ASSET AND SUPPLIES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM & SOLUTION FOR REPEATED DEPLOYMENTS IN DIFFERENT PHYSICAL LOCATIONS AND UTILIZED BY DIFFERENT PERSONNEL
This web-based asset management system and solution is configured and customized for election applicable protocols and environments. In election applications, the election assets are deployed periodically and retrieved for each election where multiple and different personnel take control and custody in dedicated physical polling locations. End-to-end and auditable chain-of-custody including biometric verifiable signatures must be included in such transfer of custody.
Besides end-to-end tracking of chain-of-custody that must be auditable, there are specific preparations including the assembly and assurance of completeness of all components required for the election and the testing of proper functioning of all of the individual components and the full function of election polling.
The same web based asset management system and solution is also configurable and have been applied for similar complex applications of asset management that require repeated deployments in different physical locations that have consumables and different components to form applicable assembly of systems for the particular events. This proven web based asset management system and solution is ideal for applications such as mobile medical equipment, deployable construction equipment, mobile assets and systems that will be utilized by different and multiple personnel and are likely to be misplaced or loose parts.
AVANTE WEB-BASED ELECTION ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM & SOLUTION combines the technologies of 1-and-2 D barcode, direct signature and biometric data capturing, GPS, GPRS-Satellite wide area communication, WiFi, Bluetooth inhouse communications, and optional passive and/or active RFID for secured end-to-end tracking of election asset, ballots and supplies.
The proven web-based solution adopts 256-bits secure hashing and encryption of data during transmission and communications.
Each of the components comprising a functional election system are grouped and tagged for ease of verification in preparation for election, delivery to poll site, and return to the secure election warehouse.
WEB-BASED ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ELECTION SYSTEM, BALLOTS AND SUPPLIES
The asset management solution for election systems is different to many traditional assets and/or inventory management solution in many aspects. In this proposal, AVANTE International Technology, Inc. combines its expertise in asset and personnel tracking and visibility solution using barcode, RFID, GPS, WiFi, GPRS-Broadband and Satellite technologies and Election Management expertise for this customized Election Asset Management System.
There are substantial insufficiencies in traditional enterprise asset management systems and solutions in managing mobile assets and configured systems such as election systems, construction assets and systems, utility assets and systems, etc. Mobile assets and configured systems are deployed repeatedly to different physical job sites and utilized by different sets of personnel. In many circumstances, supplies and parts are consumed or destroyed that must be replenished before a new deployment. The following representation of typical asset management modules and functionalities clearly miss many different aspects in managing election assets and configured systems in an election cycle:
The key and distinguishing functions and features of this system is to provide a seamless “end-to-end” tracking of the election system not only for its traditional life-cycle tracking but also for its periodic election deployment. The following is a workflow representation:
The following are some of the highlights:
End-to-end tracking and documenting of the processes in each election for all of the election system at each county:
- Automatically uploads and updates the individual processes
- Tracking and documenting quarterly maintenance by who-when-what-where
- Tracking and documenting of the “preparation for election” by who-when-what-where
- Ballot loading for the scheduled election
- Testing and verification
- Sealing for security
- Completeness and conformance of the preparation processes
- Tracking and documenting the delivery from county warehouse to the precincts
- When and what are picked up by the delivery truck
- When and what are delivered to each precinct by the delivery truck
- Tracking and documenting the retrieval from precinct to the county warehouse
- When and what from the precinct loading onto the delivery truck
- When and what is unloaded at the warehouse from all precincts by the delivery truck
To achieve this goal of “End-to-end” tracking and documenting of the processes in each election for all of the election systems at each county, a specialized tracking device must include the following functions and features:
- IP-Based so that it can be attributed to “who” is performing the tracking and documentation
- 2-D barcode capability to have access to the key information of the election system and ability to look up data that may only be available from the web-based database. AVANTE uses @-D barcode and in some cases, “QR” format to provide this feature automatically and seamlessly.
