Archive for the ‘YDC Work Samples’ Category

Anyone that is not a model railroader seems to get the wrong impression of this site.  “HO” is the name given to a model railroading scale (or ratio for the scale).

Don started the business over 40 years ago supplying model railroad items to people from around the Maritimes.  Chuck took the business over several years ago, although Don helped out quite a lot.  Chuck saw the benefits of having a web site about that time and got a friend to build him a basic site on Yahoo’s Geocities.  That site was very limited and was not easily updated or customized.  When Yahoo announced the end of Geocities early in 2009, Chuck decided it was time to move his site to the next level.

Chuck contacted me early in August and we met to determine what was important to him and what he would like to see on the site.  He wanted a method of informing his customers of new items and specials in the store.  He also wanted to make Don’s HO web site into a community where his customers can share information with others.

So, I got busy and put together a relatively simple site that Chuck and Ian can maintain easily.  They will be able to update most of the site themselves posting Notices, Specials, Pre-Order Items, and New Arrivals regularly.  Their Photo Gallery with the Customer Photos album and their Shop News (blog) section will allow them to share their customers photos and stories with the model railroading community.

I think it’s a great site and should help the business grow.  Time will tell.

(Note:  I have to admit that I am a model railroader.  If you are interested you can visit my model railroad blog at http://bs-and-t.com)

MidIsle Farms was looking for a solution to a problem they’ve been dealing with for a while.  They needed a more efficient process for labeling their pallets of potatoes and entering the information into an inventory system.  They were printing pages of labels from Microsoft Word each morning, applying them to pallets of product as they were built, writing the label number on a piece of paper, and that information was later entered into a spreadsheet for inventory purposes.  There were too many opportunities for errors using this process, not to mention a lot of unnecessary work and waste.

They called me to help them find something commercially available to do the job.  After searching around on the internet, making several telephone calls, reading lots of advertisement, and installing several demo programs, it became evident that a commercial solution would not do exactly what they wanted and would not fit into their budget.  So we decided to build a custom application that would meet their needs and cost them less than half of what a commercial application would cost.

Now, it has been a few years since I’ve done any application development.  However, it was almost like riding a bike.  I knew what I was doing, but I did have to access the help files quite a few times to refresh my memory.  It was a relatively basic application so it was done in fairly short order.

They are now using the program in conjunction with a high capacity label printer – a Citizen S700 – to create labels as pallets are assembled.  The database records several pieces of information including pallet number and product type.  Administrative staff can then retrieve daily production information as required without any requirement for unnecessary data entry.

It was a fun project and I look forward to working with them over time to enhance the application even more.

Scott

Shawn Harvey and Gary Somers are proud of their new web site, thanks to Your Digital Coach.

Located at 215 Wyatt Crescent (behind Enman’s Electronics) in Summerside, Prodigy Sports of P.E.I. is your one stop source of quality, brand name, sports equipment, clothing, and promotional material. Browse through their on-line selection and if you see something you like you can either order it or contact them for more information.

Mike McFadyen is the proud owner of a new web site – MikesBikeSalvage.com

Offering a service that no other dealers offer, Mike sells and delivers used ATV, motorbike, and snowmobile parts everyday all over the world.  Vintage snowmobile parts are difficult to locate, but Mike is able to supply most requests from his inventory of 300 – 400 junked sleds, ranging from 1960 – 1999.

If you are in need of snowmobile, motorcycle, or ATV parts then you should check out this web site!

Scott