Barcode Scanner Standard Operating Procedures Last Updated on: November 8, 2012 For additional information, contact: VA Section AWWA / VWEA IT Committee Tracy Wamsley, Committee Chair Michael Baker Jr., Inc. Twamsley@mbakercorp.com 757.631.5406
Table of Contents Barcode Scanner Workflow... 3... 4 Purpose of Barcode Scanners... 4 Barcode Scanner Reservation Request... 4 Barcode Planner Worksheet... 5 Continuing Education Credit Approval... 8 Number of Scanners Needed... 8 Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal... 8 Attendance Tracking... 9 Appendix A - Barcode Scanner Reservation Request Email Template... 10 Appendix B - Barcode Scanner Reservation Request Email Confirmation Example... 11 Appendix C - Barcode Planner Template... 12 Appendix D - Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Email Template... 13 Appendix E - Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Confirmation Email Example... 14 Appendix F Sample Transcript... 15 Appendix G Sample Certificate... 16 Page 2 of 16
Barcode Scanner Workflow See Barcode Scanner Flow Chart.pdf Page 3 of 16
Purpose of Barcode Scanners The primary purpose of the scanners is to document attendance for issuing credits. The process requires the scanning to be conducted immediately after a session or group of sessions occur. A scan can be thought of as a verification of attendance, similar to the moderator signature method used at past events. In general, if the scanner operator scans an attendee, then the scanner operator is acknowledging that the attendee is credited for attending the associated session. When the scanners are used, attendees must have badges created with barcodes compatible with the scanners and the Transcript Tracking System. The RegOnline registration system has been selected as the official tool for registration and generation of barcodes. This system must be used in order to use the barcode scanners. The creation of badges is not discussed within this SOP and must be coordinated in advance with each organization s Executive Manager. Barcode Scanner Reservation Request One of the first steps in planning an event includes determining whether or not DPOR approved credits will be issued and if barcode scanners will be used for tracking session attendance. Once it has been established that barcode scanners will be used, a designee from the committee hosting the event (hosting committee) will need to complete an email reservation request to reserve barcode scanners for the event 1 (see Appendix A for email template). The Barcode Scanner Reservation Request must contain the following information: Name of Event: Date(s) of Event: Committee hosting the event: Committee Point of Contact: Committee Point of Contact Email Address: Number of expected attendees: Approximate number of scanners required: Email the Barcode Reservation Request to the following recipients: 1 If the sessions and/or DPOR credit approval have not been finalized, the hosting committee may submit a preliminary request to reserve barcode scanners for the event. However, the scanners will not be shipped until the final Barcode Planner Worksheet has been approved. See Barcode Planner Worksheet section for details. Page 4 of 16
Dwayne S. Schwartz (Acting Barcode Program Administrator) SchwartzDS@ci.waynesboro.va.us CC the following recipients: Ange Roeske (Transcript Tracking System Administrator) roeske.ange@verizon.net Tracy Wamsley (Information Technology Committee Chair) Twamsley@mbakercorp.com Cathy LaRue (VA AWWA Executive Manager) cathy.larue@vaawwa.org Kathy Rabalais (VWEA Administrator) admin@vwea.org Once the email has been received, the event will be added to the barcode scanner reservation list along with the approximate number of scanners. The Committee point of contact identified in the email will receive a confirmation email (see appendix B for example) and will be notified if there are any issues with the reservation, including number of scanners requested. Please note that barcode scanner reservation only reserves the scanners. The scanners will not be shipped to the hosting committee unless the Barcode Planner Worksheet has been completed and approved (see next section). Barcode Planner Worksheet The Barcode Planner Worksheet is required for all events using the barcode scanners. The information contained in the worksheet is used to populate the Transcript Tracking System and ensures that credits are applied to the correct sessions. The information is processed in conjunction with the barcode scanner and RegOnline data to generate Certificates and Transcripts (see Appendices F and G for samples) for attendees. The Barcode Planner Worksheet can be downloaded from the organization s Website 2. The Barcode Planner Worksheet includes all of the information necessary to plan and execute attendance tracking at the event, including the session codes that will be used by the barcode scanners (see Appendix C). The worksheet also contains completed sample worksheets which demonstrate how to properly complete the information and will define how credits are applied to each scan. 2 Barcode Planner Worksheet is located under the Resources Section on the VA AWWA Website: http://www.vaawwa.org Page 5 of 16
