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LIMS — Log Inventory and Management System
LIMS Overview
Architecture
Ease of Use
Manager Modules
Configuration
Timber
Contract
Delivery
Settlement
Inventory
Silviculture
Specific Solutions
LabWiz
BoomWiz
BC-specific
WeighWiz
ScaleWiz
Demo
Brochures
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Architecture
System Integration
A wood procurement and log inventory management system requires connections to other
business
systems. The usual areas that require this interface are accounts payable,
accounts receivable, general ledger, and data capture devices. LIMS’
database is structured to allow easy interfacing to other programs, whether
they are located on the same or a different computer system.
Integration with GIS and GPS
You
can interface LIMS to your Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
and Global Positioning System (GPS). This integration makes LIMS a
powerful and practical tool for timberland or woodland operations. LIMS
tracks cut permits, expected harvest volumes,
actual harvest volumes, the harvest plan, cut control, and government quotas. By continually monitoring
harvest volumes, LIMS gives you a complete harvest-to-date picture.
Integration with WeighWiz
You can also integrate LIMS with WeighWiz, with other weigh scale systems,
and with handheld scaling data capture devices such as Husky and Ranger.
Load weight information can be transferred to the central LIMS database from
WeighWiz installations via modem, diskette, or network connection.
Integration with Financial Systems
LIMS integrates with leading financial systems such as Oracle,
J.D. Edwards, ACCPAC, Markam, Sun Systems, Walker, and so on. The
adaptability of the 3LOG system minimizes set-up time and allows users to continue using the
financial software they prefer. For example, vendor information and general
ledger accounts can be transferred into LIMS directly, saving time when your configure
your installation of LIMS. Here are some of areas where you’ll benefit from
LIMS’ integration with your financial systems:
- Issuing checks and financial interfaces
. LIMS maintains
up-to-the-minute account balances for all vendors who provide
services or equipment. It also provides a concise report
of accounts payable on request. The system provides
an on-screen display showing account summaries. As elsewhere in LIMS,
the display is easy to filter
by date, contract number, etc.
- Goods and Services Tax and other deductions
. LIMS makes GST
accounting a breeze
by putting all GST information in the vendor description created for that
vendor. LIMS tracks GST liabilities
associated with each contract, and maintains a running total
for each contract in a specified general ledger account. Other
miscellaneous deductions are also easily handled by LIMS,
either by simple entry at the time of invoice or by ongoing association
with a harvest area.
- Data history storage
. Your ability to store historical
data is limited only by your hardware and your choice of database
platform. LIMS will maintain a detailed
transactions history. When you call up data, it will appear
on the screen exactly as it was entered in the past.
- Integrating with current financial data
. The ability to
import current inventory into LIMS depends only on the file
structure of your current system. LIMS can import and export files
in the comma-separated variable (CSV) format.
- Security
. LIMS provides highly-controllable security for tables, fields, and
records at database level. You can restricted access
to the data to "read-only mode" for authorized users of external applications such as
Microsoft® Excel or Crystal Reports®.
- Year-end
processing. LIMS provides all necessary tools for complete year-end
processing, approval area closure, and company year-end reconciliation
at any time. Each of these procedures can be performed at different
times throughout the year or, in the case of area closures, many times
annually. LIMS maintains its entire database in real-time, which means
that there is no requirement for special processing at any time.
Information queries and reporting can be done on-demand and LIMS always
provides up-to-date results for all aspects of inventory management.
Time periods for any report generated by a LIMS user are freely
adjustable, providing complete flexibility during reporting periods.
Integration Benefits
- Helps your company achieve easy and effective communication
with Remote Camps and Operations
. Remote camps can
connect to LIMS by using any TCP/IP communication methods:
modems, Internet or even radio. Information can be easily sent to the
main LIMS system via a modem link or a diskette. With a modem link, data
can be transferred either in “real-time” or at predetermined intervals
to the central LIMS system. The main LIMS database server maintains
your permanent, central records. These records allow camp programs to hold
temporary records until a data transfer is made. Should the connection
to the main LIMS database be cut off, camp programs can continue to
operate and store information. Once the connection is restored, a batch
data transfer will automatically update the main program.
- The
system is cost-effective and minimizes your setup time.
The ability to integrate with external systems described above makes
LIMS a very powerful tool. With the reduced costs and setup time, you
can focus the company's resources on other important processes and let
LIMS do its job.
