Abstract
This project involves building a lightweight, robust web application for managing the inventory of the College of Engineering & Computer Science. Using progressive enhancement techniques, this project helps managing the lifecycle of equipment: requesting equipment, quotes, purchases, allocating resources and assets as well as managing users and office locations. The web application will go live on the system that currently houses the ECS Portal. A single sign-on mechanism through the ECS Portal enables seamless access to the Inventory Management System. Role based access to the web application will help ensure that users are allowed to interact with the web application according to the privileges assigned. A MySQL database with indexes facilitates fast access to inventory data. Server side programming is in PHP run on an Apache HTTP Server over SSL. The use of emerging scripting frameworks such as jQuery and AJAX (Javascript) will provide quick and asynchronous access to server side data, which will reduce response times and result in improved interaction. To complement the look and feel of the ECS Portal, the ECS Web Template style sheets are used. When launched, the Inventory Management System will provide a one-stop shop for stakeholders in the College of Engineering & Computer Science to manage their inventory.