Programming Case

Programming Solution Proposal

On board the USS Ronald Reagan, hazardous materials are used by all departments. These hazmat items are stored, controlled and inventoried by the ships Hazardous Material Minimization Center (HAZMINCEN) that currently uses a software program called HICS (Hazardous Inventory Control System) please see pdf (Naval Supply Systems Command, n.d.). HICS is not a very user friendly program; it will not allow any input mistakes such as spelling or wrong item numbers to be entered into the system’s data base. The program allows for only one line item be entered or removed from inventory at a time and if the data entry person makes a mistake he or she has to start over. This mistake can also cause problems with inventory not matching up with what is on the ships shelves. The software is a standalone program; it can only be run on one computer at a time. These issues with the use of the HICS program contribute to long lines and long hours in inputting data and issuing hazmat to customers who need the material or items to complete mission critical work. A bar coding program (IDAutomation.com, 2007) added or keyed in to the HICS software could be a wise solution to the Ronald Reagan’s Hazardous Material Minimization Center’s problem. A bar coding system or program with the use of a scanner can greatly reduce some of the issues hazmat is having. A software link between a barcode scanner and the HICS database server would greatly decrease the time it takes to issue and return hazmat line items in and out of the system. By being able to scan a product instead of entering the data one line item at a time, hazmat issuing can become more accurate in inventory. Less mistakes would be made in data input loaded to HICS sever. The line for issuing hazmat becomes shorter, customers get quick access to products that are not expired and are in current ship’s inventory.

In order for the US Military to