Inventory Management Software : Sales Order

Great Plains Sales Order Processing and Invoicing Modules – tips for consultant
by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Great Plains – main Microsoft Business Solutions application for US and Latin American (except Brazil, where MBS promotes Navision) markets is built with multiple modules. In the case of Sales automation you – software selection specialist should consider two Microsoft Great Plains modules: Sales Order Processing (SOP) and Invoicing. You should understand the difference between the two and see which one is the best fit for your company. Let’s consider two modules SOP and Invoicing. We’ll give you non formal view, based on our consulting practice.

Common Features. SOP and Invoicing have these features

• Sales Automation – this is obvious statement.
• Posting to GL and Bank Reconciliation – this means that automated posting across Microsoft Great Plains is applicable to both modules as well as to the whole Great Plains design.
• Integration with Accounts Receivable (AR) module - Great Plains has very clear structure of base modules: GL (core), AR, AP, IV (inventory control). When you post document from SOP or Invoicing – system creates posted RM Sales transaction (Invoice) in Accounts Receivable module
• Integration with Inventory Control Module – both modules are integrated with Inventory Control – this means that you can select items from the inventory as well as non inventoried items and have them as Invoice lines.

Sales Order Processing Additional Features. These are what you don’t have in Invoicing

• Quote/Sales Order/Back Order/Return – you have workflow. You can start with quotation, then you can transfer quote to sales order (with Items allocation or without it in Inventory control). Then sales order can be transferred to Invoice or Backorder (in the case of shortage)
• Process Holds – you can have holds with password protection placed on the way of transferring quote to invoice or order. Other holds functions are: printing, fulfilling and posting. However we would like to tell you about our experience. In 10+ years of our consulting practice we had only couple of clients who used this holds feature
• Quote/Order/Invoice types – you can define these types and have different workflows associated with each of them. Imagine – Internet Orders you transfer to internet invoices, government quotes you either void or transfer to government orders, etc.

Do I need consultant? It is probably good idea to have consultant to do the upgrade. We strongly recommend you to use consultant in the following cases

• You have Dexterity customization
• You are doing migration from Pervasive/Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, especially when you have third-parties without migration tools
• You have a lot or ReportWriter Modified Great Plains Reports
• You have old version of Great Plains: Dynamics or eEnterprise 6.0 or prior - in this case you can not appeal to Microsoft Technical Support - it is discontinued
• Your Great Plains has more than 20 users and you have to have upgrade done over the weekend - if it fails - you have business problems
• You don't have support - in this case you have to select your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and pay for the annual support/enhancement plan - you will get new registration key and will be ready for the upgrade

Good luck with modules selection and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, with offices in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Denver, UK, Australia, Europe and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew: akarasev@albaspectrum.com

Other article by : Andrew Karasev

Customization Tools for Microsoft Dynamics GP - overview

Microsoft Dynamics GP or former Great Plains Software eEnterprise/Dynamics is matured ERP/MRP application and its customization tools evolution came in parallel with the evolution of our computing tools and hardware fleet. This article gives you highlights on the Legacy and New tools and you are the one to make a decision.

• Legacy Tools. Great Plains Dexterity was designed on several fundamental idea, popular in the beginning of 1990th – computer graphical platform and database platform independence, and logically as you might remember the stake was on C programming language, as the hybrid of assembler and at the same time more generic programming or high level language. Obviously if you decide to stake on one – you have to sacrifice or disregard the other. In the case of Great Plains Dexterity we see the following problems: lack of Unicode support (making it not a good choice for international expansion), DEX_ROW_ID – in SQL Server database – each dexterity table must have this field, used by Dexterity engine internally, inflexibility in ReportWriter or Dex reports, where you have to use only key-based links. Plus graphical interface is kind of outdated – again it is based on C transferable graphics

• eConnect & XML web services. With the progress of Project Green or now Microsoft Dynamics project, there is the potential need to resolve multiple database kernels for several Microsoft ERP: Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Solomon with unified interface, utilizing .Net or its successor. eConnect allows developer to manipulate Microsoft Dynamics GP objects through programmable .Net interfaces. If you will deploy web service envelopes then you potentially can be independent from programming language and computer technologies, and so manipulate Microsoft Great Plains business logic from your front end application of choice, including eCommerce, EDI, J2EE, Oracle, Business Intelligence (BI), etc.

