PantryTrak usage for FISH, Inc.

Yesterday, I had a conversation with Jill and Bob from FISH, Inc. about improving how we track client data. Many food banks across the U.S. use an internet-based system called PantryTrak.com, which could simplify and streamline our processes.

Instead of relying solely on our custom-built food tracking software, why not fully adopt PantryTrak for food data? For the clothing and housewares services we provide, we could develop a simple in-house system to manage those areas. I proposed a draft design for a basic program that could handle this, purely as a brainstorming exercise. The screen prints below outline a bare-bones concept with no built-in logic yet—just a starting point to spark ideas.

Currently, we duplicate work by entering updates into our food tracking system and then re-entering the same information into PantryTrak, which is a requirement of our affiliation with them. This redundancy seems inefficient. By using PantryTrak exclusively for food tracking and developing a lightweight tool for clothing and housewares, we could save time and resources while keeping things simple (K.I.S.S.).

Here’s the rough draft of the concept I envisioned.

PantryTrak Search window (No... That is not me being displayed!):

PantryTrak Edit Window: