SportSoft - Equipment Tracking Systems: How To

Simplifying Sports
Equipment Management

How Equipment Manager™ Works

All of your equipment is categorized three ways. The categories are:

Serialized
Expendable
Nonexpendable

Serialized athletic equipment has a uniquely numbered bar code label affixed or serial number assigned to it. This bar code or serial number identifies the item. This serial number is used whenever the item is checked in or out, repaired or refurbished. Preprinted barcode labels for hard items can be purchased. All preprinted bar code labels are printed on a very rugged media that has been tested and proven to withstand a rigorous environment that is common in sports and reconditioning. You can also print your own labels for garments directly from our program in conjunction with a barcode printer, the Bar Tender^® Enterprise program from Seagull Scientific^® and labels from Thermopatch^®. Examples of serialized equipment would be helmets, shoulder pads, lockers, combination locks, game jerseys and pants. All Serialized equipment can be archived for future information retrieval.

Expendable and Nonexpendable equipment doesn't require an individual bar code or number assigned to it. Item IDs are assigned to this equipment when entered into the program. There are two ways the program can print these items. A barboard, which are pages with the items ID represented in a barcode label with a text description. A barcode label that the program can print directly to a printer in conjunction with the Bar Tender^® Enterprise program from Seagull Scientific^®. The barboard or barcode label is used whenever the item is checked in or out.

Athletes are entered into the program either manually or using the magnetic stripe or barcode on their student ID. In addition the program can print a barboard that represents your players IDs or individual barcode labels with a student ID using a printer and the Bar Tender^® Enterprise program from Seagull Scientific^®. All players and Staff members records can be archived for future information retrieval.

A bar code scanner makes checking in/out or tracking and updating information about the equipment accurate, fast and easy. The bar code scanner plugs into your computer. Then, all you do is scan a bar code and the information on the item or student athlete that the bar code is assigned to will be accessed by Equipment Manager™.

For those items that can't or won't have a label applied to them, information can be input directly into the computer. Many items are pre-configured in the database. With all of the programs except the Equipment Manager™ , you can add additional sports and equipment you that you want to inventory. In addition, detailed information on athletes can also be entered.

Does this scene look familiar?

Well, here is how Brad Melland, previously Assistant Equipment Manager for the Seattle Seahawks and presently Equipment Manager for the Cleveland Browns, deals with his teams equipment.

With a quick scan using the bar code scanner, Equipment Manager™ brings up the information on that item. At that point, new information can be added or reports can be generated. It's just that easy.