The Inventory Database is used to manage information about Inventory Items. Each inventory record includes four screens: Main Screen, Order Data Screen, More Data Screen, Custom Data Screen. The top section of each screen displays some of the same fields making it easy to verify which record is currently being viewed. Inventory database fields are placed on separate screens to make viewing easier for different functions (Sales, Purchases, etc.).
An Inventory database record should be created to track the purchase, sale, profit, etc. of each item available for sale (including service items such as Labor, Gift Wrapping, etc.). If possible, import the Inventory records using the Data Importer. If Inventory records are not available in any digital form, create a spreadsheet that includes a column for each field of information that needs to be populated. Use the spreadsheet to enter each record, one per row, then import
the records. New inventory records can also be entered on-the-fly from a Purchase Transaction when it is discovered the item being purchased is not yet in the Inventory database.
Special attention should be paid to the six indexed (lookup or sort by) fields: Stock Number, Product Code, Class, AltID#, Manufacturer, and Description. Indexed fields are used to sort the records in Lookup Lists and in Reports. The Stock Number is automatically assigned, is used internally to identify each item, and cannot be changed. The Product Code is normally used for the barcode characters (supports both numbers and upper-case letters). The Class can be used as an alternative look up method or code (supports both numbers and letters). The Alternate ID Number can be used for additional look up number codes (supports only numbers). Manufacturer and Description are self-explanatory and support both numbers and letters. Extended Description, although located in the same screen section as the indexed fields, is not indexed and is intended to be used as an extension of the Description field or as a separate, secondary description for printing on Reports and Labels (supports both numbers and letters).
Special attention should be paid to the Description field since it is the field most commonly viewed to identify a record. Care should be taken to ensure the Description field contains no spelling errors and that a consistent naming convention is used to describe similar Inventory items. An example of a naming convention would be to order the sequence of the words used from most general to most detailed (e.g. "Pepsi Case Bottles", "Pepsi Case Cans", "Pepsi Six-Pack Bottles", "Pepsi Six-Pack Cans", "Pepsi Single Bottles", "Pepsi Single Cans").
Special attention should be paid to the three grouping fields: Department, Category, and Location. These fields are used to group similar records, mainly for the purpose of sales and purchases subtotals in inventory reports.
Note: The Department, Category and Location fields are each supported by their respective databases. Each of these databases must be populated with records to support their selection from an Inventory record via a Lookup List. Navigate to the Inventory record's Department field and press [Ins] or use the Lookup List button to select the item's Department.
Identify all Inventory items that are purchased in bulk and sold in smaller quantities (for example, tennis balls which are purchased in cases of 24 canisters, but are sold by the canister rather than by the case). The case breakdown feature is used to set up the automatic breakdown of case items into selling unit items (based on the selling unit's Minimum Quantity requirement, using the Parent Item and Multiplier Quantity fields).
Identify all Inventory items that are eligible to be sold at discount prices. Price Tables
(Configuration-Tables-Price) are used to set up selling price discounts.
Identify all Inventory items that are non-taxable. Tax Tables (Configuration-Tables-Tax) are used to set up Sales Tax rates.
Identify all Inventory items that require customized sales or purchasing procedures. Items set up with customized entry procedures, called Scripts, are referred to as Scripted Items. Scripts are procedures that run automatically when a Scripted Item is added to a transaction. Each inventory item may have its own unique Script(s). Scripts may include any combination of Script Types including special reminder messages, on-screen prompts, tag- along items, components items, alternate items, suggested add-on items, etc. To set up a Script for an item, select the Script Button at the bottom of any of the four Inventory record screens to open the Scripted Item screen. In the Scripts box, press [Ins] to open the Edit Script screen. Select the Type button to choose the type of Script to be configured. The configuration options available on the Edit Script screen are unique to the type of Script chosen.