• Dexterity Customizations Upgrade recommendations. It is probably not reasonable to spend large budget to switching to new technologies in one step, however you should consider step-by-step switch. We recommend you to deploy eConnect and web service interfaces as much as you can, plus try to switch reporting from Dexterity to SQL Server Reporting Services

• Crystal Reports. As you can conclude – Microsoft will be recommending SRS versus Crystal Reports, and you probably remember, that Crystal was the reporting tool of choice for older Microsoft Great Plains versions: 5.5, 6.0, 7.0 and 7.5

• Recent Tools. Xtender, Excel, Explorer and other “end-user-friendly” tools. In this article we definitely recommend you to do your intuitive discovery, but we concentrate on programmer approach and instruments.

Please do not hesitate to call or email us: USA/Canada: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, Europe: +44 20 8123 2580, +45 36 96 55 20, Mexico: 52-55-535-04027 help@albaspectrum.com

Topics to be covered:

1] inventory management software applications
2] inventory management software bar code
3] inventory management software download
4] inventory management software system
5] inventory management software reviews
6] inventory management software open
7] inventory management software tips
8] inventory management software Australia
9] inventory management software Canada
10] inventory management software German
11] inventory management software India
12] inventory management software France
13] inventory management software Italy
14] inventory management software Singapore
15] inventory management software Egypt

Inventory Management Software: Process

Inventory Management Software: Process

Inventory Management Software : Made Easy and Billing Software

Inventory Management Made Easy
by: Reggie Andersen

Devising an inventory management program that will generate maximum sales and profitability requires an advanced computerized program that is difficult and costly for a retailer to implement, but should be offered as part of the supplier program.

Failure to customize video sell-through programs to the needs of individual stores most often will result in erratic sales performance and lower than expected profitability. Because the dynamics involved in achieving sell-through success are different in each store, the program must be tailored to the individual situation. A cookie-cutter approach that treats all stores within a chain as essentially the same is a sure recipe for disappointment.

The supplier must devise an inventory management program -- including the size of the section, the category of titles to be stressed, the price points to be offered, and the signage and promotions to be featured -- to the particular demographics of the store. As retailers often do not have the time or extra resources to manage the complicated section on a store by store basis, especially with the enormous number of titles involved in video sell-through, finding a supplier who provides that service is vital to cashing in on the category's full potential.

Although many suppliers are now jumping into the sell-through video marketing arena, choosing a company that has extensive video experience in the supermarket environment is important. Properly managing a sell-through section is not easy. Suppliers must not only have a large number of video titles available but also be able to analyze the section's potential for succeeding. To do that, the supplier should already be familiar with the supermarket industry and have a demonstrated ability to provide solid retail support at store level. A successful program requires constant, efficient in-store service by a fully trained, experienced service staff. The supplier must be able to execute at store level.

One solution to ensuring that the supplier selected can fulfill the program's promise may be for retailers to choose a company they already have a buying relationship with or that at least has considerable experience servicing supermarket departments.

Ensuring that the video sell-through program is managed primarily by the supplier -- rather than requiring extensive in-store labor -- can be crucial to maximizing in-store profitability. The difference between staffing the department and selling product and having to run the entire operation -- from selecting titles initially to charting sales to restocking the fixtures -- is significant and can tie up a tremendous amount of valuable time.

The best programs minimize the amount of in-store labor necessary to run the section by providing a complete inventory management service. The other option -- to manage the section in-store with minimal outside help -- is often frustrating and can eventually lead to failure.


About The Author
For the latest in inventory management software and systems, see:www.inventorymanagementinfo.net Inventory Management.


Below is an additional information regarding billing software.

How To Choose The Right Small Business Billing Software
by: Josh Bender

If you own or manage a small business, you know how much time can be spent chasing down paper invoices, purchase orders and sales reports. It can be a real nightmare! That is where billing software comes in. It allows you to record all your customers, sales, invoices, inventory, suppliers (and more) in a PC-based system that is easy to use.

Deciding that you need to invest in good quality billing software is not hard. The tricky part can be choosing the right software package for your requirements. There are dozens of systems on the market claiming to be the holy grail of all your business problems, but choosing the wrong one can cost you valuable time and money.

