The Original Shareware 1992/TheOrigSharewareV1.cdr/9/facltj.exe/UPSCALE.DOC

Text File | 1991-01-01 | 37KB | 925 lines

                             Reasons to move upscale
                     to the FACILITATE or FACILIMIN Software

The following represents excerpts from our product literature of our "upscale"
products:



                                FACILITATE

             Your solution to the Health Care Support Services
                  Challenges of the Nineties and Beyond!


                            Workload Management
       Generate and track both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance

                             Labor Management
               Manage labor hours, payroll, and productivity

                           Equipment Management
           Track equipment information, status, service history
                         and maintenance contracts

                      Materials Inventory Management
       Manage inventory levels and automatically reorder stock items

                         Purchase Order Management
                   Generate and track purchase requests,
                    update inventory data automatically

                         User Defined Applications
   Create your own reports, data entry forms, and even your own software
      code using a menu driven applications generator.  Your software
             appears as options in the FACILITATE menu system.


Another software package?

The answer to this is both YES and NO.  Yes, FACILITATE is another software
package, period.  No, it is not just another "also ran".  FACILITATE, Inc. was
founded by Health Care Support Service Management Professionals.  We really
didn't need another project, we were gainfully employed in the challenging
Biomedical and Facilities Management departments of a major medical center.  We
sought to improve the performance of our departments by employing computer
technology to automate basic workload management functions, provide information
about our people, our equipment and materials inventories, and to provide
summary and detail reporting for all of the above.   We found many products that
offered these functions.  We then examined these products for ease of use,
flexibility, and cost (read affordability).  The field of competitors narrowed
sharply.  We went a step further and sought out systems which would allow us to
start with a small investment and a single personal computer, then "grow" based
upon our needs and our ability to  implement features and functionality.  After
discovering many unique needs not addressed by the software, we asked vendors to
provide a method of adding our own data entry forms and reports and software
code to their systems.  We were refused and, consequently, discovered a market
niche that no vendor was addressing, thus the FACILITATE concept was born!










What do you mean by the term Flexibility?

Flexibility at Facilitate, Inc. means that the software may be custom tailored
to the needs of the user - by the User!  Typical examples of how Facilitate
addresses the flexibility issue are:

- You are already using a work order form that looks different from the data
entry form provided by FACILITATE.  Changing the form may cause problems for
your customers, but having different work order forms and data entry forms will
make your clerical person inefficient.  Solution:  Use the forms editor to make
the FACILITATE form look like yours.

- You are required to provide a monthly report of work completion information in
a specific format to Administration.  Solution:  Create a report format which
meets your needs using the reports editor, or simply modify one of the over 70
formats provided with the Facilitate database.

- You need information about equipment in a unique format for a one time study.
Solution:  Use Query by Example to look up the data (QBE is menu driven!).

- You have a user that needs to repetitively perform certain functions, uses
specific menu options from different areas of the menu system or needs to use
forms and reports unique to your installation.  Solution:  Use the menu driven
applications generator to build an application file (software program) to
perform these functions.  The program(s) you create appear as menu option(s) in
FACILITATE.


Whats UNIQUE about FACILITATE?

FACILITATE was developed by Hospital Support Service Managers for Hospital
Support Service Managers.  We addressed some of the previously unmet challenges
of the business because of our background, for example:

Unlimited Equipment Data Types.  This addresses the problem of equipment that
needs to be tracked because of a special characteristic, or any combination of
characteristics.  For example, the DataSearch feature allows you to find all
portable equipment (Portable Data Type) that requires 230 volts (230 Volt data
type value).  You may define an unlimited number of Data Types and Data Type
Values and apply any combination of data types to any combination of equipment.
Maybe we should have discussed this under Flexibility!

Automatic Lookup of Safety and Performance Verification.  FACILITATE allows you
to create an unlimited number of Safety and Performance Verification procedures.
These procedures may be assigned to equipment items by equipment type and/or
uniquely assigned by equipment item.  Once the cross-reference is established,
the appropriate Safety and Performance Verification Procedure for the specific
item is automatically printed whenever a work order is generated.


