Reference

Documentation check for fire alarm systems: a Windows tool instead of manual checking

EPSIA developed a Windows application for checking the documentation of fire alarm systems for a security technology planning and installation company.

The tool replaces manual file-by-file checking with a structured check run: load the system data, select the document folder, review automatically found matches and save the progress.

Illustrative image: a red fire extinguisher with operating instructions on a white wall, above it the fire extinguisher safety sign; behind it, out of focus, an office corridor with glass walls, workstations and a green escape route sign. — Illustrative image, fire protection. EPSIA's tool checks the documentation of fire alarm systems: for each detection zone it finds the corresponding document and records the inspection status.

Starting point

For the acceptance and maintenance of a fire alarm system, the required documents must be assigned to the respective zones and detector groups.

Whether all expected documents were actually present previously had to be checked manually. Files were searched for one by one and compared with the system data. There was no permanently saved check status for the individual detector groups.

The customer needed a small specialist application that would make this process structured and repeatable.

Solution

EPSIA developed a standalone Windows application in C# and .NET 8.

The application reads the existing XML system file and shows zones and detector groups together with system number and address in a searchable table.
A selected document folder is searched, including its subfolders.
The software automatically assigns existing PDF documents to the corresponding entries using defined search patterns.
Each row can have its own check status.
Progress is saved in a project file and is available again the next time it is opened.
Results can be exported to Excel or CSV.
Automated tests check the core processing and matching logic.

The application is provided as a single executable file and does not require a conventional installation on the user's computer.

Result

A manual search through individual files became a defined workflow:

Load system file → select document folder → review automatic matches → save progress.

System data, existing documentation and check status are now brought together in a single interface.

Around three months passed from the quotation to the first delivered version. Based on experience from practical use, a second development stage followed in June 2026.

What does this project show?

The project shows that a specialist application does not have to be large to improve a specialised workflow in a targeted way.

EPSIA turned a clearly defined manual process into a standalone Windows application that can be used without a conventional installation. Automated tests secure the core logic; feedback from practical use was then implemented in a further development stage.

The project was delivered at the agreed fixed price.

Key facts

Service: Specialist applications
Industry: Fire alarm and security technology
Period: January to June 2026, fixed price
Technology: C#, .NET 8, Windows Forms, xUnit, XML, CSV and Excel export.