Dale,
Is it possible for DHPOS to open and edit stock table while the sale is ringing at the same time without corrupting the stock data? If it is impossible, can you make it happen ?
I have this situation, when new items arrive to store, I update the stock using "Receiving" program, but it's just for items that already listed in the stock table. But how about "fresh new" item that is not listed in the stock table ? We should add it from inside stock table, shouldn't we ? Or is there another way ? Now, what i've experienced is that every time i add items in stock table while the sales are ringing, some of item's amount were changed ! This thing also happen when i need to change some of the prices.
Well, I should update the stock item as soon as the items arrives and I can't stop the Cashier from working.
Do you have any suggestion for this situation ?
Thanks Dale, I'm looking forward for your answer.
-Kian-
Stock Table data changed by it self
Moderators:daleadmin, Dale Harris, Alan, Andrew
Stock table
kbunady,
The problem is that when you are editing the stock table the program holds it open. Meanwhile the registers are accessing the stock table again and again, usually taking much less that a second to do so. However when you begin a transaction the program takes a snapshot of the order of the stock table and uses this to compile the sale. If during that time you have made changes to the stock table the snapshot is no longer accurate. It is sort of like trying to hit a moving target. So it is best to edit the stock table when the registers are not accessing it.
Dale
The problem is that when you are editing the stock table the program holds it open. Meanwhile the registers are accessing the stock table again and again, usually taking much less that a second to do so. However when you begin a transaction the program takes a snapshot of the order of the stock table and uses this to compile the sale. If during that time you have made changes to the stock table the snapshot is no longer accurate. It is sort of like trying to hit a moving target. So it is best to edit the stock table when the registers are not accessing it.
Dale
So, is there any other way for me to add the new items or edit prices without accessing stock table so the cashier can keep ringing sales ?
Because the time when the cashier is not ringing sales is when the store is close. I can't monitor the cashier everytime I want to edit the stock table to see if cashier is ringing sales or not and I can't postpone the cashier either during stock table editing.
Because the time when the cashier is not ringing sales is when the store is close. I can't monitor the cashier everytime I want to edit the stock table to see if cashier is ringing sales or not and I can't postpone the cashier either during stock table editing.
That's the whole point of the stock table - it's where stock is entered. The reason a snapshot is taken of it while in sale mode (as far as I'm aware) is to ensure the register can speedily find items keyed in by the cashier, without having to open the file and scan through 13,000 records to find each item.
When you edit the stock table - records move in the file, and your cashier's snapshot no longer "matches" up, thus causing incorrect items/prices to appear in their sale.
Your safest bet if you absolutely HAVE to ring up sales and edit the stock table at the same time - would be to work on a standalone copy of DHPOS (not networked) with a copy of your stock table file, make your edits at leisure - then when you're ready get the cashier to exit sale mode for a few seconds while you copy the stock table file back onto the networked DHPOS system.
You can also use the REMOTE.EXE to monitor the pole display output and essentially see what your cashiers are doing. Dale will point out if this is not viable or if he has any other solutions/comments.
When you edit the stock table - records move in the file, and your cashier's snapshot no longer "matches" up, thus causing incorrect items/prices to appear in their sale.
Your safest bet if you absolutely HAVE to ring up sales and edit the stock table at the same time - would be to work on a standalone copy of DHPOS (not networked) with a copy of your stock table file, make your edits at leisure - then when you're ready get the cashier to exit sale mode for a few seconds while you copy the stock table file back onto the networked DHPOS system.
You can also use the REMOTE.EXE to monitor the pole display output and essentially see what your cashiers are doing. Dale will point out if this is not viable or if he has any other solutions/comments.
DHPOS Veteran (from v3.46, July 2002)
The point of the stock table is that the manager must decide what is in it. I assume that for merchandise to be in your store that you must have ordered it. When you order it is the time to add it to the stock table, not when it arrives. This may require that you spend a few minutes before or after the store is opened to add the new merchandise once in a while.
But the other option is to allow the sales clerks to try to enter the new merchandise when someone wants to ring it up. Well that is a sure way to make ringing up the sale take forever. Are you going to let the sales clerk decide where in the stock table the item should be listed? Does she get to determine the price of the item, description, inventory, cost, and all the other things that must be in the listing for that item? Does the clerk have to leave the customer at the register while she goes back into the store / stock room to count the items in stock to enter the correct inventory for that item? Then what if there is another item the customer wants to purchase that is not in the stock table, does she do it all again? In my store I know weeks in advance what new merchandise is coming and add it to the stock table way before it actually arrives.
Trust me. having the cashiers enter new items into the stock table as they are being rung up would only lead to chaos.
