The PETER (Plant and Equipment Tracking and Effective Retrieval) Project

(TCS programme No 2825)

1. SUMMARY

The PETER project is a Teaching Company Scheme (TCS) programme between:

	The Department of Computer Science at the University of Liverpool, and
	Tachograph Analysis Consultants Ltd. (TAC)

The project is funded by the DTI Teaching Company Directorate (TCD). The aim of the research is to design, develop and implement a new startegic product which will provide support for the control of current and future "pallet" usage in companies, during production, warehousing and in distribution chains.

The research team currently comprises:

1. Frans Coenen (lead academic) - Department of Computer Science, the University of Liverpool.
2. Martin Beer (academic supervisor) - Department of Computer Science, the University of Liverpool. Now (summer 2001) at Sheffield Hallam University.
3. Nigel Kirkwood (project facilitator and LMC chair) - Tachograph Analysis Consultants Ltd.
4. Caroline Cooper (company supervisor) - Tachograph Analysis Consultants Ltd).

2. KEY OBJECTIVE

The key objective is to develop a range of robust software products, and the associated infrastructure to support them, from enterprise (corporate) level to an off-the-shelf, single user system. The key objective is to be realised through a number of smaller objectives:

	Complete a detailed appraisal of core issues involved in developing a software based loose equipment (pallet) tracking system; define a requirements specification for the software;
	Develop an implementation model for a new software based pallet tracking system identifying appropriate functionality and architecture;
	Develop and alpha test new pallet tracking software and compile support documentation for subsequent Beta testing;
	Beta test new software in the field with two commercial customers (already identified). Complete a detailed evaluation report and refine the software accordingly;
	Prepare new software product range for commercial launch with full support documentation and infrastructure in place;
	Assess and report after 4, 8 and 16 months, respectively, on additional, spin-off opportunities for software.

3. PROJECT PLAN --- Restricted access only

A project workplan is available. The plan is updated regularly as the project progresses.

4. LOCAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (LMC) MINUTES --- Restricted access only

1. Preliminary LMC meeting 1 - Friday 23 July 1999.
2. Preliminary LMC meeting 2 - Tuesday 10 August 1999
3. Preliminary LMC meeting 3 - Monday 20 September 1999.
4. Inaugural LMC meeting - Wednesday 10 Nov 1999.
5. LMC meeting - Tuesday 7 March 2000.

Created and maintained by Frans Coenen. Last updated 23 December 2015 -