Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How much would the mid-sized to large breeders reading the forum pay for a software database to keep track of feeding/breeding activities with barcode functionality? As an example... you're making your feeding rounds, you use the handy barcode scanner and scan the bar code sticker on the cage representing that animal, scan the barcode item(s) you fed it from a sheet hanging near by, and move to the next cage.

While you're doing this, your database is updated with all of the records. It could be used for more than just feeding, but all regular maintenance you would perform. I suppose the database would be similar to many of thos already available from varios sources. It could catalog photos, print reports on individual animals, maybe even track the cost of maintenance for each animal so you can decide of you've made or lost money on any given animal if it was raised for sale...

I know there was another company working on a similar product and their cost was $1000-$1500 which seemed very high to me, especially since the same company offers their database as a free download and will charge the extra money for the barcode functionality and hardware.

I'm working on the protype/beta release now mostly for my own use but was wondering if I should offer it to the public after the testing. Thus far, it works very well.

Moderator's- I'm NOT soliciting sales, just trying to find out what the market would support to decide if I should pursue selling a complete package.

I'd appreciate any input any of you may have...

-Jason

I think it is a good idea. I think though that it would turn into one of those things that over time use would decline and people would tend to fall into old habits. I have seen that with a lot of internal company applications I have done in the past few years. People fall back to the comfortable way and then the wonderful program that they wanted/requested just sits there as the stack of used papers gets higher. Good luck with it though!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

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Snake tattoos! LOL.... I suppose if RF chips were used more often we could use RF ID scanners. For now I think an adhesive label on the cage is the only way to go.

We use barcoded applications where I work and it has seemed to vastly reduce the data entry time and errors.

Thanks for the input....

-Jason

Sounds very cool, i bet that a lot of breeders would be interested. I say go for it.

Back in 2001 I worked for the Postal Service. They use a barcode scanner with an LCD screen. When you scan a package a bunch of options pop up on the screen. Each option has a number next to it(i.e. 1-Delivered 2-Left Package 3-Left Note etc.), you just press the selection on the keypad and hit enter. No need for a second sheet to carry around. I talked with a friend about writing a program for it, but it never happened. Just an idea.

Eric
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www.ESReptiles.com

Great idea.. BUT.. I think the hardware cost might be prohibitive. My main path of though is to make this affordable to the average hobbyist. I thought about a PDA unit.. we use wireless PDAs/Palms where I work to track bar-coded operations with success. Probably cheaper than a bar code reader w/programmable LCD but still over $500 for just the hardware.

Thanks for the input!

-Jason

As I was filling out a number of feedcards last night I kept trying to picture a better way to do it. I think a barcode on the tub and a "menu" to choose from (you could include feeders, sheds, defications, the whole works) that could be uploaded into another program would be a great idea. However with only 50 snakes - I'd be more apt to call myself lazy than to justify the cost of something like that (LOL). But for a big breeder with hundreds or thousands of snakes - I could see it having merit.
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Tosha

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I think the market (breeders with hundreds or thousands of animals) may be a little too small to justify all the hard work and financial investment involved in designing such an application. The current handwritten method is simple enough. Who knows?

Chris
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mean people suck

Hmm, thats a good question. Last month I wrote a program to do exactly that for my self. I have been using it and am very happy with it. It will be a month or so before it has all of the snake, genetics, contact info. etc... but its getting there. As for the marketability... good luck. I have made some very nice software packages for the herp compunity, taken them to shows and usually the responce I get is that they love it and they would use it... oh it needs a computer?? Oh it needs a tablet PC? It needs a barcode scanner? It needs a barcode printer? And when you tell them it will cost more than $50 you will lose the sale. Put short, 99% of the herp comunity are CHEAP when it comes to technilogy. look at the thermostats, I can write code for microchips and have made some very nice thermostat projects, but when it costs more than $100 you have lost 99% of the comunity, so you are left to that 1% that will take for ever to say yes. Its a hard market. You will do much tech support.

Good luck! I would say get some deposits for the whole system before you waste a bunch of time making it for anyone but your self!!!

Ben

"Put short, 99% of the herp comunity are CHEAP when it comes to technilogy."

I'm not saying the herp community is cheap. I'm only saying the cost and complexity of such an application may far outweigh the need for it. (At least for most enthusiasts.)

Pencil and paper is fine enough -- simple, cheap, accessible, reliable.

Chris
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mean people suck

Ahem, I am sorry... I didnt mean to sound condasending about that, but when you develop a program/system it costs $1000s of dollars and it really torks me when someone says "I dont want to pay $200 for that"

You are right I dont know that this is a must have, infact sometimes I wounder if it will save any time at all. Sure wont save money.

That does all of this and at first I thought what a great idea, BUT the problems that I see are...

1. balls are problem feeders at times, when I working with my animals, I like to quickly and easily check there cards when I'm feeding to see who is off and for how long they have been off without having to boot up my computer.

2. bar codes on tubs wouldn't work for me as I manually wash all 180 of my tubs each week.

Huge benifits I see are being able to track growth, profit / loss per animal, feeding trends.

Neil

The System would not be very hard to implement. About a week, there isnt very much coding that would go into it.

Mike

Yah, its not too bad, but then you have to know what to do with the data... if you are the programmer, chances are you know just how to make that data do anything you want at any time... the average user will need prewriten reports and querys, and some customization... plus as said before, when you scan an animal it will need to give you about as much info as a notecard would. I am still using note cards even though I have the barcode system... I try to see both sides of the picture, and I think neilgolli hit the nail on the head. If you want the technology you will have to forfit being able to just walk around and scan notecards for problem feeders...