Doesn't all this Flexibility and Uniqueness spell C-O-M-P-L-E-X ?

Absolutely not.  The FACILITATE product can be installed and operated by a
novice.  All of the functions of the software may be accessed through a menu
driven system which prompts the user to "fill in the blanks" as necessary.











Obtaining a list of equipment for which the warranty will expire during the next
30 days, for example, is as simple as selecting Equipment Information, then
Equipment Lists, then Warranty from the menu.  FACILITATE then asks you to fill
in the starting and ending dates of the period to check for warranty expiration,
then prints the report.

We provide a manual with divider tabs that match the Main Menu Option Numbers of
the software.  Each section of the manual provides step-by-step instructions as
well as helpful hints.


Sounds good, but can you prove it!

Fill out and send us the enclosed Show Me FACILITATE request card.  We will send
you a "Demo" version of the product. This will allow you to operate many
portions of the FACILITATE product on your own computer so that you can get a
better understanding of how it works.  Can't wait?  FAX the request card to the
number on the enclosed price list and we will ship your Demo TODAY.


Speaking of prices . . .

You will note from our enclosed price list that we are extremely competitive.
Please do not be lured into believing that we offer less product at a lower
price, as the opposite is true.  We achieve our low price/performance ratio by
some rather unique methods.  Please read on.


The Database Management System

The database management system employed in FACILITATE is R:Base by Microrim.
R:Base is one of the most respected names in database management for reasons of
flexibility and performance.  The cost of R:Base is however, relatively low due
to wide distribution of the product.  The excellent development tools supplied
by Microrim, Inc. help us keep our development costs down.  Further, R:Base
inherently solves many database structure, indexing, and multi-user concurrency
problems which must be dealt with by developers not using this type of database
management system.


A word about FACILIMIN

Our price list includes a less expensive product known as FACILIMIN.  This
product is an entry level version of FACILITATE and provides much of the
FACILITATE functionality.  FACILIMIN provides the Work Order Control, Equipment
Management (including Contract and Service History information) and Maintenance
Scheduling functions of the complete package.  In addition, we provide the
majority of Work Order Reporting functions and Materials Inventory Management
functions provided in FACILITATE.  Whereas, FACILITATE requires the installation
of the complete R:Base package to run, FACILIMIN does not.  However, FACILIMIN
does provide the database in a format compatible with both R:Base and
FACILITATE.  This allows you to query the database and create your own forms,
reports and software should you choose to purchase the optional R:Base package.
Another advantage of full FACILITATE compatibility is that the FACILIMIN product
can easily be upgraded to the full FACILITATE package at any time without the











need to rebuild the database.  FACILIMIN is available in stand alone (single
computer) and network versions.  Upgrading from the stand alone to the network
version or to the complete FACILITATE package is easily accomplished at any
time.


What you need to run FACILITATE

In order to run FACILITATE you will need the following hardware and software:

   Hardware:  FACILITATE runs on the IBM PC, the IBM PS/2 or Compatible
              computers.  The PC should be equipped with a hard disk, monitor
              (color optional), and printer.  An optional modem is recommended
              to access the FACILITATE Exchange Bulletin Board System (FEBBS)
              and on-line technical support.

   Software:  DOS (Disk Operating System) Version 3.1 or higher is the only
              requirement for FACILIMIN.  R:Base for DOS is an additional
              requirement when installing the complete FACILITATE system.
              PC Anywhere and Procomm are optional for FEBBS use and on-line
              technical support.

   Networks:  For a multi user system, FACILITATE may be installed on a File
              Server in a Novell NetWare network.  Network installation requires
              a File Server (IBM PC or compatible) equipped with a hard disk and
              printer.  Each user on the network requires a PC equipped with
              monitor (color optional) and a network interface card (hard disks
              and printers are not required for the users).  Novell NetWare
              Version 2.1 or higher software is required at the File Server to
              permit sharing of the FACILITATE or FACILIMIN software, the
              database, and hardware resources such as printers.  (* NOTE:
              Although FACILITATE is optimized for Novell NetWare it is
              compatible with all networks which support DOS 3.1 file sharing.)


