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MST is moving ahead with the latest in Handheld Wireless Technology. We have developed a program that allows you to use a wireless PDA with a laser barcode scanner to update your Maintenance Warehouse Inventory. Using Wi-Fi wireless network access, you are actually entering you inventory count or processing your work order directly on the main system from the PDA! You can even send your updated work order to the printer from the PDA. This new system is currently in live testing at one of our accounts.
Obsolete is not the right word. But there is a quote, "Everything has its place." Now Corporate America is asking itself if the office is the place for PC networks.
Some corporate workers do need to have the power of the fastest processor available. Employees such as financial analysts, graphics designers, software developers, engineers and power users may require as much power as they can get to perform their jobs. But what percent of company’s employees fit into this "power user" category?
Most users probably don’t require locally stored personal productivity tools, virus checkers, hard disk de-fragmenters (or even a hard disk), screen savers, or solitaire to do their jobs. About 95-99 percent of the work force is doing word processing, light spreadsheets, server-based queries, order entry, e-mail, and other basic applications. Does the ability to spell check documents in 3.2 seconds instead of 7.5 bring real added value to the company? These employees have no job need for the latest, greatest PC’s available.
Is bigger better? It is if you asked most employees they would say they need a 133 or 200 MHz Pentium. But most could not give you a comprehensible explanation of what a Pentium is. They only know that the bigger the number the better.
Despite all the promises, the PC has yet to deliver low cost and reliability to critical business applications. IBM’s new network computer is set to give the personal computer network a run for its money. With an expected cost of about $700 (without a monitor) - compared to at least $1500 for a typical PC, the network computer offers a graphical interface, access to all your business applications and more. Like a PC, IBM’s network computer is powered by a microprocessor and has a local operating system (although you don’t have to install or maintain it) and memory. It has no local storage and runs all applications from an attached network, promising easy and inexpensive maintenance, not to mention the simplified software version control and licensing. You can use the network computer to access your existing 5250 style AS/400 applications through 5250 emulation or through the built-in Internet browser and the AS/400’s on the fly 5250-to-HTML conversion tool. You can provide a graphical interface for your applications and still deliver a distributed computing solution or centralized process and storage solution. In short, you get just about everything you had in a PC except the headache.
The venerable mainframe still holds its place in the hearts of IT professionals. Here are several conditions that make the mainframe important again:
Desktop personal computing vs. Enterprise/corporate computing. PC networking is simply too expensive and too much of a hassle. Installation of PC is relatively inexpensive but maintenance and upgrade costs have turned out to be budget busters.
A better alternative may be the Thin Client Computer which incorporates an old idea, a single point of upgrades. Large corporations like this.
While individuals may be willing to foot the bill for upgrades, corporate users simply can’t afford to support, maintain, and continually upgrade legions of desk top PC’s. These same corporate users demand the latest and greatest. They think this will make them more efficient at their jobs. Corporate America has come to the conclusion that it is not only not cost effective, but it is truly a mess, and completely unstable. The wake up call has come and it is screaming "cost of ownership concept." People are leaning toward a generic interface for thin-client computing and with IBM back in the thick of things, trying to get us back to reality and on track with centralized computing.
"So, are we closer than ever before to going back in time?" This is the question when asked " What will emerge from the ashes after this short lived term with desk top computers in corporate America?" We may be returning to where we started in the 1970’s with centralized computers. The only difference being that the machines are now faster.
People love gadgets. Toys for big people. In the computer world, gadgets tend to be very expensive. You spend BIG $’s for the toy and mega bucks in time trying to learn how it works. While some of these gadgets have little productive virtues, many of which you find you’ll never use because it does not tie into your current program or it screws up the program you need to use to get real work done on, not all are bad. You can sometimes come across gadgets that can make your life a lot easier (once you figure them out).
As a software development company we get all kinds of suggestions for new gadgets to interface with our programs. We are always hearing "if we only had this" or "if we could only do this." Some suggestions we have taken and found that when introduced in the proper manner and taught proper use, they work really well with many benefits.
Some of the suggestions we have taken from our users are:
Automated Voice Response - Ideal for waiting list inquires that interrupt personnel, involves conversation with the applicant resulting in a decrease in productivity. Housing Authorities that use this system found that applicants like the automated system better as they can call often to get immediate, accurate response. However, installation of this type of system could be costly and time consuming for a HA intending to do the installation in house. Average cost is $2K to $28K, requiring man hours for installation and on going maintenance to the system such as required downloading of current applicant status. With the proper choice in a system fitted to your H/A, qualified installers setting up a system on a platform that requires no further maintenance, we found this toy could be purchased by most H/A’s with great results.
