In essence it's a data/inventory management problem. The two main issues I found with the commercial solutions, are a lack of awareness, and a lack of customization/tailoring to their target audience. Biology researchers are not very computer savvy in general and aren't going to go out of their way to find a solution unless it smacks them in the face, fits within the University budget requirements, and can operate inside the less than friendly security guidelines, both physical and IT.
In the many discussions I had with my mentor in graduate school, he couldn't figure what the existing solutions actually did based on their advertising, and didn't see anything to motivate him to send a grad student to figure it outcand so kept moving on and stuck with the tried and true(ish) standard.
As is, the standard is to use Excel spreadsheets to manage almost everything, print out the pages and write on them while you're doing your work away your desk. When you get back, type in your notes and update the sheet. That breaks down when you're managing hundreds of things.
My idea breaks down into three parts, a mobile management device like a Fire tablet, a QR code printer and a computer database updated by the mobile device. I'm 28, the aging out generation of lab running researchers are in their 70s now...
standard is to use Excel
Well see there is your problem right there.
I'm assuming you'd want to use the QR codes as an identifier of samples, or something? How many data fields are we looking at? Are there some that are unique to specific cases?
Using tablets to identify the codes sounds like it'd be expensive for a school-run lab, but could maybe get away with a phone app.
standard is to use Excel
Well see there is your problem right there.
I know right?!
Part of the logic on the tablets was to allow the tablet to live in clean areas you can't bring stuff into without a sterilization cycle. Without specifying exactly what that area is, the QR code was more to allow rapid identification of samples, and to pull up the database entry for that sample. "What sample is this again, and what do I need to do to it again? Oh! Right."
Research Labs have a larger budget then you might think. Our discretionary purchase limit is 5K at least where I work/worked. If you need it, you need it. Over 5K, you fill out a sole source form, and then you buy it.
So an app with hooks into your local DB, using the QR code as the key. You wouldn't want to keep it in excel because updating that from a mobile app would be a pain in the dick.
Also tie it into whatever task-tracking app you're using, so you can get info on what you're supposed to do to the thing you're looking at.
That seems fairly straightforward, honestly. Unfortunately I don't do mobile app development.
Sounds a bit like something I'd started working on for home inventory. Of course, I didn't need a clean room. The QR codes were to be able to scan a box to pull it up online (with a URL). I used a CMS (Drupal 8) with a custom node type and fields, and included one for having parent/child relationships (e.g. you could have an item within a box within a box).
The website was functional and I used a tablet, but data entry felt a little slow (something I could have eventually improved by making a more responsive client-side interface rather than the web server generating a web page each request). It was nice to be able to use the search function. Having pictures of my items was also a nice touch I thought.
After some work, I decided a spreadsheet would be more productive for my purposes. I'd start with an empty box, write a number its sides with a marker (e.g. "Box 12"), and write everything in a spreadsheet. It saved me some development time, and I'm still able to determine quickly enough where I've stored some random thing I rarely use (e.g. the other day I needed a SVGA cable and located it in Box 20).
I'm not sure about how to find someone good. I've helped with hiring other developers before, and it can be difficult to find good ones. You might want to try on guru.com or freelancer.com.
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