Stores Purchase Management (SPM)
The Stores Purchase Management (SPM) system allows the in-house management of inventory while helping ensure that users have the required safety and operational training. The system has been used for managing central (Grubbs) dry solvent supplies, gas cylinders, liquified gasses, and general stores items.
Users can see current stocks on any computer in the department, and make reservations (to the end of the day) to save wasted journeys to pickup points. Purchases are linked to user’s accounts, and permit users to specify grant codes against which purchased should be charged. Gas cylinder rental periods are recorded within the database, facilitating accounts management.
Collection of materials can only be recorded at the stores locations.
The system manages gas cylinder inventories and locations while in use, through to returns. Users can update locations as neccessary, whilst the administrator can view inventories by location, and so assist portering or emergency services, if required.
The system was developed in collaboration with the University of Sheffield’s Department of Chemistry in2015. An updated version just manageing gas cylinders was developed for the Faculty of Science for introduction 2019.