Each column of the Barcode Scanner Worksheet is described as follows: Element Description Example(s) Organization Professional organization leading the event. VA AWWA; VWEA; Joint Committee Committee leading the event. Drinking Water Quality Event Title Date Range Chair Primary Contact This field is for entering the Name of the Event. This entry will show up on the transcript describing the event in which credits were earned. The date / dates of the event. This text will be displayed on the transcript indicate when the event occurred. There are no format preferences or restrictions. Name and email of the Chair of the Committee Name and email of the Primary Contact for the Event 21 st Annual Water Distribution Seminar and Rodeo 05/13/2012 in column B and 05/15/2012 in column C represents an event from May 13-15. Event Location Place where the event is occurring. Ramada on the Beach City State City and State where the event is occurring. Virginia Beach, Virginia Session # [Number] Code Title P.E. CEC Credit Water CPE Credit Grouping of papers or presentations. Water JAM uses this field for Session Names. For smaller, one day events, only one session is typically needed. The code represents the specific topic(s) or presentation(s) associated with a single scan. Title of the specific topic(s) or presentation(s) associated with a single scan. Number of Continuing Education Credits (CECs) earned for attending the specific topic(s) or presentation(s) associated with a single scan. Number of Continuing Professional Credits (CPEs) earned for attending the specific topic(s) or presentation(s) associated with a single scan. Water and Wastewater is split into two categories for the different groups of operators. 1- Water Case Histories Distribution Systems Afternoon Session 101 Plant Troubleshooting 1.0 3.5 Page 6 of 16
Element Description Example(s) Wastewater CPE Credit Date Start Time End Time Number of Continuing Professional Credits (CPEs) earned for attending the specific topic(s) or presentation(s) associated with a single scan. Water and Wastewater is split into two categories for the different groups of operators. Month, Date, Year of the specific topic(s) or presentation(s) associated with a single scan. Start time of the specific topic(s) or presentation(s) associated with a single scan. End time of the specific topic(s) or presentation(s) associated with a single scan. 3.5 5/2/09 1:30 PM 2:00 PM The Barcode Planner Worksheet was originally developed for use at the Water JAM event and must be tailored for use at other events. The majority of events will not require such an extensive list with multiple sessions and codes. The spreadsheet includes two sample tabs which illustrate different ways events can be organized. Water JAM 2012 Example The Water JAM example shows a very complex event that spans multiple days and includes numerous concurrent sessions. Sessions for this event are organized by topic and each session contains up 6 papers per session. Attendees must get scanned after each paper since they can leave and go to another presentation in a different room. This method allows for each attendee to document exactly which presentation they attended at the conference. Therefore, if an attendee decided to skip a 30 minute presentation to walk around the exhibit hall, they will not receive credit for a presentation. Drinking Water Quality (DWQ) Example The Drinking Water Quality (DWQ) example demonstrates how a simple, one track event can be expedited to simplify the scanning process. For this one day event, the hosting committee decided to combine several presentations into one session code to reduce the number of scans required. Basically, attendees were scanned, twice, once after the morning presentations, and once at the conclusion of the afternoon presentations. Therefore, if an attendee got scanned after the morning session they received credit for ALL of the presentations that morning. This method can simplify the process which reduces the time involved scanning but can introduce complexity in reporting if someone enters late or leaves early. In this situation, it is the responsibility of the committee to report deviations with an individual attendee. Page 7 of 16
Continuing Education Credit Approval Once the Barcode Planner Worksheet has been completed with event information and preliminary sessions, the worksheet should be emailed to the VA AWWA Education Committee for review and credit approval. Any additional documentation to support the credit approval process should be included in correspondence with the Education Committee 3. Number of Scanners Needed As a general rule, the IT Committee has discovered that one scanner can accommodate 40-50 attendees in a short amount of time. Multiple scanners are generally required for events that have concurrent sessions (two or more sessions at the same time) so a dedicated scanner can be used for a specific session. The VA AWWA Executive Manager will work with the hosting committee to ensure a sufficient number of scanners are provided. Note: Scanners are reserved on a first come, first serve basis. If another committee has scanners reserved, the requesting committee may have to rent scanners for the event. If you need to rent scanners, you will be provided with additional information on the rental process. Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Once the Event Worksheet has been completed and the actual number of scanners needed has been determined, the Committee Point of Contact must email the Barcode Planner Worksheet to the recipients identified below, for final review (see Appendix D for email template). Information required within the email submittal includes: Name of Event: Date(s) of Event: Committee hosting the event: Committee Point of Contact: Committee Point of Contact Email Address: Mailing Address: Number of expected attendees: Number of scanners required: ATTACHMENT - Completed Barcode Planner Worksheet with approved credits 3 Credit approval and correspondence with the Education Committee is not covered in the Barcode Scanner SOP. For information on this process, contact the Education Committee Chair. Page 8 of 16
Email the Barcode Reservation Request to the following recipients: Dwayne S. Schwartz (Acting Barcode Program Administrator) SchwartzDS@ci.waynesboro.va.us CC the following recipients: Ange Roeske (Transcript Tracking System Administrator) roeske.ange@verizon.net Tracy Wamsley (Information Technology Committee Chair) Twamsley@mbakercorp.com Cathy LaRue (VA AWWA Executive Manager) cathy.larue@vaawwa.org Kathy Rabalais (VWEA Administrator) admin@vwea.org Once the Barcode Planner worksheet is received, a thorough review will be performed to ensure all necessary information has been provided. The Committee point of contact identified in the email will receive a confirmation email (see appendix E for example) and will be notified if there are any issues with the Barcode Planner worksheet. After the Barcode Planner Worksheet is approved, scanners will be approved to be sent out. Scanners will be shipped to the Committee Point of Contact at the address provided in the email, in time for the event 4. Attendance Tracking Please note that the barcode scanner operators are not the credit police and transcripts generated by the Transcript Tracking System are based on the data stored on the scanners 5. It is the responsibility of the hosting committee to report issues or deviations with the scanned data. 4 Event hosting committee is responsible for shipping costs and arrangements for returning the barcode scanners. 5 Note: Credits will not be issued based on inquiries made by an attendee claiming they deserve credit for a session. Transcripts are generated based on the scanner data downloaded from the devices only. Therefore, it is imperative that attendees listen for the beep confirming that they were properly scanned. Exceptions can only be made if the request comes directly from the hosting committee Chair. Page 9 of 16
Appendix A - Barcode Scanner Reservation Request Email Template To: CC: Subject: Message: SchwartzDS@ci.waynesboro.va.us Twamsley@mbakercorp.com, roeske.ange@verizon.net, [Organization Representative] Barcode Scanner Reservation Request [Event] Please reserve barcode scanners for the following event: Name of Event: [Event] Date(s) of Event: [Event Dates] Committee hosting the event: [Committee] Committee Point of Contact (Full Name): [Contact Name] Committee Point of Contact Email Address: [Email] Number of expected attendees: [Attendees] Approximate number of scanners required: [Scanners] Variables [Organization Representative] is the name of the representative depending on the Organization hosting the event. o o o If hosting Organization is AWWA use: cathy.larue@vaawwa.org If hosting Organization is VWEA use: admin@vwea.org If it is a joint event, include both email addresses [Event] is the name of the event for which barcode scanners are being requested. [Event Dates] is the date or dates the event will occur. [Committee] is the name of the committee hosting the event. [Contact Name] is the name of the person who will be the contact and responsible party for the barcode scanners. [Email] is the email address of the committee point of contact. [Attendees] is the number of attendees expected to attend the event. [Scanners] is the number of barcode scanners expected to be used for the event. Email template for requesting barcode scanners Page 10 of 16