Document Imaging - For tenant documents, this device stores and retrieves paper documents electronically to be displayed on a user’s workstation. It eliminates searching through file cabinets to find information, representing time saved in processing an applicant and imagine the time saved when doing recertifications. In the past, this type of gadget would be very expensive. One system could cost up to $30K and had no way of interfacing with applicant files. Now, with technology evolving and integration of our software systems, this system is quite affordable and can prove to be most productive.
Mobile Computing - Handheld, pen based, and palm top computers are the newest craze and are being used by Housing Authorities throughout the country improving the efficiency of performing tasks such as inspections, fixed asset tracking, inventory tracking and work order processing, resulting in reduced paper work, reduced data entry, and increased accuracy of information. The handheld computers themselves do no actual computing or data processing, they only collect data. For example; after a current months due inspections are printed and assigned to each inspectors schedule, a notification letter is generated from the main computer system and sent to the tenant and/or owner relaying date of inspection. The morning of the inspection the tenant and or owner information is then downloaded to the mobile computer for completion of the inspection per the instructions on the portable computer screen. The completed inspection is then uploaded back to the main computer system to complete the tasks of updating the database with pass fail codes, inspection date and any pertinent comments that were entered into the portable computer during the inspection. Pass/Fail letters are then generated and additional inspections if necessary are again queued for scheduling. As you can see, the mobile computer is in simple forms a "note pad" to gather information on.
Until now, we (MST) did not get real excited about this new craze. We reserved ourselves for the evolution of a real contribution to the portable computers: Palm Tops. We can now use palm top computers that can not only use our highly integrated software, but can be used for other useful tasks such as, GPS mapping for inspection scheduling , census tracking for address verification, complete HUD inspections, fixed asset tracking and inventory tasks.
Bar Coding - Another simple task helper. When used in generating rent statements, you will find bar coding will reduce keying mistakes, improve accuracy of payments and move people through the rent windows faster. What is not seen under the little red light is the integration that needs to happen properly for the system to be truly beneficial. Integration of the software system with receipt generation, tenant recognition, A/R and A/P interaction, and journal entries is the only proper way to perform this task.
Not every gadget out on the market is magic, but the right development of a gadget can seem to perform magic when it is fun to use and helpful in completing your task.
FSS tracks program participants and escrow account transactions with accumulated totals. Based on the suggestions of NHA and MHA, Modern Software Technology has recently enhanced its software module in PHAS to include tracking the goals and needs of each participant of FSS in a database which can be tracked and reported on as needed.
This procedure is used to maintain the Section/8 Tenant master file with Family Self Sufficiency data that you enter when tenants are entered in the FSS program. Once entered the software will automatically produce the FSS worksheet each time a calculation is done and a HUD Form 50058 is generated. It will also produce the necessary transaction for electronics reporting to MTCS. The system will create a general ledger entry for each transaction on an account number.
The computer will also begin to build an escrow history by adding the amount to be credited to the tenant's account each month. You can also add interest or adjustments to this ESCROW history at any time.
Various reports can be generated from this module such as:
This is just one of the many enhancement made to the software keeping your Housing Authority up to minute in changing HUD requirements.
Since the earliest days of business and industry, commerce has depended on companies paying what they owe and collecting what they have earned. Until just a few years ago, checks seemed to be the best method to accomplish this task. For years, this method has functioned well for almost every type of business, with only one real adverse effect and that would be the overwhelming increase of paper that is generated from every transaction. With almost 100 million checks changing hands every day, and each needing to be written or printed, signed and mailed, and later retrieved, reconciled, and filmed for retention, there would have to come a day for automation. This excessive handling required for all this manual work laid the groundwork for the establishment of the first automated clearing house (ACH) in 1972, which provided for exchange of funds between entities in an electronics or "paperless" format.
In general the services provided are categorized as Corporate to Consumer (transaction types of direct deposit and direct debit) and Corporate to Corporate (payment transactions i.e..cash disbursement and corporate trade payments)
"Micro Cash" is the name given to a PC based ACH file generation software package marketed by NationsBank in particular. The product provides the customer a mechanism for communicating data to the banks ACH system. "Micro Cash" supports all corporate to consumer and corporate to corporate applications. The customer (H/A) pays a license fee to the bank for the software; upon termination the customer returns the software and corresponding documentation to the bank.
Direct deposit, a corporate to consumer function, are those services which automatically deposit funds into consumer accounts at a depository institution using the ACH. An example of this is direct deposit of employee payroll checks. All or part of an employee’s net pay is automatically deposited into a checking and/or savings account each pay period, benefiting the company by eliminating lost time by employees depositing check during working hours, reduction of payroll administration, distribution and check reconciliation expense, and reduction of losses due to stolen, forged, or lost paychecks. Employees benefit by eliminating time and cost involved in check depositing, consistent and timely availability of funds despite business or vacation absence, and elimination of risk of stolen, forged, or lost paychecks.
