Where's all my stuff?

February 19, 2008 1:09 PM

Help me find a locally running (NON-Apache/PHP/MySQL) Windows based inventory management system.

I want to manage about 10,000 cables, devices, computers, tables, chairs, monitors, clocks, rubber chickens and other random generic items in about 20 rooms. With some kind of hierarchy..and with notes and a serial number on each item. Just me. On my Windows box. Yes, I know about XAMPP and PHPTriad and all the half-baked PHP applications out there that sort-of work. Freeware a plus! Thanks in advance.

posted by ostranenie to computers & internet (8 comments total)

XAMPP and PHPTriad aren't inventory management systems, they're installers for PHP, Apache, and MySQL. So they won't work for you because there aren't any applications written on top of them, but to call them "half-baked" is probably uncalled for. That said, yeah, these kinds of things are probably overkill for your situation. Why not use Excel for this? It would probably work just fine for what you need.
posted by the dief at 1:45 PM on February 19

There's Spiceworks, the recently-much-promoted free network monitoring system, which seems to include some fixed asset management. When I installed it it crashed a bunch of switches, leading to its immediate removal, but YMMV - they do have a lot of happy testimonials.

OTOH, implying that all PHP applications out there are half-baked
posted by pocams at 1:48 PM on February 19

There's Spiceworks, the recently-much-promoted free network monitoring system, which seems to include some fixed asset management. When I installed it it crashed a bunch of switches, leading to its immediate removal, but YMMV - they do have a lot of happy testimonials.

OTOH, implying that all PHP applications out there are half-baked isn't the best way to solicit help from other admins.
posted by pocams at 1:48 PM on February 19

I'm not calling XAMPP, PHPTriad, PHP, Apache, MySQL or any of those half-baked. I'm calling the 2,368 open source inventory applications written in PHP (see also: sourceforge.net) that use PHP and MySQL (typically served by Apache) that are recommended for this sort of thing.

Excel doesn't really have a hierarchical view and I'm limited by cell space. I'm looking for something a little more database-ey but without having to invent the schema. Thanks!
posted by ostranenie at 1:50 PM on February 19

On the defense: Not all the PHP applications out there are half-baked. I use PHP applications every day and they works great. I'm sure there are a few dozen out of the 'n' possible inventory applications that exist that work great! But they either don't do what I want or they're broken already.
posted by ostranenie at 1:56 PM on February 19

Again I'm not looking for standard IT asset management software or network monitoring or any of that - I have tools for that and they work fabulously well. I just want something easier to navigate at a glance that's not web-based (doesn't require PHP etc.,) since only I am going to be using it. Generic inventory is what I'm after...something you might use to catalog your VCR, your TV, your chairs, your desks, your other inanimate non-IT objects, etc.,
posted by ostranenie at 1:59 PM on February 19

Sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the defensive. I had meant to edit my post and tone the half-baked comment down a bit, but I accidentally posted early and panicked.

I'm afraid that outside of IT-specific stuff, I can't offer personal experience with this software, but after a bit of Googling, I think the closest thing to the tool you're looking for is home inventory software designed for insurance purposes - it's not web-based, it's for Windows, and it doesn't aspire to be an NMS, an ERP tool, or anything else you don't need. For instance, the Inventory Builder package seems to be pretty close to what you're looking for.
posted by pocams at 2:54 PM on February 19

Inventory Builder is perfect for what I want to do! Thank you! No idea why that didn't turn up in my searches...I found some "iffy" software that didn't come close, but this looks like it fits the bill.

By the way I have PHP applications in place for issue tracking and other things so I definitely don't mean to demean PHP on the whole. PHP is great! Open source is great! I use open tools every day! I just want something guaranteed to work and is supported (which typically means $$$). Seriously, you have to admit sf.net is packed to the gills with half-finished or unsupported projects which were great, but their developers (and the community) has/have abandoned them, turning the simplest PHP error into an unsolvable problem for a non-expert.

Thanks again!
posted by ostranenie at 3:19 PM on February 19