Workshop Tool Management System

1. Using ToolWorks Automatically 2. Using ToolWorks Manually 3. Other Manual Features 4. Adding New Tools 5. Adding New Students 6. Notes on Student Pictures

7. Adding New Training Items 8. Running ToolWorks on a Network 9. Tool usage statistics and Reports 10. Backing up your data 11. Maintaining the database 12. Notes on Bar Code formats

1. Using ToolWorks Automatically The easiest way to use ToolWorks is through the use of a bar code scanner. ToolWorks has been designed to be as simple as possible to use for everyday operation as follows:
Scan in a student card: The students details appear on screen, including a picture of the student, if available Scan in a tool. If the tool is already checked out by the student, the assumption is that it is being checked back in, so it is removed from the list of tools the student has borrowed. If the tool is not on the list of tools that the student has borrowed, the assumption is that it is being checked out, and it is added to the list.
Notes: Whenever you are using a bar code scanner to scan in tools, all the information is automatically saved. There is therefore no need to do anything else. if you manually change either the student's competency level, or make changes to the list of equipment they have received training for, you must click the "Save Information" button in order to save the changes. If you do not do this, these changes will be lost! Back to Top

2. Using ToolWorks Manually If you are not using a bar code scanner, ToolWorks can be used manually as follows: Select the 'Student ID' text box and type in the students ID number and hit enter (or click the 'Go' button). The students information will then be displayed.
If the student does not have their student card, or does not remember their student number they can be looked up from the student list by clicking the 'Display Student List' button. Students can then be selected from the list and displayed by either clicking the 'Get Student Details' button, or "triple-clicking" the student (the first click selects the item, and the following double-click changes it). If you are not using a bar code scanner, tools can be booked in or out using one of the following methods: Select the tool from the list and click the 'Check In Tool' or 'Check Out Tool' buttons to change the status of the tool "triple-click" the tool to change its status If you want to change the level of competence of a student, simply click the appropriate level in the 'competency level' box. If the student has been trained to use a new piece of equipment, it can be added to the list by "triple-clicking" the 'Done' column in the appropriate row on the list (the first click selects the item, and the following double-click changes it).
Note that you must click the "Save Information" button when you have made any changes in order for them to be saved. If you do not do this, your changes will be lost.
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3. Other 'manual' features The list of tools can be changed to display either just the tools that the student has on loan (default) or to display all the tools in the database. To do this, simply click the 'Show All Tools' button or 'Show borrowed' button. If the student returns all the tools at once, they can be checked in all at once using the 'Check In All Tools' button. Back to Top

4. Adding New Tools to the Database Whenever you scan a bar code for a tool that does not yet exist in the database, a window will automatically pop up asking you for the tool details. Simply fill in the relevant details and click the 'save' button. If you wish to bring up the 'Add New Tools' window without scanning a bar code, it can be selected from the 'Tools' menu. Remember, however, that all tools must have a unique bar code assigned to them, and that all bar codes but begin with "99" and have a total of 10 digits. See the section on bar codes below for more information. Back to Top

5. Adding New Students to the Database Whenever you scan a student card for a student that does not yet exist in the database, a window will automatically pop up asking you for the student details. Simply fill in the relevant details and click the 'save' button. If you wish to bring up the 'Add New Student' window manually, it can be selected from the 'Tools' menu. Remember. Back to Top

6. Student Pictures Student pictures can be saved with each students records. The pictures must be in jpg format and measure 110 pixels wide x 145 pixels high. They must be named with the students ID number (for example 01153668.jpg). All student pictures must be located in the "studentpics" directory of wherever you installed ToolWorks.
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7. Adding New Types of Equipment Training To add a new type of training, select the bottom row of the training table (the one with a "*" in the left column) and type in the new training type. Then click any other row in the table to activate the new training session. Back to Top

8. Running ToolWorks on a Network ToolWorks can be run across a network with multiple workstations accessing the same database. For this to work, ToolWorks needs to know where the database file is located. To set the database location, select the "Set Database Location" item from the 'Tools' menu. A box will pop up asking you for the location of the database file. Use the 'Browse' button to locate the toolworks.mdb file on the server where it will reside. Back to Top

9. Tool Usage reports A variety of reports are available that will tell you how often your various tools are used. Select the "Reports" menu item, and then select the type of report you would like. Note that all usage times are given in hours. 1 hour is the minimum usage time unit, so if a tool is booked out and back in within less than one hour, its usage time will still be recorded as a full hour. A Workshop Stock Value option is also available under the 'Reports' menu. This gives you the total value of all your equipment based on whatever values you entered for each tool. It does not, however, account for depreciation. Back to Top

10. Backing up your Data It is considered safe computer practice to regularly backup your data. We recommend that you backup the ToolWorks database file at least once a month/ The database file is called "toolworks.mdb", and is by default placed in your ToolWorks installation directory. ToolWorks includes a function to automatically backup this database. From the 'File' menu select the 'Backup Database' option, and a box will pop up asking you to confirm that you wish to backup. Upon successful backup, a new file will be created in your ToolWorks installation directory called something along the lines of "toolworks backup 28-12-03.mdb". Should you wish to later use one of the backup files as your main database files, simply rename it to "toolworks.mdb". Back to Top

11. Maintaining the Database The complete Tools database can be accessed through the 'Tools' menu and the 'Maintain Database' option. This screen will allow you to view all the fields in the Tools database, and to make changes to any fields you want. Records can also be deleted using this screen. Back to Top

12. Bar Code Formats The bar code formats used by ToolWorks are Code 39 type bar codes. Your bar code scanner must therefore be setup to read this type of bar code. The type of bar code scanner that should be used is any keyboard emulation type scanner. This type of scanner essentially just mimics your keyboard, and enters the scanned data into the computer just as if you were typing it. To test your bar code scanner, the simplest option is to open a program such as Notepad, and scan a barcode. The barcode number should appear in Notepad just as if you had typed it.
Tool Bar codes must have 10 digits, and the first 3 digits must be 999 (to identify them as tools rather than students. An example of a tool bar code would be 9990000001. A bar code font is provided with ToolWorks that will allow you to create bar codes in MS Word. A sample document called "barcode samples.doc" is located in the help directory of your installation folder. Note that code 39 type bar codes always start and end with a * character. To do this in MS Word, start and end each bar code number with an ! character.
Student bar codes are based on the standard Massey University student ID cards, in which the student number has 10 digits (though only the last 8 are displayed as the student number. The first 2 digits are 20 to identify them as students (as opposed to staff, etc.) Back to Top

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Copyright 2003 Olaf Diegel