wilkes-Barre Innovation Center. We have a nice space in one of the offices that pepperjamSearch started out in. We have some great neighbors, some we have met already, some we haven’t yet. We’re excited to have a new home here in Wilkes-Barre, and we look forward to visits from our clients, partners, friends, and family. We still have a few things to get sorted out here, but we’re pretty close to being settled in. I’ll post some pictures soon.
Posted in Business Development | no comments | no trackbacks
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