- Embedded GPS-GPRS (Broadband) capability for providing real-time updating of the locations (RTLS) when the maintenance, delivery and other movements of the voting systems whenever they are scanned based on the required activities of:
- County receipt processes
- Periodic maintenance of activities
- Preparing voting systems for election deployment with ballot loading
| IP-Based 2-D barcode scanner can scan the location identifier such as warehouse, repair-maintenance area, election preparation area to positively identifying the actions taken on the voting system and uploaded via WiFi or GPRS-Broadband for communication |
| TABLE 1: FUNCTIONS OF PROPOSED MOBILE BARCODE SCANNER | ||
| FUNCTION | TECHNOLOGY | SOLUTION |
| Tracking Identifier | 2-D barcode | Incorporating additional details besides the item identifier number such as:
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| Location Data | Embedded High Sensitivity GPS and optional Gyroscopic Tracking | Embedded GPS provides location and date-time of when the system is being scanned for specific activities such as:
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| Real-Time Updating of Event | Embedded GPRS and Broadband capability in addition to stationary WiFi network | Embedded Broadband and/or GPRS updating status in real-time for the specific events in the web-based database:
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| Signature Capturing | Touch-screen (using stylus) for direct signature capturing on the scanner level | Instead of the traditional paper based on fixed station computer-based solution, this enhances:
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| Alerts and Prompting | SMS and other communication via broadband or GPRS |
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- Preparing voting systems for election deployment with system testing and verification
- Delivery voting systems to poll sites
- Retrieval of voting systems from poll sites
| IP-Based 2-D barcode scanner with embedded GPS for location tracking and GPRS-Broadband for communication can provide real-time updating of status of voting system delivery to and from the poll sites |
| TABLE 2: FUNCTIONS OF PROPOSED OPTIONAL UHF RFID PORTALS FOR NODAL VISIBILITY | ||
| FUNCTION | TECHNOLOGY | SOLUTION |
| Tracking Identifier | UHF Passive RFID with unique identifier and up to 2K bytes of data | While RFID can have extensive data, it is best used to automatically check and document events using the same item identifier number as barcode.
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| Location Data | Fixed portal typically located at the door or gate entrance/exit for nodal visibility | Nodal based location to provide primary date-time of when the system is being removed or returned for specific activities such as:
|
| Real-Time Updating of Event | Portal read data transmitted using Ethernet via stationary WiFi network | Portal records an event and updating with status in real-time in the web-based database:
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| Automatic Document and Verifying the Configuration of an election system | Reading multiple tags at the same time |
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| Instant Alerts and Prompting | The portal can provide alerts on systems that are wrongfully being taken out of the warehouse |
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- Ability to capture digital signature (digitized signature on the scanner) and on the computer accessing the web database.
- Ability to enter manual data such as security seal numbers, etc.
Passive RFID Portal and/or Active RFID Monitor:
- Providing optional passive RFID portal
- Based on UHF with reading distance of at least10 ft in orientation and directions of the portal design
- Portal reader for critical entry-exit of the county warehouse for the voting systems
- To provide possibility to automatically document the completeness of the election system configuration to be delivered
- Providing optional passive RFID portal
- Providing optional active RFIDmonitoring portal
- Based on 443 MHz active system with sensor-tag for motion and optical fiber seal to allow the direct and automatic monitoring the access to each voting systems
- Monitoring reader for the county warehouse for the voting systems
- To provide the possibility to automatically document the access to each voting system and removal from the warehouse to voting precincts or other purposes
| TABLE 3: FUNCTIONS OF OPTIONAL ACTIVE RFID RTLS FOR END-TO-END VISIBILITY | ||
| FUNCTION | TECHNOLOGY | SOLUTION |
| Tracking Identifier | Active ZONER RFID tag with unique identifier and up to 2K bytes or more for data | While active RFID can have extensive data, it is best used for more secure end-to-end tracking of intrusion and movements for critical systems.
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| Location Data | Fixed using the received signal strength to provide real-time location of the tagged voting systems | RTLS to provide location and movement in real-time including when, where, what and who are involved in:
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| Real-Time Updating of Event | The RTLS networking of monitoring reader transmitting data via stationary WiFi network or embedded GPRS | RTLS Monitoring network records an event and updating with status in real-time in the web-based database:
|
| Automatic Document and Verifying the Configuration of an election system | Reading multiple tags at the same time |
|
| Instant Alerts and Prompting | The RTLS monitoring units can provide alerts on systems that are wrongfully being taken out of the warehouse |
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Web-Based Database for Wide and Controlled Role Based Access in Providing Real-Time Visibility of Election Systems and Election Management:
- Hosting services with redundancy
- Role based access
- Real-time updating of status of individual voting system
- Facilitate efficient voting system deployment and election transparency
