Providing web and database services to the Austin metropolitan area.

Database Austin Case Study – Local Austin Laboratory (page 8)

Functionality

Accountability and Security

Access to the Wildcat database system requires users to log in via a user ID and password. During a user’s session, any updates the user performs to the database are tagged with his or her unique user information. This creates accountability. For example, if a user consistently completes a form in an incorrect manner, the user can be identified and retrained.

In addition, various users are assigned different permission levels. This feature helps insure that users who haven’t been trained in sensitive areas of the program do not accidentally wander into these sections. It also helps protect customer account information from users who do not have a business need to access this information.

Billing

The billing process is completely integrated into the Wildcat system. A complete aging history is generated for each account each month prior to billing. Flexible account management utilities allow the bookkeeper to adjust charges and payments as necessary. Billing routines then generate PDF statements (bundled by predetermined aging categories). Payments, credits, and special offers are also logged into the Wildcat system.

Customer Account Management

A variety of utilities were added to the Wildcat system to enhance customer service and customer account management. Searches allow customer support staff to find customer records by clinic, city, state, zip code, pet's name, owner's name, serum sample tag, etc. The staff can maintain separate billing, clinic, shipping, and treatment set delivery addresses for their customers.

PDF generation

Database Austin introduced the automated PDF generation concept to lab database. PDF (portable document format) files can be viewed using a free software package (Adobe Acrobat), and can be read on a variety of computer platforms.

The Wildcat system dynamically generates PDF files for billing, ledgers, test results, labels, and a variety of internal reports.

PDFs can easily be placed on web sites or sent as email attachments.

A note about UPSs

UPS - Our customer has installed Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) on all computers. These devices instantly replace the electrical supply when a problem is detected with the primary utility source. The UPSs installed by our customer cost about $50 each, and can keep each computer alive for about fifteen minutes - plenty of time to shut down gracefully. Prior to their installation, the location of our customer was subject to frequent, but very brief power outages during thunderstorms. Although the lights would only flicker, all the computers would reboot, causing a frustrating loss of data. The UPS devices have paid for themselves many times over.