What is FEBBS?

FEBBS is an electronic bulletin board.  The purpose of FEBBS is threefold:  (1)
to provide a forum to share ideas regarding FACILITATE implementation with other
FACILITATE Users; (2) provide product enhancements at low cost; and (3) provide
low cost technical support from the Facilitate, Inc. technical staff.  FEBBS
provides a combination of software libraries and an Electronic Mail system to
accomplish these objectives.


The FACILITATE Philosophy

Our philosophy is to provide truly useful, flexible software for the Health Care
Management Professional at the highest possible performance to price ratio.

We accomplish this objective by keeping expenses to a minimum and spending our
resources on product development.  For example, we have no sales force.  Our
sales are accomplished via introductory literature, a Demo software package, and
through satisfied customers.  We do not provide a voice phone number on our
literature.  We do, of course, provide this to our customers.  On the other
hand, should you choose to become our customer, when you call, you will be
speaking with a person who has had hospital operations experience as well as
extensive computer training.








                               FACILITATE Benefits


IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

The FACILITATE menu system and R:Base user interface allow you to find and print
the data you need, formatted as you need it, without wasting a lot of report
"programming" time.

Labor management features help link the most qualified technical resource to
each job, whether scheduled or unscheduled.

Scheduled maintenance procedures developed for each type of equipment, including
the tools and materials necessary for the job reduce lost technician time.

The ability to compare actual time to estimated time for completion of scheduled
and unscheduled work points up opportunities for improvement in management and
production.

Material inventory features automatically identify preferred and alternate
vendors for each material purchase request.

Easily find substitute material/parts by searching your database by material
category, part number, vendor, character search string on description fields and
other material inventory information directly from the menu system.


IMPROVE MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS

Generate labor efficiency, vendor performance and other reports to learn who is
getting the job done most effectively.

Produce printed reports that can be understood by other department leaders and
executive administration.

Spot trouble areas by detecting trends over short or long term.

Obtain summary reports without having to print and wade through pages of detail.

Make better informed decisions to repair or replace equipment by reviewing
actual historical repair costs and actions taken.


ENHANCE PROFESSIONALISM

Technical, clerical and management staff members are more professional when they
have easy access to meaningful information they can retrieve in a minimum amount
of effort.

Produce reports sorted and printed with meaningful headings the way the "boss"
wants them without wasting time reprogramming the software each time a different
type of request is made.

Generate purchase order requests using your purchasing department's vendor codes
and request format without sacrificing the use of manufacturer codes developed
specifically for your department.










Produce data for your finance department that addresses their needs without
requiring them to "decipher" or "interpret" it.


IMPROVE MANAGEMENT CONTROL - REDUCE RISK

Be in control of your database, not held "hostage" to rigid software
characteristics.  You can change the FACILITATE database tables, input forms,
screen views and printed reports to meet your specific needs without having to
rely on the software developer.

Timely and accurate work order reports, printed to screen or printer, help you
prioritize work requests and assist in the completion of the most important ones
first.

Performance verification and safety checklists are automatically printed at the
end of unscheduled repair requests to provide technical guidance and
documentation of performance and safety data after repair activities.

Respond, follow-up and document the action taken for equipment hazard notices
and recalls to reduce the risk to your patients, staff and visitors.

Retrieve all information from all records with a user-defined selection criteria
without fear of missed records.  "Code" searches in key database fields and
"character search string" searches in text fields assure the ability to find
records with a an exact match or near match to the specified search parameters.


SAVE MONEY - INCREASE RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Purchase only one software program to accurately manage and document equipment
assets, material inventory, work order control, maintenance scheduling, payroll
and purchasing.

Retrieve, calculate and present data as you or the people you report to need it
without purchasing "add-on" report generators or downloading data to another
software program.

