Compare eHive и Proficio and Proficio Elements

Benefits:

eHive is very suitable for the community museum/archive sector because it's easy and intuitive to use - our volunteers (with a diverse range of ski... Read more

eHive is very suitable for the community museum/archive sector because it's easy and intuitive to use - our volunteers (with a diverse range of skillsets) LOVE using it. The user guides provided are very useful. It's easy to add images and pdf files. Regular harvesting of our records to the national database was very easy to arrange and we are pleased with the additional exposure that brings to us and our collections. The Vernon staff are very responsive to our questions and feedback. We like that the system complies with standards (mobile/device display, data harvesting, web for all) and that we can easily extract our data. Cataloguing in the cloud has opened up our productivity - the capacity for unlimited simultaneous users means that you can get more people involved in cataloguing and dramatically increase new input as well as carry out retrospective record maintenance. We'll never go back to our old locally loaded system. No installation, no upgrades, no maintenance contracts, cloud backup , very reasonable cost - really a hassle free way for an small to medium sized organisations to get their catalogues online.

Drawbacks:

You don't get the same flexibility as you do with expensive library systems (e.g. for some global changes), and the facility for controlled vocabul... Read more

You don't get the same flexibility as you do with expensive library systems (e.g. for some global changes), and the facility for controlled vocabulary is unsophisticated (no automatic redirects from non-preferred terms, no capacity for subject heirarchy), report and result printing is fairly rigid, and you need to know the syntax in order to carry out sophisticated searches. However, for the market it's designed for, the benefits far outweigh. And you can use eHive as a back end to your website and customise results lists and search screens. I understand that plans for multiple security and access levels are planned and this will be a good improvement for organisations with many cataloguers as amendments will be more easily tracked.

Summary:

Benefits:

The eHive interface is simple and attractive, as well as straightforward for visitors to search and navigate. My needs as a private collector are q... Read more

The eHive interface is simple and attractive, as well as straightforward for visitors to search and navigate. My needs as a private collector are quite straightforward, but there is great scope for customisation in the way that material is structured, catalogued and presented.

Drawbacks:

Not exactly a criticism, but the flexibility of eHive is something of a two-edged sword. There are, as one would expect, help facilities. Users ha... Read more

Not exactly a criticism, but the flexibility of eHive is something of a two-edged sword. There are, as one would expect, help facilities. Users have the option of doing everything themselves, as I did, or paying Vernon Systems to help and advise them. For example, Vernon Systems will perform bulk uploads of material. However, before you start you will need some idea of how the system works and what your options are. It also needs to be clear in your mind what you are trying to achieve, and who is your intended audience. There are a number of predefined templates for different types of content. Some of these are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and you need to choose what is most appropriate in each case. The data entry form looks rather daunting at first glance. You only need to populate the fields which are relevant to you, but you need to be clear from the outset what these are. Be prepared for some false starts, or having to return to add information to existing entries. If you are using images, you need to decide whether you wish to store the base images on site, and how you wish to display them. This will have implications for the storage space you use and therefore cost. I don't store images and display only small low-res versions. Finally, the main finding aid for visitors to your archive, and for you, will be the tag cloud. It needs to be both comprehensive and consistent.

Summary:

It allowed me to share my historic image collection in a structured and informative way.

Benefits:

Very easy to start using this software with good help information. I like that you can start for free to see if this will work for you. There are w... Read more

Very easy to start using this software with good help information. I like that you can start for free to see if this will work for you. There are wordpress modules that can be used with our website that is also a bonus.

Drawbacks:

That there isn't the ability to see more than the latest 12 records. When I have several users entering data it would be good to be able to see wha... Read more

That there isn't the ability to see more than the latest 12 records. When I have several users entering data it would be good to be able to see what was completed over the day. This ability is missing. Not being able to enter data from a spreadsheet ourselves, this is something we would have to pay to get done for us. Changing information in the dropdown tables is problematic. The information doesn't hold and records state there is information there when there is not. Very difficult when this information is current location and you're trying to search on what is at a particular location. Also searches are not always accurate. Even when searching on a term in quotes other records appear when they should not.

Summary:

It has enabled us to start digitising our collection and adding it to our website.

Benefits:

A very sophisticated collection management system that handles great range of collection processes and types of object.

Drawbacks:

the storage for subscription is limited. You have to pay so much more for a 50gb for $1200, which i think is very high price.

Summary:

Overall it is good to use and I am happy to test it without annual subscription.