Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Tech maintaince software

This is topic Tech maintaince software in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 09-02-2001, 10:51 AM:

Does anyone use (or recommend) software for service calls to theaters? I'm looking for a system to log in problems, etc. Since we do our own service internally, I don't need a system to also track billing, payments, etc. All of our theaters have internet access, so I'm thinking of something managers could log into with service requests, and I could leave messages in return.

Any ideas?

Posted by Jon Bartow (Member # 241) on 09-02-2001, 03:59 PM:

E-mail works very well for the type of request and reply that you are talking about. If you need to keep a database of problems/repairs any database software would work. (i.e. Microsoft's MSAccess or something similar)

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 09-02-2001, 10:26 PM:

Yeah, but I'm pretty lazy... I don't want to have to figure out Access or any DB applications. I'm beginning to think that the same kind of software as the Film-Tech bulletin board might work.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-02-2001, 10:55 PM:

It sounds like you want some sort of standard "helpdesk" application with a web frontend.

I can't really recommend anything because most of the commercial packages that I've seen suck horribly. Having said that, there's a freebie thing called PHP Helpdesk which appears to have potential: http://phphelpdesk.sourceforge.net/ I haven't personally used this, so I have no idea if it's any good. I'm sure that there is other stuff out there, too, but I'm not familiar with it.

If you do find something that works, please post here and let us all know what you chose.

Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 09-02-2001, 11:30 PM:

I have been phoning the managers in an area that I am due to visit (e.g. Ottawa, 5 hours away) to e-mail me any problems that they are having. I do this primarily so that I will have the parts or drawings on hand to repair or modify whatever is needed. It's worked well, so far.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 09-03-2001, 12:33 AM:

I'm using a Palm computer. Primarily the To-Do list and the Memo features.

A theatre will e-mail me with a problem and I enter it into the Palm. If it's something that can wait till the next time I go to that theatre I give the item a "2" or a "3" priority. If it's something that can't wait, it's a "1". (For "1's" I go there right away.)

I can attach notes to the items on the list to say what I did to fix it. When the item is done, I check the item off and the Palm inserts the date it was completed. Each location on my route gets its own category so that I can keep them separate.

At the end of the week (or whenever you want to) I HotSync the palm with my laptop computer and download the list. The Palm Desktop software has a feature that can export the Palm's data to M$ Word, etc. I just attach the resulting file(s) to the weekly e-mail that I send back to my boss. It's all pretty much automatic, now.

Another thing you should get for your Palm is Documents to Go by DataViz. It lets you send spreadsheets and word processing documents to/from the Palm. I use that when I do Preventative Maintanence (PM) calls. I usually make a spreadsheet. Each column is an item that I have to check off for each projector. (A-Chain, Oil levels, Lamphouse Hours, Amps/Volts, etc, etc.) Each row in the spreadsheet is for each projector that I have to check. Again, I download that file back to the laptop and attach it to the e-mail reports I usually send in.

You can also try the PDF reader software that Adobe makes for Palm OS. I thought it would be good for storing equipment manuals on. (All my documentation is on CDs.) I wanted to make it so that if I needed a manual for a particular projector, etc. I could upload it to the Palm as needed and I could look at it any time I wanted. It turned out that it doesn't work so well as I imagined. The Palm's screen is too small and it's hard to read the words. ESPECIALLY when the PDF file isn't text. If it's a graphic you won't be able to read it AT ALL. It just looks like little blobs! If the file is text you'll be able to read it but you'll have to do a lot of scrolling. It works but it's just easier to break out the laptop and view it (almost) full size on the screen.

The great part about using the Palm Computer is that it's ready to use almost right out of the box. It'll take you a short time to learn how to use the thing. (If you don't know already.) The only other thing you have to buy is Documents to Go. (Even then it's optional.) As we all know, Palm prices are going down pretty quickly, now. You should be able to pick up a decent one for a couple hundred bucks.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 09-03-2001, 09:20 PM:

I was hoping for something better than just e-mail, but simple is often better... ! I wanted to sort of "store" the info, so if a problem resurfaces, a manager or operator can look at past service records and see what was done before... and maybe save me a trip out there.

Scott: I'll check out PHP Helpdesk. I have a cable modem hookup, and the cable provider will "look the other way" if you use it as a server (they don't offically approve it), if you keep the activity low.

Randy: I didn't think about using a Palm computer, but really, it might be the best solution. I just didn't want to carry another "thing" from the car to the theater! Also, I'd have to learn how to set it up and use it... and you know about old dogs and new tricks...!

Thanks, you guys!

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 09-03-2001, 09:40 PM:

A Palm computer has always been one of those "toys" I wanted to have. I would have bought one a while ago but I couldn't think of any good use for it, so it would have ended up being just that... a toy.

A few months ago I saw a guy who had one and he let me check it out. I dicked around with it for a few minutes and I thought I would really like to get one for myself. It wasn't until I got tired of trying to remember all the things I had to do at all my theatres that I finally broke down and bought it. Even then it took me a couple of weeks to figure out how to use it for what I wanted to do. Now that I have it all "down" I wish I would have bought the thing a year ago.

I mentioned before that I'd be interested in learning how to write software for the thing. I am thinking how I could write some purpose-made program(s) just for the purpose at hand. Keeping track of projector maintanence. If there was a Palm app out there already, I'd certainly be interested!

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 09-04-2001, 12:22 AM:

If the Palm had an RTA in it...