Compress material inventory while improving request fill rates through an
automatic, editable purchase order request generation system based on current
inventory levels and pre-determined re-order points.  Requests are automatically
sorted by preferred vendor and presented for management verification prior to
printing.

Improve equipment maintenance insurance claim cost recovery, reduce service
contract and insurance program renewal costs through the use of user-defined
equipment data types and accurate documentation of vendor activities.

Enhance your ability to obtain the operating funds you need at budget time
through accurate documentation and professional presentation of historical
resource expenditures.















                               FACILITATE Features



INTRODUCTION to FACILITATE

FACILITATE is a software package designed as a supportive management tool for
professional health care service department managers.  The multi-dimensional
package includes provisions for the management of capital equipment, material
inventory and purchasing, work flow and labor.  As FACILITATE is used on a
routine basis, historical records are automatically created to document
activities and expenses.  Expenses and activities can be reported for individual
work requests, individual equipment items, all costs associated with a
particular project or account or on a facility-wide basis.  Personnel hours and
activities are also documented to provide payroll records and efficiency reports
based upon pre-established work standards.  Purchasing, warehousing and issuance
of materials is simplified by fully integrated material control and purchasing
functions.  Materials issued in support of maintenance activities are
automatically deducted from inventory and "charged" to the appropriate equipment
and client account records.  Automated material re-ordering is accomplished
without loss of management control through a unique system for purchase request
generation based upon user-defined minimum stock levels and optimum re-order
quantities.

FACILITATE has been uniquely designed to provide maximum user control over the
input and recall of database information.  The FACILITATE application provides
data tables, input forms, screen views and printed reports to meet the needs of
even the most sophisticated users.  However, FACILITATE was designed with the
realization that every user has a unique set of needs that will not be met by a
"canned" program.  Flexibility and change are basic design characteristics of
FACILITATE.  Whenever a user discovers a unique need not addressed in
FACILITATE, the full power of R:Base by MicroRim can be utilized to add new
tables, make changes to existing tables, and change or create input forms,
screen views and reports.  Such changes are simplified by a menu driven user
interface.  This flexibility assures even the novice user that special needs can
be addressed without additional expense or lost time waiting for the software
vendor to create a custom program.  To help every user realize the maximum
benefit from FACILITATE, a user network is being established.  By dialing
through a modem into the FACILITATE EXCHANGE BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM, each
subscriber will have instant access to other user's ideas as well as "official"
software updates.

FACILITATE has been designed to be equally useful for the technical person as
well as the manager of technology.  Very little knowledge about database
operations is required to use the system efficiently and effectively.  The use
of codes throughout  FACILITATE makes it easy to find and sort data in a minimum
amount of time without fear of missed records.  It also reduces the amount of
disk space required to save data that is repeated in many equipment or material
records.

FACILITATE has been designed for use on IBM and IBM Compatible computers.  An
Intel 80386SX, 16MHz or faster processor is recommended, but the program works
satisfactorily on slower computers.  The program works equally well in the
single user and Novell NetWare enviroments.

An outline of the FACILITATE program and a brief description of features
follows.









I. CODES MAINTENANCE MODULE

A. Equipment Codes
Equipment codes and their descriptions are provided to group and differentiate
equipment by user-defined categories.  The Data Type Code, a unique feature of
FACILITATE, allows the assignment of an infinite number of information
categories to each equipment item.  Codes are provided for equipment:

   1. Class
   2. Type
   3. Status
   4. Data Type

B. Scheduled Maintenance Codes
Scheduled Maintenance Codes are used to annotate the appropriate scheduled
maintenance tasks and frequencies and link them to each equipment item.
Frequencies can vary from daily to any monthly multiple from one to 999.

