Stocktake Time

[Slartibartfast]

'ello all!
Yes it's that time again sadly where my HT has requested a stocktake of our assets but what I would like to know do others use a generic list of chemicals and equipment to mark off quantities against or do you just jot it down as you move from room to room on a bit of paper? It's a daunting task and I'm starting from scratch as a stocktake hasn't been undertaken here for 'a bit'. We did them of course at my old school but it was all written down with a feather quill.

[Ian]

I have a list on an old MS Word doc that my predecessor left me. It lists the Physical Store and my prep room. My HT does not require me to stock take classrooms. I print out the list, take it into the store and spend a week counting! Last year, I attempted to convert the file to a Filemaker Pro data base, complete with photos, etc, but about 2/3 way through, my computer crashed and I discovered that I could not remember the "Password" to get back into the file and so lost the lot! (VERY frustrating!) ...so this year it will be another printout of the old MS Word file again, I guess.

The Chem Store gets its own stocktake. I am trying to work out the best way to do that one. We have used the CSIS package in the past. (MS Excel based). Our school markets a school Admin software package (Denbigh Admin) which has a Chem stocktace function, and there is some pressure for me to use that. I note that ChemGold2 seems to have some sort of chem stocktake function. Is anybody familiar with that one?

regards
Ian

[Sassi]

I keep an inventory in excel, with the location, amount, date of purchase, price etc of everything we have, including things in the classrooms... Every time i buy something new, break something (with the exception of glassware), get more chemicals or finish chemicals, I update the inventory. I just completed my yearly stock take, and its very easy just print out the entire thing form excel and go from location to location ticking off things against the list, then back to the computer and update again, (just dont leave the updating to the last or you will get very sick off the computer...). I find this system very efficient and was able to do the whole inventroy in only two weeks My head teacher nearly thought I cheated

Good Luck with yours!

[Sassi]

We also recently got a software called Laboratory stock controller 2, which is supposed to be good for lab inventories, however it takes a bit of getting to know it its a little bit complicated, so I think we are going to stay with the Excel one instead, as pretty much everyone can use excel these days and it will be easier for comming lab techs to use, without having to learn a whole new software.

[jat]

I use the "manifest" function in Chemwatch and it's easy to set up and use. The main problem is remembering to keep it up do date, which I usually do not! This means at the end of year I have to revert to the old Excell list and physically check the Chem store, then update Chemwatch. Once chemwatch is updated you can then print a report off.

John

[Robb]

Hi All,

I always update the Chem Inventories and at least have the exact known quantities. And in the process look at the assests there-of....

Cheers,

Robb.....

[Labbie]

IF you are a DET in NSW, their would be a assets register on OASIS, speak to your SAM Senior Admin Manager, or ask a fellow SAO School Admin Officer, these are printed out each year, for each dept. If an item is over $500.00 it should be put on the School Asset register. Going back in years it use to be $50.00 so if the school is a little old, it could be 3 or 4 pages long.

If your head teacher would like just one done for Science, excel is a great way to go. We have register list's for Electric equipment, text books, glass ware, of course Chemcial register,
Non electric equipment, as the electric man turns up each year to check the leads, I only have to pull out the Electric list, and get all the stuff out. It took a few years to get the list correct, as I kept finding items.

[bindi]

Im with Sue, I keep an assets register and chemical register.

I have a list "where is it" done in excel which has the location and the number of equipment eg trolleys,pulleys,weights and most bits.

We dont stocktake glass wear & items such as bunsens, tripods, powerpacks meters etc, we just allocate x per lab.

[cactus155]

I use a combination of the excel document and the Chemgold Manifest, thats what I do when the teachers and students are enjoying their long summer break and this year its an even longer break for them as I only have 12 days leave rather than the 20 I usually have.
I also was told at a OH&S course that when your doing an inventory and you have a container which is not full, you still need to include the whole container rather than just the quanity thats left.
Alternatively you could just leave the chem. store and prep. room doors open and see what stock the students decide to take, sorry couldn't help it

[Ian]

[quote="cactus155"]I use a combination of the excel document and the Chemgold Manifest, thats what I do when the teachers and students are enjoying their long summer break and this year its an even longer break for them as I only have 12 days leave rather than the 20 I usually have.

Ouch! Only 12 days instead of 20 over Christmas! You must have done something REALLY horrible to the Boss!

My contract states that I am ONLY allowed to take my 4 weeks annual leave over Christmas, then they give me another week "Stand down" as well! (4 + 4 all up! that is 8 weeks off per year!) (my kids love it!).