Appendix B - Barcode Scanner Reservation Request Email Confirmation Example From: To: CC: Subject: Message: SchwartzDS@ci.waynesboro.va.us [Email], [Reservation Requestor] Twamsley@mbakercorp.com, roeske.ange@verizon.net, [Organization Representative] Barcode Scanner Reservation Request Confirmation [Event] Thank you for your request. Barcode scanners have been reserved with the following event details. Please review this information and provide any updates as needed. Name of Event: [Event] Date(s) of Event: [Event Dates] Committee hosting the event: [Committee] Committee Point of Contact (Full Name): [Contact Name] Committee Point of Contact Email Address: [Email] Number of expected attendees: [Attendees] Approximate number of scanners required: [Scanners] Please note that scanners will NOT be shipped until the completed, and approved, Barcode Planner Worksheet has been received. Variables [Reservation Requestor] is the email address of the person who sent the Barcode Scanner Reservation Request email (if different from the email address for the POC [Email]). [Organization Representative] is the name(s) of the representative depending on the Organization hosting the event, identified in the Barcode Scanner Reservation Request Email. [Event] is the name of the event for which barcode scanners are being requested. [Event Dates] is the date or dates the event will occur. [Committee] is the name of the committee hosting the event. [Contact Name] is the name of the person who will be the contact and responsible party for the barcode scanners. [Email] is the email address of the committee point of contact. [Attendees] is the number of attendees expected to attend the event. [Scanners] is the number of barcode scanners expected to be used for the event. Email example for confirmation of barcode scanner request Page 11 of 16
Appendix C - Barcode Planner Template Excel file for completing Barcode Barcode_Planner_Template.xls Page 12 of 16
Appendix D - Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Email Template To: CC: Subject: Attached: Message: SchwartzDS@ci.waynesboro.va.us Twamsley@mbakercorp.com, roeske.ange@verizon.net, [Organization Representative] Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal [Event] BarcodePlanner_worksheet.xls Please review the barcode planner worksheet for the following event: Name of Event: [Event] Date(s) of Event: [Event Dates] Committee hosting the event: [Committee] Committee Point of Contact (Full Name): [Contact Name] Committee Point of Contact Email Address: [Email] Mailing Address: [Address] Number of expected attendees: [Attendees] Number of scanners required: [Scanners] Variables [Organization Representative] is the name of the representative depending on the Organization hosting the event. o o o If hosting Organization is AWWA use: cathy.larue@vaawwa.org If hosting Organization is VWEA use: admin@vwea.org If it is a joint event, include both email addresses [Event] is the name of the event for which barcode scanners are being requested. [Event Dates] is the date or dates the event will occur. [Committee] is the name of the committee hosting the event. [Contact Name] is the name of the person who will be the contact and responsible party for the barcode scanners. [Email] is the email address of the committee point of contact. [Address] is the full address, including street address, City, State, and Zip Code, where the scanners should be mailed to. [Attendees] is the number of attendees expected to attend the event. [Scanners] is the number of barcode scanners needed for the event. Email template for submitting Barcode Scanner Worksheet Page 13 of 16
Appendix E - Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Confirmation Email Example From: To: CC: Subject: Approved Message: SchwartzDS@ci.waynesboro.va.us [Email], [Worksheet Submitter] Twamsley@mbakercorp.com, roeske.ange@verizon.net, [Organization Representative] Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Confirmation [Event] Thank you for your request. [# of Scanners] Barcode scanners will be shipped to the following address on [Ship Date]: [Contact Name] [Street Address] [City, State Zip) Please return the scanners to the following address by [Return Date]: Dwayne S Schwartz City of Waynesboro Department of Public Works Technology Systems Manager 900 Essex Avenue Waynesboro, VA 22980 Not Approved Message: Variables Message will vary depending on the issues encountered with the worksheet. [Email] is the email address of the committee point of contact. [Worksheet Submitter] is the email address of the person who sent the Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal email (if different from the email address for the POC [Email]). [Organization Representative] is the name(s) of the representative depending on the Organization hosting the event, identified in the Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Email. [Event] is the name of the event for which barcode scanners are being requested. [# of Scanners] is the number of barcode scanners that will be shipped for the event. [Ship Date] is the date the scanners will be shipped. [Contact Name] is the name of the person identified as the POC in the Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Email. [Street Address] is the street address provided in the Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Email. [City, State Zip] is the City, State, and Zip code provided in the Barcode Planner Worksheet Submittal Email. [Return Date] is the number of attendees expected to attend the event. Email example for confirmation for submitting Barcode Scanner Worksheet Page 14 of 16
Appendix F Sample Transcript Transcript generated within the Transcript Tracking System. Page 15 of 16
Appendix G Sample Certificate Certificate generated within the Transcript Tracking System. Page 16 of 16