C. Work Order Codes
Work Order Codes provide for identification, operational management, follow-up
of the work flow process and documentation of the work accomplished.  Coded
fields are provided to categorize work by:

   1. Work Order Type
   2. Work Order Status
   3. Work Order Completion (Actions Taken)
   4. Work Order Priority

D. Purchase Order and Material Inventory Management Codes
Purchase Order and Material Inventory Management Codes facilitate organization
of the procurement, warehousing and issuance of materials.  Codes are provided
for:

   1. Manufacturer's Name, Address, Names and Telephone Numbers for Corporate,
      Regional and Local Sales and Service Contacts, Account Number, Minimum
      Order Data and vendor file cross reference.
   2. Vendor's Name, Address, Sales and Service Contacts, Telephone Numbers and
      Account Data
   3. Equipment Maintenance Contracts
   4. Material Inventory Categories
   5. Purchase Order Status
   6. Purchasing Units of Measure
   7. Issue Units of Measure

E. Personnel Codes
Personnel Codes provide a simple means to identify specific employees, organize
work groups, assign work and document labor costs and productivity.  Codes are
provided for:

   1. Individual Employees
   2. Position Titles
   3. Individual Positions
   4. Service Groups













F. General Codes
General Codes are used throughout the software to standardize the location
descriptions and link equipment maintenance and other charges to the appropriate
budget account.  Codes are provided for:

   1. Equipment User Accounts (Chart of Accounts)
   2. Equipment and Material Inventory Location (Physical Location)


II. WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT MODULE

A. Open, Edit, Close and Post Work Orders
   Screens are provided for initiation, editing, closing and posting of:

   1. Unscheduled Work Requests initiated by equipment users and maintenance
      personnel.

   2. Scheduled Work Requests generated by FACILITATE from the
      Daily/Weekly/Monthly and Monthly Multiple schedules.

B. Recall Work Orders for Viewing/Editing
   To facilitate the efficient management of the work order process, work orders
   can be recalled to the screen by:

   1. Search String on Initiator's Name
   2. Initiator's Telephone or Extension Number
   3. Equipment Identification Number
   4. Equipment Type
   5. Equipment Status
   6. Location
   7. Account Number
   8. Service Group

C. Edit or Print Work Orders in Queue
   Scheduled and Unscheduled Work Requests can be printed as they are generated
   or put in a Work Order Queue for future sorting and printing.  Once in the
   "Q", work orders can be pulled up for editing or printed by:

   1. Priority
   2. Service Group
   3. Assigned Employee
   4. Responsible Account
   5. Location
   6. Due Date
   7. Work Order Type
   8. All in Queue

D. Work Order Completion Information
As the resources utilized in the completion of a work request are entered, they
are automatically linked to the employee who accomplished the work, the
equipment item, and the user-account.  Parts and supplies are automatically
deducted from material inventory.  Completion data includes:

   1. Labor Time and Cost
   2. Repair Part and Supply Costs
   3. Purchased Service Cost
   4. Special Work Order History Notation









E. Create, Edit Equipment Maintenance Schedules
   Maintenance Schedules may be created for each equipment item to include
   frequencies of:

   1. One to Seven Days per Week
   2. Monthly or Any Monthly Multiple up to 999

NOTE:  Default scheduled maintenance and safety inspections can be established
by equipment type prior to data entry of equipment.  This reduces data entry
time and helps assure that the correct scheduled maintenance requirements are
linked to each item.

F. Work Orders from Schedules
   Scheduled Work Orders can be generated every day or at any frequency the user
   chooses.  As they are generated from the schedules, they may be:

   1. Printed Immediately
   2. Stored in Work Order Queue for future printing

G. Open or Delinquent Work Order Reports
   To facilitate the management of the work flow process, reports of open and/or
   delinquent work orders may be sorted and printed by:

   1. Service Group
   2. Employee
   3. Account
   4. Work Order Type
   5. All

H. Labor Reports
   Reports may be generated to indicate where employees spent their time.  These
   reports may be generated as an:

   1.  Hours Summary for All Employees
   2.  Hours Detail for All Employees
   3.  Hours Detail for Specific Service Group


III. EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT MODULE

A. Equipment Information
   All technical data known about an equipment item can be annotated.  Data
   fields are provided for:

           1.  Identification Number
           2.  Description
           3.  Class Code and Description
           4.  Type Code and Description
           5.  Status Code and Description
           6.  User Account Code and Description
           7.  Location Code and Description
           8.  Vendor Code and Description
           9.  Manufacturer Code and Description
           10. Purchase Order Number and Cost
           11. In-service Date











           12. Warranty Start/Stop Dates
           13. Property (Asset) Number
           14. Model Number
           15. Serial Number
           16. Infinite Number of User-Defined Equipment Data Types

NOTE:  Equipment records can be pulled up for review or sorted for printing by
any data field in the record.

