The strength of Safety Research Corporation of America (SRCA) is its ability to provide computer database applications utilizing the very latest in technology and software programs. SRCA has currently developed custom designed programs that perform a variety of tasks using many different database back ends on a networked multi user environment.
SRCA was tasked to prepare three Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) distance learning programs that allows Service members to participate in a wide range of educational opportunities. This includes earning an associate, baccalaureate, or post-graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution or earning a degree or vocational-technical certificate from a nationally accredited school.
These catalogs were done in two phases. The first phase involved data collection from all 180 institutions included in the three catalogs. The second phase involved preparing the three catalogs to be viewed online and in printed catalogs. This process included creating an online catalog based on information in the database and creating reports in Crystal Reports by accessing information from the database, quality checking all of the information, and converting the school pages into industry standard Adobe PDF files.
Click here to view the DANTES website.
The Process
In the past, the DANTES web-based and printed catalogs had been prepared as html files by the previous contractor. SRCA proposed to revamp the process of creating the website and printed catalogs by developing a database to store all of the institutional information. This upgrade would allow the website and printed catalogs to be produced with dynamically changing data instead of creating static pages that would have to be individually maintained.
SRCA created the DANTES database by fielding requirements from both the previous years’ online catalog and the statement of work for the project. The database was created using the SQL Sever 2000 Database Management System and is stored on a SQL Server.
SRCA then created a website in the Visual InterDev programming environment using the programming language ASP. The website was dynamically linked to the database, which allowed instant access to the most up-to-date information.
The website was developed for two audiences: the institutions and the students. The institutional view required a login name and password to access institutional information that could be viewed and edited using a data entry type of screen. Any changes made by the institution would be automatically made in the database and instantly viewable on the website.
After the website and database were created and formally tested, SRCA transferred over 1,300 pages of text from the old DANTES catalog into the new database by utilizing the data entry section of the DANTES website shown below.
After all the original data was entered into the database, the institutions were contacted to update their information. This process involved contacting all 180 institutions and coordinating the updating process. Once these updates were complete, SRCA created reports in the industry standard report writer, Crystal Reports, which accessed the database and printed the designed information on the report. Using Crystal Reports allowed SRCA to create a consistent look to all the institutional pages while using a variety of information from the institutions.
At the end of the project, DANTES had both an online and printed catalog for the three catalogs they offer. While the printed catalog offers students a snapshot view of the institutional information, the online catalog is constantly being updated by the institutions that are able to login to the website at any time to make additions and edits.
