Following is an overview of the Summit System. You can browse the main topics for a general overview, or follow all the links for a more in-depth study of the system. You can open the system modules as suggested and interactively follow along using the evaluation database, or simply follow the links included in the text. {Interactive instructions are enclosed in braces and in this text color}.

The Summit System is organized into several functional areas, allowing you to isolate personnel and their functions from the rest of the system. This also allows us to streamline the system, reducing its usage of your workstation's system resources. The main modules and their interaction is shown in the diagram below. 

[Note: although not shown in the diagram, all of the modules have various reports associated with them which are discussed within that module description or as separate modules in the system modules section.  For examples of many of the reports in the system, please see the Sample Report Book. (Best viewed with Adobe Reader V6.0.  Get the Adobe Reader here). There is also a module providing graphical presentation of many reports. Follow the link for more information and to see some samples.]

The Summit System uses powerful state-of-the-art database technology from Pervasive Software to provide both relational and transactional access to your database. Please see Why Pervasive for more information. Yes, the data dictionary is available for your use if you'd like to try your hand at designing your own reports.

To use the system, you must first launch the main module or a specific module to work in, and logon to a specific database as a user.  {Go to Start/Programs/Summit Software and select Summit For Windows. Press the Logon button or select File/Logon. Accept the default Smt database, leave user name blank, and press OK.}. Logging in tells the system which database to use and where it is located (you can have multiple databases to operate multiple stations independently, but most users have only one combined database so this shouldn't cause you much consternation). Logging in as a specific user is essential to system security: it tells the system what access and permissions you have in that database. Please see Define System Users for more information on this topic {Press the Users button on the main module to see the form. Close the Users Module before proceeding.}.

Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to webmaster@summitsoftware.com .
Copyright © 2002-2003 Summit Software Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Last modified: Thursday July 22, 2004.