Starting Point for Project

[DUNNER7]

I am a principal for a middle/high school in Pittsburgh and I am looking for
a way to take attendance at our door when students arrive. We normally have
kids sign in, but that takes paper and we have to store it in files and it is
not totally accurate by arrival time. I would like to create a system where
I can scan kids by barcode or some other mechanism and have attendance
recorded in some type of spreadsheet or database. We could then store date
electronically and manipulate or distribute it as needed. Is this something
that could be done with some office product ie. Access or Excel? Is this
something that would require some type of Active Server Page? I am not a
computer programming expert, but with a little direction could get a team to
work on some solution.

Thanks,
Dalhart Dobbs

(e-mail address removed)

 

[Bob I]

You could use commercial RFID name tags. Of course it's not going to
work with teenagers, due to reliability issues. And of course the
parents aren't going to allow permanent tagging.

 

[DUNNER7]

Maybe I wasn't clear with my needs. I don't want to use the RFID name tags
or have students use an ID card (they get lost). I want a system where I can
have a paper print out with each kids name(about 300 kids) there would be a
barcode or some way of scanning the name into the program to register the kid
as entering the building at the time/date they entered the building. So I am
looking for the program that could do that and interface with some type of
barcode scanning system to enter data.

Thanks,
Del Dobbs

 

[Bob I]

Sure, something like a Inventory Scanner, time stamps and exports to
Excel. See link for hits.

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS320&q=inventory+scanner&aq=f

 

[DUNNER7]

Thanks Bob,

So if I understand correctly...I could take for example the sample Student
Database found in Access 07 and configure a barcode/inventory
scanner/software to update the attendance table portion of the program?

 

[Bob I]

Yes, as long as the barcode/inventory scanner/softwaresoftware was
written to interface with Access 2007. Check the specs before you put
your money on the table. ;-) If they wrote it for Access 2003 and
didn't/don't support 2007 , you may face a lot of unnecessary grief.