thesolution
The adopted solution was written using Microsoft Visual Basic with an Access database behind the scenes to store the information about each permit for work that is produced.

The system still interfaces with Microsoft Word and Outlook to produce the documents and email the relevant individuals, but this is all done seamlessly “behind the scenes”.

To applications were developed, the Client application and the Admin application.

The client application will enable people to generate a permit request. This information is then emailed (via the mail client program) to the Permit Office administrators.

The core functionality and “business rules” will be contained within the Visual Basic front-end application. This application will then make use of two databases. The first database (Static Database) will store the information about the current site that is not updateable by the user. For example, building and equipment names. The “User Information Database” will store the data that has been generated by the system that is particular to an individual (mostly requests for permits).

The email client will then email a permit to work request to the central administration module.

The administration module is monitoring a particular Inbox within the Email client application and will automatically take any information submitted from an end-user (a permit to work) and store that information in the “Permit Database”. The administrator can then approve or reject permit requests as required.