A while back (*cough* 2 years ago *cough*) I had posted about the "Inprocessing Database" that my unit used to conduct new member inprocessing.
Basically, we didn't send potential members home with the forms, but rather, following a unit open house we sent them home with a packet that included a "data entry sheet" with the relevant information that goes on a CAPF15 or CAPF12. Everybody would come on a night three weeks after the open house with their completed forms and we'd conduct "inprocessing" for the new basic flight and any new seniors where we'd (back in the day, overprint) print out their CAPF12 or 15 from the computer for signatures and mailing (cut down considerably on illegible handwriting keying errors)
Well, I'm retired from CAP now, but I'm the only person in the squadron who really knew how the database worked, so I'm the guy who comes back and helps the unit out 2x a year to run inprocessing. The database wasn't really well developed and it doesn't have what I would call a very user-friendly interface. I mean, it works, but its not totally automated or easy to administer for a "non-tech" type person.
What I'd really like to do, however, is find a couple decent Access wonks who might want to use this and improve it and let them "run with it". The idea being that I get back a database that hopefully helps out my old unit (and gets me away from being the squadron data monkey!), and some other folks might get a good tool.
A couple people volunteered last time, and if you're still interested let me know. And if ANYBODY else who is a decent Access/VBA programmer wants to take this on as a project, PM me your email address and i"ll send it along.. The zip file is about 600-900K.
Did I mention that Open House was tonight, so Inprocessing night is 1 April? :)
Thanks!
Man, I haven't touched Access in awhile. Been working with MySQL lately. Ah well, I'll take a crack at it still...
sccommsg3@gmail.com
Wish I could help. I haven't messed with Access in years. I play with MySQL now.
That sucks. Your model is the one I'm always referring to when we (I) talk about changing our recruiting method.
Firstly, thank you for your Service in CAP.
Is your in-processing database better than the CAP Great Start publications?
Is it available via the CAP Knowledgebase or Best Practices area? If not how could we leverage your hard work and insight Sir?
Thank you again.
Well, the Great Start publications are just that: publications. We do some similar things in there, and pipelining, as described, is just one of them.
The Inprocessing database is intended to help streamline the application process as part of the overall pipelining recruiting program..
8 or so years ago, we stopped having people fill out CAPF15s & CAPF12s due to the fact that a) sending forms home with Johnny generally ensured that Mom would forget the SSN and write the birthday wrong; and b) that somehow NHQ would mis-key the family's surname, and we'd get C/B Smiith and SM Joneses popping up in the CAPWATCH database.
Plus, with the sheer amount of paperwork we were dealing with, it was getting to be quite the pain keeping track as applications "trickled' in the door.
Instead, we designated a night 3 weeks after the unit's open house to conduct new member "inprocessing" where potential cadets would have their data entered into a database for overprinting on the CAPF 15, get sized for blues and issued BDUs, and meet the unit's membership board. This process also generated a gigantic bookstore order and put new cadets and their parents and new seniors into our armory access database (post 9/11).
More on our pipelining capped off with inprocessing:
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=1708.msg27395#msg27395
NIN,
Are you using the database for anything other than the membership application form? If not, why not just use the Word template of the application itself?
I use FileMaker Pro to record senior records, and have replicated the Form 45. I can update the database and print a new form when it's needed. I actively use the database to search member records, which is great for planning training and such. I've thought of creating other forms, but can't justify the time it would take. F2, F2a and F17 come to mind. Instead, I use and save the Word template.
FileMaker Pro seems pretty expensive... was there a non profit discount/free version or did you purchase it at normal cost?
I was fortunate enough to receive a donation from a company that migrated away from the product. Got the software and license that otherwise was going into the trash. I had used FileMaker at another job, so I jumped on it. Otherwise, never could have afforded it.
I'd sure be interested in that Filemaker layout. :) Might even be willing to take a stab at that F2..
I discussed doing cadet test tracking via FileMaker sometime back and got a bunch of "why, it's available.. " type comments. The biggest change was actually the impending testing changes, so I figured I'd wait it out. But I'd rather have a simple application specific database that gives the information I want, and is cross platform.
Not everyone uses Windows. For that there's Filemaker, and mySQL/PHP with Apache ..
Quote from: EMT-83 on March 14, 2010, 01:41:54 PM
NIN,
Are you using the database for anything other than the membership application form? If not, why not just use the Word template of the application itself?
Well, this DB had a multi-fold purpose (prior to the creation of SIMS)
* Inprocessing management
- CAPF 12 & 15 data entry & overprinting (mind you, this was prior to document templates)
- CBT bulk Bookstore order creation (built the bookstore order, including enumerating each individual nameplate/nametag with the cadet/senior's name)
- Inprocessing reconciliation (tracking the process of creating records, which forms were mailed off to NHQ, etc)
(Keep in mind, we had 14-20 new members at each open house, so we were doing many of these in one shot, versus over several weeks)
* Unit Address/Phone roster (the CAPWATCH/NINQ/CAPRPT phone number roster was worthless , so we created one that enumerated each phone number/email address for each person on the roster)
* ARNG Reservation Access Roster (it combined all our active members from CAPWATCH with parents/others in our DB to create a roster we could give to the National Guard guys at the gate post-9/11...)
could you forward a copy, I love access and filemaker, let me know. jflattery@gmail.com
Here's another thought I had: Can this be built as a standalone Access app versus requiring Access to be installed?
Most CAP Squadron Laptops have Office Pro (featuring Access) installed, but it might be handy to just build this with the Access run-time engine (if that even still exists.. does it?) so that it would run on any laptop. Makes it a bit easier to run inprocessing when you can grap any old laptop and don't have to worry that Access 2007 is on it or not.