LAMP facilities
The functions of the LAMP system are backed up by an extensive list of facilities to enable the user to control the system effectively and with sufficient flexibility to manage change. For example, new user access permission classes can be designed and implemented by the user with little IT skills - no programming techniques are required.
System flexibility is enhanced by the provision of both vertical and horizontal security permissions. Vertical security determines the user access to menus and data folders whilst horizontal security can be implemented to control the users’ view within a particular data table. Using these facilities a flexible strategy can be implemented to ensure data integrity and confidentiality.
Organisations are subject to constant change, for example the management structure may change whilst individual staff join and leave on a constant basis. This process of change in LAMP is managed by the system’s integrity of historical information. Key records are date stamped (i.e. organisational changes are recorded using the date of change by the addition of new records, avoiding the need to edit or overwrite existing data). The tracking of such changes by date enables the user to enter future dates thus facilitating the examination of future scenarios, allowing the user to assess the effects of staffing and budgetary changes.
For data output purposes (a key part of any information system) LAMP provides a suite of dedicated reports together with a flexible report generator and data export facilities. These provide the means for the manager to integrate LAMP data with other software applications at the desktop level thus facilitating both local and strategic decision making operations. Links with MS Office are available from the menu structure allowing ease of data transfer to Excel and Word.
Scaleable solutions
LAMP is both a departmental and a corporate solution.
For corporate usage LAMP can be installed for use in multiple departments across a large organisation. A LAMP database can cater for a single department, a component of a larger department, or multiple departments according to needs.
In a departmental installation with component cost or business centres, data entry and reporting on both departmental and component management unit issues is facilitated by the use of a single database providing an integrated solution.
Not only does the flexibility of implementation confer advantages in use, it also offers benefits to those organisations seeking to adopt a common and consistent approach to costing and charging issues.
The data handling facilities within LAMP enable changes to be made to the organisational hierarchy with reference to the date of change, thus facilitating retrospective actions and future forecasting. This ability is of benefit to all organisations but is particularly relevant to the larger organisation that is subject to changing management conditions.
Comprehensive security permissions provide for the confidentiality of data handling.
Thus LAMP can be installed to meet the needs of a large organisation providing a variety of diverse functions and services.