[RKDinOKC]

Good for thought.

First, having seen SSI and the VA in action with two siblings...All I can say is good luck with your endeavor. The systems you are providing the interface for (especially the VA) are horribly flawed themselves causing most of not all of the problems. Hope your org will be able to at least make it easier to manage.

Secondly, I understand that dealing with this type of stuff is more paperwork management than people management so would recommend customizing a database engine rather than trying to customize a help ticket environment. Personally would contact Filemaker, Inc. The are a very easily customizable and great looking database with and extensive developer network. With Filemaker you could very easily create the app and deploy it over any client's you wanted for both clients and staff. The "app" would be a client with secure acces to the database residing on a server.

Personally have built up similar solutions. One was a worker's union keeping track of and managing grievances. Have also gone to businesses with similar data being managed expensive high maintenance solutions. After showing them the Filemaker environment it was so easy they quickly developed the apps themselves. Maintaining them was also easily making updates and changes in tune with how their business worked and changed. I ended up not doing any programming at all for them, just turned them on to Filemaker.

With a custom app or even a customized canned app you will always looking for a programer to maintain and update your app as the requirements change. With a customized canned app when updates to the canned app comes out it will break your customization. Also with most canned aops you will be forcced into the canned apps way of doing things and have a user training issue. With something easy to develop and maintain like Filemaker it will be no big deal. Your staff will be able to not only develop the system to work the way you do, but they will also be able make any updates and/or changes themselves.

Again, just food for thought.