B. Equipment Maintenance Contracts
Equipment Maintenance Contracts and other Purchased Service arrangements may be
linked to all equipment covered.  Contracts are identified by vendor, type,
scope of coverage and other appropriate data entered into a six hundred
character comments section.  Screens are provided to allow the user to:

           1.  Link multiple equipment items to a contract
           2.  Link multiple contracts to single equipment system
           3.  Generate a report of upcoming renewals
           4.  Annotate special contract data


IV. LABOR MANAGEMENT MODULE

A. Payroll Data
Employee payroll data is entered into this section.  It becomes the basis for
labor charges for maintenance activities and productivity reports.  It may be
used for the generation of official payroll.  Fields are provided for entry of:

           1.  Regular Hours
           2.  Scheduled Time Off
           3.  Sick Hours
           4.  Overtime
           5.  Other Hours

B. Labor Reports
Labor reports may be produced for:

           1.  Payroll
           2.  Performance in Summary
           3.  Performance in Detail
           4.  Work Order Transactions by Employee


V. MATERIAL INVENTORY MANAGEMENT MODULE

A. Material Inventory Information
Material Inventory Information is the basis for the management of material
purchasing, warehousing, issue and cost reporting.  The following information is
annotated for each material item:

           1.  Item Stock Number and Description
           2.  Inventory Category Code and Description
           3.  Stores Locations (Up to three separate locations)
           4.  Unit of Measure - Purchasing
           5.  Unit of Measure - Issue
           6.  Re-order Level










           7.  Optimum Re-order Quantity
           8.  Cost per Purchase Unit
           9.  Cost/Price Multiplier
           10. Issue Price
           11. Preferred Vendor Code and Description
           12. Manufacturer's Code and Description
           13. Part Number
           14. Alternate Vendor Code and Description
           15. Vendor's Part Number

NOTE:  Due to the unique handling of manufacturer and vendor information,
material items may be linked to multiple manufacturers and vendors.

B. View or Edit Material Inventory Data
Material Inventory Data Records may be recalled by:

           1.  Specific Inventory Number
           2.  Search String on Description
           3.  Inventory Category
           4.  Storage Location
           5.  Vendor
           6.  Manufacturer


VI. PURCHASING MANAGEMENT MODULE

A. Purchase Order Information
Purchase Order requests may be generated directly from FACILITATE.  Data entry
time is reduced by utilizing information resident in the Material Inventory
records.  The purchase order request screen provides fields for entry
of:

           1.  Request Number
           2.  Purchase Order Number
           3.  Request Date
           4.  Date Required
           5.  Vendor Code and Description *
           6.  Purchase Order Status and Description *
           7.  Item Number and Description *
           8.  Vendor Part Number *
           9.  Purchasing Unit of Measure *
           10. Quantity Ordered
           11. Purchasing Unit Cost *

NOTE:  Items marked with a * are filled in automatically when the material item
number is entered for items existing in the system, but may be edited.

B. Print Purchase Order Request
Purchase order requests may be printed as they are generated or batch printed.
Request forms can be formatted to coincide with your facilities' forms.

C. Automatic Inventory Re-order and Purchase Order Generation
Automatic re-order reports are generated based upon user-defined re-order levels
and optimum order quantities.  After review and editing of the reported data,
purchase requests are generated without need for data entry.











D. Purchase Order Information Reports
The management of the purchasing process is enhanced through reports that:

           1.  List all Open Purchase Order Requests
           2.  List all Delinquent Purchase Order Requests
           3.  List Items currently on open purchase order requests

A vendor performance report is also provided to differentiate vendor
performance.