I will be thinking of you, Andrew, as I paddle my canoe full of kids around Jervis Bay!

regards
Ian

[Sassi]

I have all school holidays off, a total of 12 wks Its great for me so I can go home to Sweden over christmas, YAY... A white christmas for me!!!

I feel for you Andrew, with only 12 days off, hardly enough time to start relaxing and then you have to go straight back again poor you

[Slartibartfast]

Ratbags the lot of you! What does time off mean? In working 2 jobs for the last 11 years (31.25hpw here + 38hpw at Asquith), holidays from both have only ever lined up twice!!!!! Still, the money is rather delightful and a holiday from staff and students is always welcome!! Ian are there lakes at Jervis Bay or are you heading seaward? We do the same thing at Myall lakes - great fun!!

[Ian]

Richard,
Sea Kayaking is for braver souls than I! Jervis Bay is actually a large bay! Unless the wind gets up, it is usually very placid. We go to "Green Patch" which is tucked in behind the southern headland and so very protected. Blue water, white sand, idealic!

I have spent a couple of nice weeks at "Leggs's Camp" and also camped at Mungo Brush. That is a very lovely part of the world as well!.

What is your job as Asquith? I do not know how you do it!

Cheers
Ian

[nickyw]

Richard

How the heck do you manage to work 2 full time jobs. Are you MAD?
One full time job for me is enough and I still cant get everything done at home.

Bet you cant wait till xmas break, hope you get one.

[Slartibartfast]

Yep, I'm mad, you all know that! No children (that I know of) not married (no right minded female would have me), a big facination with model railways and Mini Cooper S's and a best friend that's a large goat allows me to undertake such nonsense and keep sane! 2 full time jobs is the easiest part of my life! Ha! Ha! I'm a document controller (imaging programmer) at a company called Data Transfer Services at Asquith. Been with the DET 14 years - most of which I've worked the two jobs from 4pm 'til 1 sometimes 2am. Worst thing that can happen is leaving here, working 2 shifts until 6am, showering at home then coming here again! It's happened when we've been very very busy, fortunantly not very often!!!! Nice spot at Leggs camp isn't it! I've got an 18ft Cat (no, not a moggy)+ windsurfers we take there. Gods country!

[Teresa]

Hi All,

What a great communication tool Chemtalk is!
Around the nation we all have the same issues that we are dealing with.

We recently received a flyer from CaRob computing about "Scilist" a "Science Equipment Management system" I ordered it on 30 days approval and am finding it excellent. However the thing that is really impressing me is the service! Firstly they were able to import my existing data (from Excel) and they have responded to my requests and generated new reports that we can download from their website and then install. It is more powerful than Excel in the types of reports that can be generated, can maintain a purchasing history and even attach photos of equipment. I haven't explored all the features as yet, but it lists features such as other staff can browse for equipment without being able to alter records. It can also associate items with one or more disciplines or categories.

Apparently it has been triialled in Victoria for the last 2 years and has just been released in October 2007, so is hot off the press.
Has anyone else looked at this program?

Regards
Teresa

PS I am editing this post and simply adding the email address for CaRob Computing: http://www.carobcom.com

[coxy]

Just going over the comments about stocktake time at the end of each year. I have created a list of all equipment, chemicals and glassware (plus all the stationary I order) and have each group printed on a separate spreadsheet in Excel. I keep a printed list in the prep room, and every time I receive an order I update the lists. Each time I finish a chemical bottle I mark it in red on my list, so about October each year I update lists, then order exactly what I need. I am happy to email a copy (for examples, to see if they work for you) if anyone would like one.
Email address is sue.cox2@education.nsw.gov.au

Love this site!

[dolphinscales]

I use access for my stocktake and so one each year at the end of year so i know what to order at beginning of year and to make sure we know exactly what chemicals are in stock over the period we are not the should the worse happen and we get broken into or a fire casues loss......
I have it set out in the areas i store things such as all the biology/Human Biology are on one set of reports and chemistry equipment another , tools, chemicals, physics and the general stuff.
It makes it easier to just pick up a list and do a quick count.

[Jazz]

Hi, my school unfortunately never have money for science technician that is why I have to DO IT MYSELF. I just started for this year and I am using excel. In Order column you need to write formulae and it will prompt you if order is needed. It is on trail this year but I hope it will work.

[RosalieM]

What a great idea, Jazz! How do you know what to put in your 'minumum needed' column? Is that just a number you have plucked out of nowhere, or a well thought out calculation?
Rosalie