We decided to keep the Web interface idea and moved the database to a Macintosh computer. With the Web-based tracking system on the Macintosh we found the right combination of interface and performance. Assembling the initial system took less than a day. We used Everyware's Tango software as a front-end to a Filemaker database. All of our IT staff began using the tracking system consistently, and in January 1997 we opened the database to our campus users.
Users can look up their calls, including the status of calls by searching on a name.
Information technology personnel can enter and update calls, as well as lookup calls by a number of criteria including staff member assigned, caller name, and department. We can provide additional management reports using the database's native report capabilities. We've tried to keep our Web-based call tracking system fast and easy to use. Our early efforts showed that these were the two most important concerns for our information technology staff and our users. To keep our system simple and response time fast, we've deliberately kept security barriers to a minimum.