Adventure Based Experiential Educators
Client Business
Adventure Based Experiential Educators (ABE) is a full service Challenge Course and Canopy / Zip Line Tour company that provides services in adventure education and experiential program design, both nationally and internationally, to educational institutions, camps, conference and outdoor education centers, resorts, health care providers and, corporations.
ABE is a Professional Vendor Member (PVM) of the ACCT (Association of Challenge Course Technology) [also an Extensitech client] and has significant history with the association since its inception has been shown through active representation on the Board of Directors,Technical Operations and Installations Standards Committees, and numerous task force groups.
Business Challenge
ABE originally operated with a “paper” system and relied heavily on verbal communication and email for creating and storing critical business information. The inherent inefficiencies of these methods limited ABE’s ability to scale their business or take on larger, more profitable projects.
Solution Provided
Using the framework of xBase, Extensitech developed an extensible solution for ABE that tackled a large number of business challenges, the first being Projects, which represents the construction of a new facility, elements at an existing facility, and may include inspections and direct sales of equipment. Here users are able to add line items that represent the Elements, Products and other services that are to be included in the Project. Projects are invoiced and reflect payment status, and Shipments can be created for individual Project Line Items and invoiced as part of the Project. Extensitech also added tools to produce quotes, contracts and other documentation relevant to ABE’s Projects.
ABE’s solution allows users to manage Inspections which represents the occurrence of an inspector performing an inspection of equipment and elements at a facility. Inspection line items can be added from a previously defined Facility record or ad hoc if the inspector has never encountered the facility being inspected. An Inspection Report is be generated from the Inspection data entered. An Inspection can be linked to a Project and Invoiced as a part of the Project or be invoiced by the users directly if the inspection is the only service being provided by ABE at that time.
Additionally, the solution built for ABE includes Sales Orders, records of ABE’s Customers purchasing equipment and products directly from them. Line items are selected from the Items list and Sales Orders are invoiced and reflect a payment status. This is directly linked to Shipments, records of goods leaving ABE’s inventory. Shipment Line Items are linked directly to Project Line Items or indirectly to Sales Order Line Items via Invoice Line Items. The Items screen holds a list of all the Elements, Products and Component parts that ABE needs to select throughout the rest of the system as line items. Pricing is configured on the Items screen and inventory information is displayed. All Items configured as Elements are made up of other Items and admin users are able to configure what Component items makes up Element items from the solution.
Users are also able to define Terms for general conditions when Invoices are due and admins are able to set default Terms for all Invoices, Terms for specific Customers and Terms for individual Invoices. Users can also easily enter Purchase Orders which represent Items ordered from Vendors. Additionally, Receipts of Goods are tracked in the solution which represent ABE taking possession of Items ordered from Vendors. Receipt of Good records are used in ABE’s system with Shipment data to determine the inventory on hand.
Extensitech also added tools to allow ABE users to manage their Facilities which are physical locations where structures and equipment exist that ABE has constructed, sold, or inspected. Users can then create related Construction Events to show who, when, and what happened at a Facility at a specific event. Construction Events are records entered by ABE users of Elements being constructed or repaired at a Facility. Each Element listed at a Facility can be linked to many Construction Events over the course of its useful life, representing the Items’ construction and subsequent repairs.
