Nick LX Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Hi, Would you be interested in testing out an online hire and sale system? Would allow the following to be customised: * Site Settings * Customers (Display details, quotes etc) * Hire System (Quote, Invoice, Check stock) * Hire Catalogue (Add items, with stock levels and prices etc) You would create a catalogue online, people would choose products and then send them to you for a request (all from the website). You would receive the request in the admin panel, and be able to prepare a quote with an automatic price calculation. All written in PHP with MySQL. Any other features you would like to see, or might be important? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 AJAX. Lots of it. I want the UI to flow and I don't have to ever see a screen re-load. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoffat Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Yeh that sounds kl Pat testing cert record?Crew requirements and crew invoice recieving/payment?condition of kit (ie. currently damaged)multiple admin usersdownloadable entire system? so it can be used offline just a few thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peternewman Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I've been slowly working on something similar in Perl and MySQL, although its been on the back burner for quite a while now. Mine was more of a asset management system than public booking, but with cool features like barcoded kit, so you could scan the items of the hire out. As for features, "packages" or similar, so you could add a DJ setup in one go. The ability to store both items and types of items (I never worked out suitable database names for both), so a member of the public pics a 16A 10m lead, your system can then track individual leads. The offline aspect would probably be high on a lot of people's priorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick LX Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 Ok, I'll definetely work on using some of those ideas. The problem with being used offline is that the offline computer would need a server to run on, but that is easy, as there a quick packages like XAMPP which are one click install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac.calder Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 What I would want: I would want it to run on my own server. Definitely would not trust a 3rd party to host my HMS. One of the best ways (I think) to do it, would be to create it as a linux distribution - include Zimbra or something in there (hell, integrate your product into it so that emails relating to orders will automatically open the correct page in your system, contacts histories can be displayed etc), tie it all together nicely and then either sell it on a DVD, or go one step further, sell the hardware as well. Basically all they would need to do then is plug it into a network in front of their firewall and they will have email/website/HMS all in one fell swoop. Designed properly - with email being pulled off of an external mail server and the main website also being from an external site, if worst comes to worst and their internet fails overnight, then the data/emails will still be there the next morning, clients just wouldn't have access to the HMS for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peternewman Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I'd have thought the real challenge with offline would be working out how to merge the data correctly, so the company owner can offline the database and make up loads of quotes/pick orders, then dump what he's done back to the online copy, while still allowing customers to add requests for quotes into the online bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoffat Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Which will be even more of an issue when you want multiple offline instances. with some sort of identification. and fixing clashes in the system, or flagging major issues Also the ability for the admin to add discounts on to certain products or on the whole order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete McCrea Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 for a guide to the functionality that a hire co needs download the demo of Easyjob V4 from Protonic software. Then have a look at www.erento.co.UK for an online booking system. Give me that functionality for under £2000 with proper telephone support and I'll buy it instead of Easyjob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartm Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Could the offline solution just be CSV downloads maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Use google gears. It looks to be exactly what it is designed for. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick LX Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 I think the best way to do it is save an update of the database tables (which have been changed, for instance, someone put in a quote) and save it to a file on the webserver, and then everytime a person logs on the offline part of the site, it checks to see if it has the latest database file, and if not updates. I'll explain more how it would work a bit later, just have to write it :) A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on. for a guide to the functionality that a hire co needs download the demo of Easyjob V4 from Protonic software. Then have a look at www.erento.co.UK for an online booking system. Give me that functionality for under £2000 with proper telephone support and I'll buy it instead of Easyjob. It will probably be free. I am going to decide after I have written it. :wacko: A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on. Use this for offline and online: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/replication.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peternewman Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 everytime a person logs on the offline part of the site, it checks to see if it has the latest database file, and if not updates.I was thinking more along the lines of if you've got a lockup/warehouse with no Internet connection. So you'd offline it all onto your laptop and take the laptop there to PAT/pick kit/update things. If you can download updates from the site, then apart from a minor performance hit, you may as well do it all online on the main database. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick LX Posted September 5, 2008 Author Share Posted September 5, 2008 Well then you could easily do that. Just have a function to download the updated bits into a sql file, and then another to upload it, so that would be even easier. I'll probably have an option for an offline and online version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I can see the benefits of this however 2 important things. Security and data integrity The database of a hire company is most valuable asset, if a competitor got hold if it they would have my entire address book, what they hire, how often they hire it and what they pay for it. This could potentially be enough to steal all of my customers or at least enough to drive me out of business. Additionally if the database were to be deleted/edited with no chance of recovery that could also destory the company. If you have 2 people editing the same list at the same time it will lead to the lists being incorrect. Lists have to be locked when someone is editing. This is VITAL nothing screams that an organisation doesn't know what it is doing than the wrong kit turning up.* *Most customers are happier if the correct items turn up not working than a selection of brand new mint condition stuff that wasn't ordered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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