Here's a simple checklist of 11 things to look for when purchasing billing software for your small business:

1) Customer records

2) Multiple contacts & Communication history

3) Multiple shipments

4) Search facility

5) Tax & regional support

6) Reporting

7) Backup

8) Online help & support

9) Budget

10) Customizations

11) Other features

What else do you want from you billing software? If you deal with fixed price products, you may need a comprehensive inventory management system allowing you to purchase stock, manage inventory levels and supplier relations. Some quality software packages also include a useful follow-up diary, allowing you to keep track of tasks and assign them to other staff members.

When choosing a billing software package for your business, make sure you check that it offers everything your business needs. And then the only thing you'll have to worry about is what to do with all your newly found spare time!

About The Author

Josh Bender is an experienced database developer and qualified software engineer. He helps small-to-medium businesses streamline processes and improve efficiency using reliable and proven software solutions.

Take a free test drive of 'InstantSalesTracker', easy-to-use billing software: www.InstantSalesTracker.com.

previous topics:
1] Inventory management software : Introduction
2] Inventory management software system
3] inventory management software : The Principles

topics to be covered:

4] inventory management software applications
5] inventory management software bar code
6] inventory management software download
7] inventory management software system
8] inventory management software reviews
9] inventory management software open
10] inventory management software tips

Inventory Management Software : The principles

Inventory Management Software : The principles and tips

To day, I would like to share 2 articles regarding Inventory Management.

The Principles Of Effective Inventory Management
by: Aaron Prather

Proper inventory management is all about having sufficient inventory to cover your actual or anticipated demand. Inventory management is the combination of knowledge, process, measures, and reporting that together maximizes availability while minimizing investment. Efficient inventory management allows the management of sales, purchases and payments. Inventory management is a vital function to and organization and helps insure the success of the manufacturing and distribution companies.

Inventory management is common factor to businesses in all industries. Inventory costs money and carrying too much inventory is an unnecessary expense. Inventory management affects organizations' internal operations through their cost accounting techniques, while inventory control is concerned with minimizing the total cost of inventory. Inventory is often seen as ‘set and forget’ asset, once inventory levels have been optimized it is not needed to revisit it again. Problems in inventory control are usually associated with the use of poor processes, practices, and outdated support systems.

Inventory management plays a central role in the supply chain in order to satisfy the customers, by helping to ensure that a proper inventory is maintained at all times. Inventory management can help make it so that a company has the exact supply needed to meet demand. Inventory management is also an effective method to keep track of exactly what products a company carries. Although inventory management appears as an asset on the company’s balance sheet, it also ties up money.

Millions of dollars on software and inventory management systems are spent by companies in an effort to maximize their return on investment from inventory. Proper inventory management is essentially a management discipline, by forecasting what quantity of stock is needed and when it is needed, as well as accounting of the stock so that you can keep track of it in the system. Manually conducting inventory management can be burden for most organizations, but through the use of automation, a business can improve their inventory management without a lot of additional cost. A successfully implemented inventory management system will carry just enough of each item to meet demand at any given time, and as a result reduce the cost of storage of extra stock or causing delays by not meeting demand. This Just In Time manufacturing method incorporates this idea into an inventory management system that industries, like retailing, have used with great success.

Proper inventory management is a delicate maintenance of the balance of supply and demand by maintaining the appropriate level of stock in a warehouse. Basically inventory management is about keeping two things in mind: don’t run out, and don’t have too much. Having the delicate balance of supply and demand firmly mastered, is what effective inventory management is all about.

About The Author
Aaron H Prather owns and operates www.inventorymanaging.com which covers the principles, tools, and methods in effective inventory management. Inventory Management

***
Inventory Management Made Easy
by: Reggie Andersen

Devising an inventory management program that will generate maximum sales and profitability requires an advanced computerized program that is difficult and costly for a retailer to implement, but should be offered as part of the supplier program.

Failure to customize video sell-through programs to the needs of individual stores most often will result in erratic sales performance and lower than expected profitability. Because the dynamics involved in achieving sell-through success are different in each store, the program must be tailored to the individual situation. A cookie-cutter approach that treats all stores within a chain as essentially the same is a sure recipe for disappointment.

The supplier must devise an inventory management program -- including the size of the section, the category of titles to be stressed, the price points to be offered, and the sign age and promotions to be featured -- to the particular demographics of the store. As retailers often do not have the time or extra resources to manage the complicated section on a store by store basis, especially with the enormous number of titles involved in video sell-through, finding a supplier who provides that service is vital to cashing in on the category's full potential.

