Development of SATRAData began in the early 1980s, using the Apple II micro-computer. The project had the stated aim of providing a quick and accurate means of estimating direct labour costs. At the beginning of 1983, the first SATRAData system underwent factory trials. This early version of SATRAData was purely numeric, which meant that anything requiring measurement, such as seam paths, still had to be evaluated by hand. Even so, the average time required for upper costing was reduced from six hours, using manual methods, to two hours with the SATRAData software.

By 1984, SATRAData was running on the newly available Apple IIe, and had been linked to a sonic digitiser. This allowed items which were very time-consuming to measure by hand, to be entered using a stylus to capture the curves. Once captured, the SATRAData system could analyse this curve information and calculate the figures required. The digitiser cut the average time taken to cost an upper by a further 20%.

In the mid-1980s SATRAData was ported to run under DOS on the new range of IBM PCs. It now included a simple database and was accurately predicting times for all footwear manufacturing operations. In addition, modules to monitor results within the factory and help control the work loading of each department had been developed. By 1987, the system was being used in many different countries, including Australia and New Zealand.

A report on SATRAData by the Best Practises Task Force of the British Footwear Manufacturers’ Federation in 1989 emphasised the benefits of higher productivity and lower unit cost gain by using the system.

The development of DOS versions of SATRAData continued until the mid 1990s, when it was superseded by SATRAData 4 — the first version to run under Windows. SATRAData 4, and then 5, used a commercially produced database engine to ensure the integrity of the data and provide proper multi-user access control for the first time. The functionality of Windows 95 meant that it was now quicker and easier than ever to enter data into the system. By now, the sonic digitiser had made way for more modern electromagnetic tablets.

In 2006, work began on rewriting SATRAData to work with the Advantage Database Server to make the system more reliable and robust than ever. Advantage had already been successfully introduced into its sister system, SATRASumm. The work gave rise to SATRAData 6 — the first client/server version of the system. At this time, more improvements were added and SATRAData was given a new interface.

SATRAData is always looking to the future, with new features being suggested and incorporated all the time.

Where it goes next is up to you...