Version 5.0 Feature Highlights

Definable Transaction Types

This tremendously powerful capability allows for as many as a dozen different types of sales transactions. Several Transaction Types are pre-configured and ready to use, including: Invoice, Layaway, Sales Order, Quote, On Hold, Rental, Gift Registry, Special Order, Service Order, Recurring Charge, and Archives. Extensive settings allow you to rename or control the behavior of each Transaction Type. Some of the settings include: the ability to require a minimum payment by percentage (e.g. on Layaways or Special Orders), whether to display one or two quantity columns and change the display titles of quantity columns.

Closeout details can also be saved as transactions, with full edit and reprint capabilities (limited by security levels).

Customer Contact Database

A default Contact record for each Customer can be used to store data such as a primary Shipping Address, Country, and Email address. Various supplemental data fields are also available on the Contact record. Contact records (which work in a parent/child-style relationship with the Customer record) can also be used for multiple “Ship-To” addresses per Customer, or to track sales by family member, employee, vehicle, job, etc.

Several new data fields are available on the Customer database record, including: Date Created, Last Edit Date, Age, Require PO, and a special Note field which will automatically display when the Customer is selected on a sale.

Improved Inventory Database

With two full screens of data fields per item, the Keystroke Inventory database offers the ultimate in inventory control capabilities. New Inventory database fields include: Location, Sale Quantity, Last Counted Date, Last Printed Date, Average Lead Time, Weight, Rental, No Discount, Date Created, Last Edit Date and more.

A Location database provides a third way to group Inventory, along with Department and Category. New controls are also available in Department, Category, and Location databases including: Target Profit Margin, Minimum Age requirement (for age verification on liquor and tobacco sales), and Script (requires Script Editor or User Bundle).

Other Database Enhancements

All database records now include Date Created and Last Edit Date fields, as well as a Hide/Show function to mark individual records as inactive (without deleting the data).

Valid Entries Lists can be created for virtually all database fields to improve data entry speed and consistency. While these user-definable lookup lists can be used in nearly any database field (e.g., Inventory Manufacturer, Customer Class, Salutation, Title), the most common use is for City, State and Zip Code on Customer, Contact and Vendor records. For example; the Valid Entries List can automatically populate the City, State, and Zip fields based on the entry of a valid Zip Code. Unique Entry Codes can be used for even quicker entry (e.g., “1” might represent North Platte, NE 69101), or you can press [INS] to select from a list of Valid Entries for the field.

A Picture Viewer feature allows Graphic images to be displayed for Inventory, Customers, Contacts, or any other database record. Just press [Ctrl]+[F2] to display the JPEG or other graphic file attributed to the currently selected database record.

Enhanced Configuration Controls and Security Features

Keystroke POS has long been known and respected for its outstanding flexibility. In Version 5, dozens of new settings, security levels, and other features provide even more control and the ultimate in POS system flexibility.

Security Levels have been added and reorganized to allow easier and more defined configuration. A Change Password function has been added, as well as advanced Password controls (Minimum Length, Maximum Attempts, automatic expiration). Password encryption has also been improved.

Other improvements include added support for Windows printer drivers and OPOS support for customer displays and cash drawers. Controls for managing multi-drawer installations have been enhanced, and new .INI file settings allow for advanced data file control (e.g., shared customer database with separate sales transactions and inventories).

A virtually unlimited number of transaction Print Buttons can defined, with user access limited by Transaction Type and Security Level. Print Buttons can be configured to generate multiple forms, and can be hidden for automatic stealth operation to a file or remote printer.

Other Capabilities

A handy ShowInfo utility opens the door for many diverse custom enhancements to Keystroke POS. Activated by pressing [Ctrl]+[F2] from an inventory or other database record, the ShowInfo utility writes the data for the current record to a temporary file (with the .KFO extension, for “Keystroke inFOrmation”). Another program can then read the information about the currently selected record and do something with it such as display an image or supplementary data from another database. Although the Picture Viewer is built-in to Keystroke POS, this is a perfect example of the type of enhancement possible with the ShowInfo utility. In fact, an alternate stand-alone Photo Viewer program is included in the User Bundle. Photo Viewer offers added flexibility and can also be used to help manage inventory photo files.

Contract Pricing adds the ability to offer special pricing per item per customer. Using the Contract Pricing editor, unique prices can be set for each customer, for a single item or for many items (included with User Bundle).

The Keystroke to QuickBooks Data Transfer Utility is a slick way to transfer sales and other data directly to QuickBooks Pro 2002 or later (included with GL Link).

The Script Editor can now be used to define Start Sale and End Sale Scripts to run at the beginning or end of every sales transaction. Master Scripts can also be assigned to entire Departments, Categories, or Locations. A variety of new Script settings are also available in including: Run Once Per Transaction, Default Customer Only, Run Script from Item and Select Comments from Item.

Report Engine/Editor

The underlying software engine used to generate reports in Keystroke has been entirely revamped in Version 5. The content and layout of reports are governed by forms, that can be modified using a Report Editor utility (available exclusively with the User Bundle license).

The re-written report engine is capable of generating some report formats not previously available except as a custom written stand-alone report program. In addition, similar to invoice and receipt forms in earlier versions of Keystroke, report form files are portable, enabling Dealers and users to share or exchange modifications without re-coding.

Download the PDF summary version of the Keystroke POS Version 5.0 Features Highlights.