Client:
Rhode Island Comprehensive Community Action Program

Services Performed:
Custom Application Development

Description:
A custom client/server Windows™ application developed using the Visual Basic 6™ programming environment, the Microsoft Access 2000™ database engine, and the Crystal Reports 9™ report writer.

The solution was focused on the capture, analysis, and reporting of the scores resulting from skill assessment tests of children as they attended a pre-school facility over a three year period.

Using Crystal Reports 9™ several custom reports were developed providing detailed analysis of each child’s progress. Reports comparing groups of children based on age, classroom, and ethnic origin were developed including graphs outlining child’s progress.

Notes:
These interfaces were designed to enable the manipulation a large amount of repetitive data in a limited amount of space. The interfaces also were designed to match the entry source documents as close as possible to shorten data-entry cycle times.

Crystal Reports™ enabled the previewing of reports in full color. The print engine also offered the ability to email reports as well as generate electronic PDF combatable output.

Client:
Cox Communications

Services Performed:
Custom Application Development

Description:
A custom client/server Windows™ application developed using the following technologies: Visual Basic 6™ programming language, Microsoft SQL Server 2000™ database environment, and Crystal Reports 9™ report writer.

The application replaced an outdated Microsoft FoxPro™ solution and was focused on the capture, analysis, and reporting of the labor tasks performed by field repair technicians.

Microsoft SQL Server™ was chosen as a back-end database solution to enable the client/server application to function over Cox Communications private WAN (wide area network).

The custom application utilized “look-up window” functionality to ease the data entry process that requires operators to process a large number of documents containing many job/task code entries (that are sometimes absent).

Lookup windows provide the entry operator with option of choosing by description or code.

Client:
V. H. Blackinton Co., Inc.

Services Performed:
Custom Application Development

Description:
A custom Windows™ automation application developed using the following technologies: VB.NET™ and the .NET Framework™, Internet Information Server™, Microsoft Access 2002™, and Crystal Reports 9™ report writer.

The application was created to automate the extraction, printing and archiving of order and payment information captured via the company’s eCommerce website. Payment information was stored securely in the database using Triple-DES private-key encryption technology.

By hooking software events generated by the Crystal Reports™ print engine, security was greatly enhanced related to credit card information.

During the printing events, payment information is decrypted into non-paged system memory and
then printed. Never was payment information written to any
temporary files.

The first goal was to simplify information flow between the Data Processing and Human Resource Departments by enabling Human Resources to efficiently capture and validate timecard data.

This application needed to produce formatted reports that were later used by the Processing Department for payroll processing functions.

The second goal was to enable efficient and accurate management of the school system’s complex fringe benefit package offered to the custodial and bus driver union based workforce.

Usage and allotment of sick, vacation, personal, and bereavement days need to be tracked in accordance with union employment contract. The many stipulations that existed within the contract made the original paper based system a labor intensive process.

As a result, many maintenance features were developed enabling a greater level of customization for the application. These included attributes that could be changed as a result of contract negations, removing the need for program to be redesigned as a result of changes in contract stipulations.

Examples of customized application options:

• For the payroll process, individual bi-weekly time card entries are intuitively captured using a color coded grid control that validated information as it was entered.
  
  
• Attendance and payroll entries could be modified and the months containing them
  re-opened and closed.
  
  
• Benefits could be allocated based on newly modified attendance information.

Client:
Aerial Designs, Inc.

Services Performed:
Custom Application Development

Description:
A custom Windows™ application developed using the following technologies: Visual Basic 6™ and Microsoft Access™. The application was designed to improve the production and quality of CAD design plans that were produced by this architectural design firm.

The application would enable the tracking of each design job from start to finish. Jobs could be tracked and completed on schedule using the application. If jobs need to be re-worked due to poor quality, the job event audit indicated the reasons why.

The departments within the left pane detailed the production process. As jobs were released by a respective department, the job counts updated accordingly.

Job event history outlined the exact path a design took on its way to completion.

The application also enabled a more balanced workload distribution. As an option for this, the number of designs assigned to each CAD operator could quickly be observed.

Client:
Masten Wright, Inc.

Services Performed:
COM Development

Description:
A custom COM (component object model) Add-in for Microsoft Outlook™ 2000/2002/2003 was developed to address a simple need.

When sending email, users at the export company often found themselves attaching the same files repeatedly throughout a work day.

As a result, a COM add-in was developed that would create shortcuts to these files and automatically post the shortcuts on the Outlook™ shortcut bar.