Identify all Inventory Items that utilize a Matrix Table. Matrix Tables enable inventory control for all of the variations of an Inventory item (Size, Color, Style, etc.) See Using Matrix Tables to learn more about when to use Matrix Tables. Matrix Tables must be enabled before they can be set up. Turn ON the Enable Matrixing parameter on the Database Settings screen (Configuration-Settings-Databases) and select the OK button to save. The Matrix Parameters should be left at their default settings unless it is absolutely necessary to change them. Each Matrix Table can have as many as four Matrix Categories. A Matrix Category is a type of feature, for example: Size, Color, Style, Finish, Texture, etc. Each Matrix Category can have as many as 99 Matrix Elements. A Matrix Element is an individual feature within a Matrix Category. Examples of Elements within a Category titled Size include: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large. Examples of Elements within a Category titled Color include: Red, Blue, Green, and Tan. Each Matrix Table and Matrix Category must have a unique Code. The same Code for Elements can be used in different Categories. A Table with 4 Categories, each with 99 Elements, could include 96
million items. To set up a Matrix Table for an Inventory record, navigate to the Matrix Table field on the Inventory record Main Screen and press [Ins] or use the Lookup List button to select the appropriate Matrix Table. If no Matrix Tables exist, press [Ins] once more (from the Lookup List) to create a new Matrix Table. Inventory Items that use a Matrix Table are referred to as Matrixed Inventory Items. To edit Matrix Item fields for a Matrixed Inventory Item, select the Matrix button at the bottom of any of the four Inventory record screens to open the Matrix Item screen. Select a Matrix Item and press [F3] to edit the Matrix Item record. Each Matrix Item record has 2 screens: the Matrix Main Screen and the Matrix More Data Screen.
Note / Very Important: Matrix Tables and Matrixed Inventory Items should be completely set up and configured before any Matrixed Inventory Items are purchased or sold. If, after items have been entered into a Matrix Table, and the decision is made to change the order of the Categories, Keystroke will attempt to update every historical transaction and make changes to the new code. This process can take much time and should only be done if absolutely necessary.
Identify all Inventory Items that use Serial Numbers. Enable the Serialized flag on the Inventory Main Screen for every item for which serial number tracking is required.
Serial Number are added to a Serialized Inventory Item's Serial Numbers list:
- when setting up a new Keystroke system while manually enter inventory data.
- when receiving Serialized Inventory Items using Purchase Invoices.
- when Serialized Inventory Items are returned using Sales Invoices.
- when adjusting physical quantities using a Variance (Databases-Inventory-Special Menu-Variance).
Serial Numbers are removed from an item's Serial Number list:
- when selling Serialized Inventory Items using Sales Invoices.
- when Serialized Inventory Items are returned to Vendors using Purchase Invoices.
- when adjusting physical quantities using a Variance.
Identify all Inventory Items that use Alternate Codes. Alternate Codes are simply additional codes available to identify an item to add to a transaction. When an Inventory item is entered on a transaction, the item is identified using the field by which it was entered. If the item is not found and the Alternate Search Fields parameter (Configuration-Settings-Databases-Alternate Search Fields) is enabled for any other fields, those other field indexes are searched in the following order: Stock Number, Product Code, Class, Manufacturer, Description. If a match is still not located,
the Alternate Codes list is searched.
Common uses for Alternate Codes:
- Liquor bottles in holiday packaging (same item with a different holiday package barcode).
- Superseded part numbers.
- Vendor part numbers.
Alternate Codes may be manually added for individual Inventory items by selecting the AltCodes Button at the bottom of any of the four Inventory record screens to open the Alternate Codes list. Alternate Codes can be automatically updated and maintained using the Alternate Code Field Links parameter (Configuration-Settings-Databases-Alt Code Field Links Button). For fields that are selected on the Alternate Code Field Links screen, as database records are saved, the text from the linked field(s) is added to the Alt Code List (if it is not already there) and if the old text exists on the Alt Code List, it is automatically removed.
Note: Indexed fields (e.g. Product Code), those marked with an "*" on the Alternate Code Field Links screen option lists, work a bit differently than the other fields. Since indexed fields are already searched, adding them to the Alt Code list is not necessary. Instead, the previous text is added to the Alt Code List when the field is changed (instead of the new text), creating a list of the old values in case they are still needed.
There are 4 Inventory Database Screens (use the Database screen buttons in the lower right or press [F9] to navigate through the screens):
Main Screen
Order Data Screen
More Data Screen
Custom Data Screen
See:
Database Manager Contents