Although many suppliers are now jumping into the sell-through video marketing arena, choosing a company that has extensive video experience in the supermarket environment is important. Properly managing a sell-through section is not easy. Suppliers must not only have a large number of video titles available but also be able to analyze the section's potential for succeeding. To do that, the supplier should already be familiar with the supermarket industry and have a demonstrated ability to provide solid retail support at store level. A successful program requires constant, efficient in-store service by a fully trained, experienced service staff. The supplier must be able to execute at store level.

One solution to ensuring that the supplier selected can fulfill the program's promise may be for retailers to choose a company they already have a buying relationship with or that at least has considerable experience servicing supermarket departments.

Ensuring that the video sell-through program is managed primarily by the supplier -- rather than requiring extensive in-store labor -- can be crucial to maximizing in-store profitability. The difference between staffing the department and selling product and having to run the entire operation -- from selecting titles initially to charting sales to restocking the fixtures -- is significant and can tie up a tremendous amount of valuable time.

The best programs minimize the amount of in-store labor necessary to run the section by providing a complete inventory management service. The other option -- to manage the section in-store with minimal outside help -- is often frustrating and can eventually lead to failure.

About The Author
For the latest in inventory management software and systems, see: www.inventorymanagementinfo.net Inventory Management.

***
previous topics:
1] Inventory management software : Introduction
2] Inventory management software system

topics to be covered:

4] inventory management software applications
5] inventory management software barcode
6] inventory management software download
7] inventory management software india
8] inventory management software miami
9] inventory management software open
10]inventory management software tips
11]inventory management software reviews
12]inventory management software system

Inventory Management Software System

Inventory Management Software System Category.

To day, while surfing the internet I found an article that mentioning about tips and tactics for best inventory management system practices. This article is written by Irwin Spiezer [www.business.com]. Let's see what are the tips and tactics for best inventory management system practices.

• Look for defects: Check new items for defects or damage before adding to inventory.
• Purge your inventory: Keep track of how long an item should remain in inventory and take action to sell it or dispose of it after the deadline.
• Spot Check: You should always have a system of periodic spot checks to make sure what's in your actual inventory agrees with your lists and logs.

He also wrote that an effective inventory management system can:

1. Reduce carrying costs.
2. Improve the ordering process.
3. Maximize order flow.
4. Reduce waste.
5. Get items on hand when you need them.
6. Increase customer satisfaction.

Lastly he gave an action steps for effective inventory management.
1] Learn the ins and outs of inventory management.
2] Know your inventory management needs.
3] Get rids of excess inventory.
4] Get inventory management software.
5] Get help with your inventory management system.

Hopefully this information can increase your level of understanding about inventory management software system.

Category : Inventory Management Software System.

***
previous topics:
1] Inventory management software : Introduction

next topics:
3] inventory management software : The Principles

topics to be covered:

4] inventory management software applications
5] inventory management software bar code
6] inventory management software download
7] inventory management software system
8] inventory management software reviews
9] inventory management software open
10] inventory management software tips

Inventory Management Software: Introduction

Inventory Management Software. What kind of particular thing is this?
Ha ha ha... this kind of key phrase is spinning around my head for a few days back.
Well, I keep searching this key phrase and finally I got a little bid information about this Inventory Management Software.
So, let's see what is "Inventory Management Software" all about.

What is "Inventory Management"?
Inventory management is the active control program which allows the management of sales, purchases and payments.

Inventory management software helps create invoices, purchase orders, receiving lists, payment receipts and can print bar coded labels. An inventory management software system configured to your warehouse, retail or product line will help to create revenue for your company. The Inventory Management will control operating costs and provide better understanding. I am trying to be your source for inventory management information, inventory management software and tools.

Further more information :
A complete Inventory Management Control system contains the following components:

1] Inventory Management Definition
2] Inventory Management Terms
3] Inventory Management Purposes
4] Definition and Objectives for Inventory Management
5] Organizational Hierarchy of Inventory Management
6] Inventory Management Planning
7] Inventory Management Controls for Inventory
8] Determining Inventory Management Stock Levels

OK, that is a little bit information about Inventory Management Software.

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next topics:
2] Inventory management software system
3] inventory management software : The Principles

topics to be covered:

4] inventory management software applications
5] inventory management software bar code
6] inventory management software download
7] inventory management software system
8] inventory management software reviews