- Facilitate your operational, contractual, administrative, and
inventory processes
. The system’s easy integration with
external systems allows for customization to the specific needs of
multiple divisions. Even though there might be many operational
differences between each division and department within a firm, they can
be overcome by LIMS' flexibility.
LIMS System Requirements
Server Requirements
LIMS uses Oracle or Microsoft SQL server databases to store and retrieve data. The high reliability of these databases,
their abilities to handle huge amounts of data, their powerful features
with respect to data integrity, security and portability have made them the best
choice for many applications.
- Database: Oracle Workgroup / Enterprise Server (Version 8i or
later) or SQL Server (Version 2000 or later)
- Operating System: Windows Vista, XP, NT, 2000
- Hard Drive Capacity: 800 megabytes per site per year recommended
Workstation Requirements
LIMS client applications are created using Borland’s Delphi and
benefit from the common and user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) of
Windows and the web. The client PC may run Microsoft Windows Vista,
XP, NT or
2000. LIMS is a stand-alone product, and does not require any
additional software or utilities.
LIMS forms are completely integrated with Microsoft® Office (as an
optional feature) and can import Excel spreadsheets as well as export
them. Please note that Microsoft® Excel must be purchased separately from an
authorized vendor.
Network Requirements
LIMS is a true client-server application. The server application is
separate from the client application. Design of the logic and business rules
keeps network traffic to a minimum. Special considerations allow the
client application to reduce the volume of transmitted data through the
network. This is especially useful for slow and remote connections.
LIMS can be deployed across dialup or internet protocol (IP) connections
using Microsoft terminal server mode, to allow users
straightforward access throughout the organization, at remote or home
offices.
LIMS Design Methodology
We can customize LIMS to meet your specific business processing rules and
procedures. The system’s design permits many types of processing to occur
simultaneously within the same organization. Following is an overview of the design methodology of LIMS.
Multiple User Protection
LIMS protects your data while respecting the needs of your
users. It allows full access by all users to all parts of the system that
you authorize them to reach. Multiple users can access the same data file at the same time and even
the same record, because the system handles all database locking, rollbacks,
and data integrity protection.
Immediate File Updates
LIMS uses on-line database architecture. This means it updates its
database immediately on completion of a transaction. Therefore, LIMS
always contains the most recent data entered and will always reflect an
accurate picture of the current system status. Hauling inventory
availability, status of in-yard loads, contract performance, and other vital
information is available to everyone on the system as soon as they are
captured.
32-bit Architecture
From the beginning, LIMS was built on the 32-bit architecture. This means
no compromises have been made to achieve compatibility with Windows 3.1.
Consequently, LIMS is fast and robust, taking full advantage of the Windows
Vista, XP, NT, 2000 environments and all of their many internal features and
capabilities.
Resource Conservation
Database resource conservation involves such things as sharing open
lookup table cursors between Windows, and dynamically opening and closing
all cursors as they are used. This methodology applies to the entry and exit
of each window in the system, as well as starting and exiting the
application as a whole. This also applies to how database resources are
used.
LIMS developers use sophisticated tools to monitor internal events in
order to prevent memory leakage, unassigned pointers, and other types of
flaws that undermine system stability and, eventually, lead to system
failures.
Object-Oriented Methodology
The internal design of LIMS is based on a hierarchy of objects used to
build screens and access the database. This structure allows easy
maintenance of code and evolution of new features over the lifetime of the
system. 3LOG Systems Inc. uses the data-modeling tool, called ER/WIN, that
allows us to adapt the system to our client’s business rules very
effectively and in a timely manner.
True Client-Server
“Client-Server” is one of the most repeated buzzwords in use today.
Client-Server processing is the sharing of processing between individual PC
workstations and a database host server. This means all possible
database and update processing is done at the server, and all GUI (graphic
user interface) and control processing is done at the PC.
Integrated Reports
LIMS does not require an external report writer! The built-in Report
Wizard is powerful and easy to use. Report creation is immediate, with
different report templates for different users, divisions or head
office. This provides the flexibility to do reporting on demand.
Report Wziard allows you to customize your reports to include, for example, placement of a
company logo on a report.
Advanced users can use LIMS to create new reports and modify existing
ones. LIMS can export reports to numerous file formats including Microsoft®
Word, Excel, Lotus, HTML, plain text, and more. In addition to printing, it
can also save the reports on a disk, fax or e-mail them.
Because LIMS has an open design, you can also use other report writers
such as Crystal Reports® if you prefer.
▶ Read more about LIMS
▶ Read more about WeighWiz
▶ Read more about LabWiz
▶ Read more about ScaleWiz
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