Project Description:

Union County Schools desires to implement an IT Asset inventory system.  The primary goal of the system is to expedite the generation and submission of the Annual Media and Technology Report (AMTR) required by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.  A secondary goal is to improve the support service provided by the Media and Technology Support staff to the schools by making the warranty information associated with IT assets readily accessible.  A tertiary goal is to reduce the time and labor overhead associated with the yearly inventory process by automating as much of that process as possible.  The final goal of the system is to improve the accuracy of the inventory data gathered.  The project is being developed in stages.

Project Development:

The development of this project has been and remains challenging on many levels.  The tools I am using for the project ? SQL Server 2000, DreamweaverMX, and IIS5, were all new to me at the beginning of the semester.  Consequently, I?ve expended almost as much time and effort trying to understand how to achieve the needed results using the specified toolset as I?ve put into determining appropriate methods for achieving the desired functionality of the system.  Further complicating this situation is the need for data transfer between the ITAIS system and at least three other software products, one of which has not yet been conclusively identified.  Fortunately for me, my co-developer in this endeavor, Jim Mattison, has been extremely helpful and supportive and we have managed to overcome most of the problems arising from remote collaboration.

Conclusion:

This project has not been concluded yet, but it is on track for its scheduled deployment in February 2003.  Its successful implementation should save Union County Schools the thousands of dollars that a similar commercial system would have cost the county.   It will also provide futures savings for the county by helping technical support staff identify technology assets that are still covered by warranty.   Finally, should state auditors come calling, the ITAIS system should provide a method for the school system to accurately account for its technology assets.