Guardrail Software

AutoCrib Inc. unveiled its new Guardrail software, designed to simplify and automate the laborious task of building databases for industrial vending systems. Guardrail provide an effective and easy way to compile an industrial vending machine framework and improve the user experience. AutoCrib is currently offering this time-saving software free of charge.

"AutoCrib has developed a software solution to help our customers on their journey to automating their tool crib or stores areas," said Steve Pixley, president of AutoCrib. "Our new Guardrail software helps save time and increases productivity by streamlining the struggle and tedious task of data entry and scrubbing as customers prepare to set-up their new point of use/tool vending system."

Guardrail software prompts users to outline the type of descriptions needed for establishing an industrial vending machine including the description of the products, item codes, supplier part numbers, costing and other characteristics. As the user enters data, the Guardrail software automatically screens it for data entry errors then provides suggestions on how the user might improve the data, and ultimately the functionality of the system. The system allows for free-form data entry or the importation of data from existing systems using import tools. The same database integrity checks are made when a user imports data, as opposed to key-punching it. Guardrail software also works to pre-configure the industrial vending machine or point-of-use dispensing device—and can either suggest the size of machine the user should purchase, the number of bins needed or tell the user that he/she has reached the capacity of the machine purchased.

Additionally, Guardrail assists in tracking multiple databases or implementations for distributors simultaneously, and gives the user the ability to view and edit data that have been completed in the past. This gives users the ability to cut and paste' from previous databases, thereby saving a considerable amount of time in re-entering similar data. Customer data, such as bar codes, previously housed in Excel spreadsheets can also easily be imported.

"With Guardrail, the data is stored on a secure web server and allows for collaboration with AutoCrib's world-class technical support team," said Bruce Weaver, vice president of market and sales for AutoCrib. "AutoCrib believes this software platform will become an industry standard and significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to build industrial vending databases."