If you have one, or more, bar code readers, you can save a lot of time by using these when counting your stock.

Using bar code readers, you can skip the tedious process of manually adding products to your stock count. You can simply walk around in your warehouse and scan the products with your bar code reader and enter the quantity of each product into the bar code reader. When this is done you connect your bar code reader to your PC, and import the stock count into Service Suite. Several hours of work can be saved, even if you have a relatively small inventory, when using bar code readers to make a count of your stock.

Let's take a close look at how this can be done.

 Defining a format for importing stock counts.

In order to be able to create a new stock count using your bar code reader, we must define the format that the bar code reader is capable of exporting. This is done by selecting the menu: "Settings" from the "Main menu", followed by the menu: "Barcode reader". The screen should now look like this:

Here you should begin by selecting the folder that will contain the data exported from your bar code reader. This can be done by pressing the button: "Change folder" besides the "Import folder" label. This will launch the following dialog:

In this dialog we select the import folder and press the button: "OK".

The next step is to define a format that matches the data exported from the bar code reader. This is done by clicking the link: "Change folder" besides the label: "Stock count". This dialog will appear:

As there are no formats defined yet, we press the button: "Create new format", which launches this dialog:

In this dialog you specify a name for this format, as well as a brief description of the format. Besides this the filename of the file exported from your bar code reader must be entered, as well as whether the format of the file is ANSI or ASCII.

When this information has been entered the button: "Next >" is pressed, which will lead us to the next step of this dialog:

As the above illustration shows, you only have to define the position of your item number and quantity fields exported from your bar code reader. When this has been done we press the button: "Finish", followed by "OK". Now our format has been defined and we are ready to import the stock count generated by our bar code reader.

 Importing a stock count.

Importing a stock count can be done from the stock count module in Service Suite. From the "Main menu" you select the menu: "Stock count" which will display the stock count module:

Here we select: "Import" from the icon bar, which will launch this dialog:

In this dialog you select the file that was exported from your bar code reader, and press the button: "OK" and the import will begin:

Now we wait for the stock count to be imported, and when this has been done we press the button: "OK". The stock count will now be imported:

If the file contained one or more items that could not be found in the products module of Service Suite, these product numbers as well as the registered quantity will be displayed in a special dialog.

The imported stock count will be created as a new stock count with the name: "New stock count" followed by the date and time the import took place. By pressing the button: "Administer stock counts" you can change the name of the stock count should you wish to.

By default imported stock counts will use the cost price of the products. If you wish to use the sales price instead, this can be done by adjusting your stock count. How this is done is described in the article: "How can a stock count be adjusted?" in the Tips & Tricks section.

 The stock count has been imported.

When the stock count has been imported you can modify it manually if you wish to.

The stock count can also be printed, exported and closed. Articles describing how this is done can be found in the Tips & Tricks section.

If you have any questions about how to create a new stock count using a bar code reader in Service Suite, you are always welcome to contact us at: servicesuite@mamut.com