To set up Direct Deposit of your H/A and start reaping these many benefits, simply call your bank to work out the details. Ask the following questions:
Once the details with the bank are worked out, contact your owners and employees. Send letters asking for authorized signature and request a voided check or savings deposit slip to get started.
Contact MST to discuss and decide on a format and form to change your check printing program to print payment form and direct deposits.
With the last steps to complete the set up process being to enter direct deposit information for the owner and update next direct deposit number in the control record start today!!
Public Housing Authority Software (PHAS) is not just the solution for moderate to large housing authorities. We are the solution for all housing authorities.
For most small housing authorities, the thought of a completely integrated and automated computer system may sound expensive and unaffordable. This is just not the case.
If you were to ask any H/A if they would like to have a menu-driven, Section/8 and applications software package that can generate letters, schedule appointments, report MTCS electronically, complete on line rent calculations, track FSS, with portability management capabilities, and support the complete inspection process they are going to tell you "YES" of course, but most wont even ask simply because they think it’s just not possible.
MST has taken the best software available (PHAS) and converted it to accommodate small housing authorities using PC based computer systems. This allows most smaller housing authorities to purchase what was once thought to be out of reach, financially, back in view.
If you are one of the many H/A’s thinking of getting away from a PC based computer system and going to a real computer like an i5 (AS/400), but you are thinking this would be wishing on a star, your comet has arrived.
IBM offers a wide range of System i client servers, one can be purchased for H/A’s of less than 500 units for under $20K . The purchase of PHAS software for housing authorities of this size is again around $20K or less.
MST offers a solution for everyone, large or small. See us first and you’ll need to look no further.
Handheld computers have made their presence known in the Section 8 inspection process. Until now these computers have been somewhat cumbersome, not very user friendly, limited in ability to interface and darn right expensive.
To make the inspection process as easy and efficient as possible, MST offers the following feature in the PHAS Section 8 Inspection System software module, integrated with the best hand held computer technology, to give you all the advantages possible.
Rooms may be inspected in any order. Inspectors may return to any room and enter comments at any time. The handheld computer prompts the inspector for each item to be inspected as required for the Section 8 inspection. Standard violations are coded for ease of data entry and minimum errors. Additional comments may be entered as necessary using the handheld computer’s keyboard.
Inspector’s routes are downloaded from the PC to the hand held computer and the inspector is prompted for each unit inspection. After selecting the unit to be inspected, the inspector selects the room to be inspected. Each item within the room is prompted for evaluation and easy to use violation codes are selected for common problems.
After the units on the route have been inspected, the results are transmitted back to the PC. Reports and letters to tenants and owners may then be generated based on the inspection results. In the past this has been where the hand held computer technology has ended.
With welcoming arms, we introduce the new age of hand held computers and palmtops. These newly released, latest and greatest in gadgets, have captured everyone's attention. From a Housing Authority inspector's perspective, this is the next best thing to a personal assistant, maybe even better. These units already know what to do, the only time they need off is to recharge for the next days work and they don’t talk back.
Wait... they do talk back, with features like voice memo, personal calendars, contact management, access to the World Wide Web, GPS Mapping and street maps; you can’t ask for anything better!
Call MST today for yours! - 1-800-570-7427
Are you dreading the year-end inventory? Is the thought of identifing, classifying and worse yet, locating your equipment throughout the organization making you ill? Would you think a fully integrated software module to manage this task would be a great gift to you?
Maybe you would like to see a program module that enables you to identify, classify, and locate your equipment throughout your organization that maintains a repair history on any piece of equipment? Asset information can be displayed on-line or printed. Reports can be generated on demand, listing assets by number, project/unit, general ledger account number, deactivated assets, supplier name, or location. You’re saying this can’t be true, but it is true.
Interfaced with other PHAS modules you will get accurate asset information without going through various menus. The interface with the Work Orders system enables access to detailed item repair history. When asset items are relocated, the location information is automatically updated from the Work Order module. The Fixed Assets module automatically generates J/V entries for adds and deletes which are put in batches and sent to the General Ledger module. For new items, all relevant information is accessed from the Purchasing module.
Fixed Asset reporting is provided to help monitor the asset information in a concise and accurate fashion. Standard reports includes a list of assets by asset number, asset description, project/unit, GL account number, supplier, area/project/unit, report on counts, wrong locations, and asset status. Additional information such as repair history and asset profile information is available on-line or in report format of various types or create your own through the report generator utility.
All of this is created and managed by one simple device used in the proper way and integrated into a superior software package. The Bar Code Scanner and Handheld computer makes this all happen so easily. A barcode scanner is a device that can recognize the barcode and convert it into letters and numbers. Technically, a scanner is just one of many devices used for reading and recognizing specific barcodes.
Implementing barcode technology is no different than implementing any other large project. Good project management requires a thorough understanding of the technology, requirements planning, line-management involvement, a project plan, integration and an evaluation of successes or failures. MST can provide all of these requirements