E. Material Receiving
Partial and completely filled purchase orders can be received without
complication.  Request status changes are at the discretion of material control
personnel and are not mandated by the software.  To simplify warehousing and
future issue of materials, receiving and warehousing tickets may be printed for
each item received.


VII. USER APPLICATIONS MODULE

The User Applications Module provides a place for the user to insert user-
designed menus, input forms, screen views and reports into the FACILITATE menu
system.  User-created, custom features become a part of the FACILITATE program
and are accessible through the menu system without exiting to another program.


VIII. UNIQUE FEATURES

A few of the FACILITATE features not found in other software packages are
described below.

A. DATA TYPE Codes, Descriptions and Data
Other asset management software programs provide a fixed number of ways to
classify or differentiate equipment.  With FACILITATE, an infinite number of
classifications may be maintained through the use of user-defined DATA
TYPE Codes.  Consider the plant operations manager who wants to keep track of
equipment on emergency power.  By creating a DATA TYPE Code such as EPWR, the
manager can do so.  Or consider the biomedical equipment manager who has
specific items under an equipment maintenance insurance program.  Through the
use of the DATA TYPE Codes, these items can be easily documented and identified
to maintenance technicians.  All reports can be generated for equipment with a
specific data type.  The DATA TYPE Code feature is so flexible, any number
or types of coded information may be identified to an equipment item.

C. Manufacturer's and Vendor's Information
Other software programs treat manufacturing and vendor organizations as a single
group.  In FACILITATE, seperate files are maintained for manufacturers and
vendors.  This allows the user to simultaneously maintain a manufacturer's code
file utilizing commonly accepted coding systems such as that created by
Emergency Care Research Institute and a vendor's code file that matches that
of the user's purchasing department.  When equipment hazard notices and recalls
indexed to manufacturer's codes are received, equipment may be searched in
the database without need for a code conversion.  At the same time, purchasing
documents generated by FACILITATE contain vendor codes recognized by the
purchasing department.  To make data entry as efficient as possible, data keyed
into the manufacturer's file may be copied into the vendor file and edited.










Several other features are appreciated by personnel responsible for material
control and purchasing.  The amount of information that can be associated with
each manufacturer and vendor makes their jobs easier.  Field sizes make
abbreviation of important data a rare occurrence.  Additionally, multiple
vendors can be associated with each manufacturer and each individual material
item to facilitate utilization of alternate material sources.  Space is provided
for annotation of corporate, regional and local sales, service and parts
contacts, their toll free and regular telephone numbers, telephone extensions
and even the time zone each contact is in.  Space is also provided for
documentation of your account number with the vendor and minimum order
requirements information.

D. Flexibility by Design
The cost of development drives most software developers to take anti-pirating
precautions that result in program rigidity.  We have taken a different approach
with FACILITATE.  Our goal is to market a good software program that provides a
sound foundation upon which the user can build to meet needs unique to the
institution.  The program is designed around R:Base by MicroRim, a proven
relational database with a reputation for user friendliness, excellent
throughput and network compatibility.  The R:Base Database Management System is
accessed through the FACILITATE System Maintenance Module and the user-
designated database superviser is given access rights to the database.  The
R:Base user interface may be used to change or add to the program without
affecting the integrity of the FACILITATE source code.  Existing database
tables, input forms, screen views and printed reports can be changed and new
ones can be easily created.  R:Base can be addressed from the command line or
through a Prompt By Example menu system, so even the novice user can make
changes without becoming an experienced programmer.

E. FACILITATE User's Network
A network of FACILITATE users is being created through a user subscription
program.  For a small annual fee, FACILITATE users can dial through a modem into
the FACILITATE EXCHANGE BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM (without leaving the software) and
gain access to official software updates as well as information left by other
users.  On-line technical support is also available.  This concept is designed
to promote problem solving, user education and innovation in a cost effective
manner.


                               Facilitate, Inc.
                               1268 Halifax Road
                               Knoxville, TN 37922