Archive for the ‘Product: How-To’ Category

Tool Tip: Expiration Dates

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

KCSI Technical Writer Marc Kondylis sends us this  Tool Tip:

Expiration Dates

If you stock items with a limited shelf life, you can assign expiration dates to these items. In addition SIMMS can alert you when that item nears its expiration date. The careful management of items with limited shelf life can prevent losing stock (and money) because an item has gone bad.

Enable Expiration Dates

Before you assign an expiration date to an item, you need to enable the option.

  • In the Item Manager window, click the Advanced tab, and then click Use Expiration Dates.

With the option enabled, you can then set the expiration date for the item when you receive it into inventory.

Assign an Expiration Date for an Item

You assign an expiration date for an item when you receive it into inventory. In addition to assigning the expiration date, you also need to assign a manufacturer lot code for the item.

  1. On the Modules menu, point to Purchasing, and then click New Receipt of Goods.
  2. Process the receipt of goods as you normally would, but on the Details tab, in the Manufacturer Lot list, select a manufacturer lot.

 

1. Click the Expiration Date check box, and set the expiration date in the date box.

2. Compete your receipt of goods as you normally would.

SIMMS can alert you when an item comes close to its expiration date.

To receive alerts for items close to their expiration dates, go to Setup > Settings > Global Settings > General tab. In the Expiration Date – advance warning of  box, type the number of days before an item expires that you wish to receive an alert.

To view a list of all items with an expiration date, go to Inventory > Operational Reports > Item Reports > Expiration Report.

SIMMS Tip: Fixing On-hand Quantity and Serial Number Count Mismatches

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

KCSI Technical Writer Marc Kondylis sends us today’s SIMMS Tip…

Within SIMMS, the item quantities and the serial number counts must match. You cannot have more or less serial numbers than you have items on-hand. You fix an on-hand quantity and serial number count mismatch in the Assign Serial Number to Stock Items window.

In the Assign Serial Numbers to Stock Items window there are two
read-only boxes: On-hand Quantity and SN Count. You add a serial
number to an item or remove a serialized item to match the serial number count with the on-hand quantity.


1. On the Inventory menu, point to Serial Numbers, and then
click Assign Serial Numbers to Stock Items.
The Assign Serial Numbers to Stock Items window opens.

2. In the Item list, select an item.

3. In the Location list, select the location of your item.

4. Click the Search button.

Your serialized items list in the Serial Number Information
grid.

5. Do one of the following:

• To add a serial number to an item, in the Serial Number
column, type the serial number for the item that requires
one.

• To remove a serialized item, in the Remove column, click
the check box for the serialized item you wish to remove.

6. Click Save, and then click Close.

How Do I Get More Info on the Sales Tags of My Jackets?

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

[This question was submitted by a desperate clothier a while back]
A great many businesses selling apparel want more data on their product tags, whether they sell shoes, t-shirts or in this case, jackets. The modern science of barcoding usually solves this challenge for them by printing off SKU numbers, which allow for multiple bits of information to be combined within the SKU.

For example, MAJAN is a possible section of a SKU number that provides two characters for the manufacturer’s name (MA for Marshall), two characters for the product (JA for jacket) and one character for material (N for nylon). In addition to NRF (National Retail Foundation) codes, manufacturer’s lot information can appear on the tag (such as 01-BK-L, which represents style 1, color black and size large) and many such barcode labels (tags) can be formatted to contain almost any information the seller requires.

One example produced for the person who asked the question is as follows:

Tag for customer's jacket

In it, the customer wanted the item price, size and color information, SKU info and the item description, and that’s precisely what she got, in the layout style she needed. SIMMS Inventory Management software uses Crystal Reports to edit the content and design of the barcodes to fit dozens of industry-standard barcode tags, and customization can go beyond the established list to suit any company’s size and layout needs.

Contact KCSI today to learn more about how the details you want on your price tags can be added with speed and ease if you use SIMMS as your barcoding/price tagging solution.

Stock Transfers—Your Saving Grace During Rush Time

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

A customer calls with a need for a package of exactly twenty units of a certain product. However, your local storeroom only has fifteen. Using SIMMS Inventory Management software, the concern is quickly forgotten with a quick glance at SIMMS’ Quick Stock Window, which shows you all your stock in all your locations, both local and distant. You confirm the delivery with the customer then process an Item Transfer. Location B across town has the other five and you transfer them to your branch, and upon arrival, the entire shipment is out the door to the customer, as requested.

Transfers

Here you go...

SIMMS’ Item Transfers are made from a simple Transfer window that allows movement of single items (or groups of items) simply and easily. The transfer confirmation process allows for complete up-to-the-minute accuracy when the receiving department logs into SIMMS the moment the goods physically arrive. Transfers can contain many items, all of which can be targeted specifically, such as Item 1 going to Shelf A, Item Two going to Bin B and Item 3 going to Room C.

Thus, while other companies are scrambling to both get orders placed with their vendors and then scheduling the delivery date(s) with their customers, you’ve already got the order on its way to the customer. Let your competitors be rushed and frustrated. With SIMMS Item Transfer feature, you can keep your cool and provide precise and timely service to your customers.

Contact KCSI today to learn more about how SIMMS can help your business succeed while you can devote more time to growing it instead of wasting time trying to run it.

How the Fulfillment Module Can Help Inventory Management

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

SIMMS’ Fulfillment Module is designed to work in conjunction with the Replenishment Module. Once a purchase order has been generated for the stock required to fill sales orders and the purchase order has been approved and received, the sales order is added to the list in the Fulfillment Module waiting for the order to be picked and invoiced. You can process all items on a sales order into an invoice or invoice individual items on a sales order. In addition, you have the option to invoice individual sales orders or automatically invoice all sales orders, using the “Recalculate Fill Quantity” process (the fill quantity is the item’s quantity on a sales order).

Order selection can be filtered by customers, categories or items. Fill quantities can be automatically filled using available stock or reset to zero, and then can be recalculated at any time. You can manually enter only the quantities they need, avoiding investment in overstocking, thus saving you time and money. Once the required amount of stock is known, purchase orders can be created for unavailable stock involved in the fulfillment process, either an item at a time or by the batch of required items. Quantities of items already on purchase orders are displayed, helping you to avoid creating duplicate orders. Invoices that feature all (or some) fulfillment items can be generated, while any items that are already invoiced (or partially invoiced) are displayed. Comprehensive picking lists can be generated once selected quantities have been either manually or automatically updated.

SIMMS’ Fulfillment keeps all details of the stock you have ordered – or need to order – clear and concise so that you are not wasting extra time and money on stock that is not needed.

Contact KCSI today to learn more about how Item Fulfillment can help you master your ordering needs and keep your customers satisfied.

Getting the Inventory Information You Need

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Inventory is always about information. If you don’t have enough stock, your customers go elsewhere; if you don’t have enough information, you can’t fix your stock shortage problems.

SIMMS Inventory Management software provides advance notice of pending reorder points and helps you plan order of inventory that not only will guarantee that you have enough goods to keep your clients supplied but also helps you take advantage of volume buys that optimize your cash investment and lead to stock turnover — where you reap the profits from the sales of that stock.

Contact KCSI today to learn more about how information about your inventory is truly power.