Andrews idea of using an off line stock table to enter new items will not work because the merchandise sales and inventory will not be updated in the off line stock table as sales are being rung up. If hours later you upload the new stock table back to the online registers all of the sales that happened during that time will be erased and the inventory will revert back to the time when the offline copy of the stock table was created.
However you could put it into a comma delimited .CSV spreadsheet file and then upload it into the live stock table at the end of the day. Here are the instructions for doing it http://keyhut.com/postip6a.htm#export It is a little tricky so practice first and it can only be used for adding new items to a stock table, not editing existing items.
Dale
But the other option is to allow the sales clerks to try to enter the new merchandise when someone wants to ring it up. Well that is a sure way to make ringing up the sale take forever. Are you going to let the sales clerk decide where in the stock table the item should be listed? Does she get to determine the price of the item, description, inventory, cost, and all the other things that must be in the listing for that item? Does the clerk have to leave the customer at the register while she goes back into the store / stock room to count the items in stock to enter the correct inventory for that item? Then what if there is another item the customer wants to purchase that is not in the stock table, does she do it all again? In my store I know weeks in advance what new merchandise is coming and add it to the stock table way before it actually arrives.
Trust me. having the cashiers enter new items into the stock table as they are being rung up would only lead to chaos.
Andrews idea of using an off line stock table to enter new items will not work because the merchandise sales and inventory will not be updated in the off line stock table as sales are being rung up. If hours later you upload the new stock table back to the online registers all of the sales that happened during that time will be erased and the inventory will revert back to the time when the offline copy of the stock table was created.
However you could put it into a comma delimited .CSV spreadsheet file and then upload it into the live stock table at the end of the day. Here are the instructions for doing it http://keyhut.com/postip6a.htm#export It is a little tricky so practice first and it can only be used for adding new items to a stock table, not editing existing items.
Dale
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ToPS
Dale,
Must be wonderfull to be able to add new items to the stock table so long before it arrives.
In my very real world it just does not work like that, believe me.
Many items are bought "off the truck" and even when things are ordered the item barcodes will not be available before the actual stock arrives.
I already work about 5 hours a day outside shop hours and do not feel up to any more.
Anyway, even when just looking something up and not editing the stock table, any item sold while any field of that item is selected in the stock table on the Global PC, will result in the quantity sold for that item not being updated.
By the way, it is now Sunday night 22:55 and here I am at work.
Have a great week!
ToPS
Must be wonderfull to be able to add new items to the stock table so long before it arrives.
In my very real world it just does not work like that, believe me.
Many items are bought "off the truck" and even when things are ordered the item barcodes will not be available before the actual stock arrives.
I already work about 5 hours a day outside shop hours and do not feel up to any more.
Anyway, even when just looking something up and not editing the stock table, any item sold while any field of that item is selected in the stock table on the Global PC, will result in the quantity sold for that item not being updated.
By the way, it is now Sunday night 22:55 and here I am at work.
Have a great week!
ToPS
Data
So even if I added this to the program, if you were ringing up a sale whenever an item came up that was not in the stock table you would have press a key to leave the sale to go to the stock table to enter all the information on the item (and look up the details you need, "Hey Harvey, what is the model stock and cost on this doodad? Stock number? I got no idea. Oh, and what's the inventory on it?") and then return to the sale to ring the item up. Then if two items later you had another one you would have to leave the sale again to add the item details to the stock table? And what is your customer doing during this time, beating his head against the counter?
I have no idea how you can bring things into your store to sell and have no idea what they are. I cannot see how it can speed up you register opperations to have to continously stop a sale to add items to your stock table rather than to add them all at one time.
However in keeping with my policy of no longer saving users from themselves, if I think of some easy way to do this I will add it to the program. We're going to have some very funky stock tables out there. Someone is going to price a 10.00 item at 0.10 and put 0.100 items in the inventory instead of 100. And of course putting in a 0.00 cost instead of a 75.00 cost is going to make the profit report and using the PURCHASE.EXE program particularly rewarding. Remember that you are now going to have to train all of your employees how to add items to the stock table.
Dale
I have no idea how you can bring things into your store to sell and have no idea what they are. I cannot see how it can speed up you register opperations to have to continously stop a sale to add items to your stock table rather than to add them all at one time.
However in keeping with my policy of no longer saving users from themselves, if I think of some easy way to do this I will add it to the program. We're going to have some very funky stock tables out there. Someone is going to price a 10.00 item at 0.10 and put 0.100 items in the inventory instead of 100. And of course putting in a 0.00 cost instead of a 75.00 cost is going to make the profit report and using the PURCHASE.EXE program particularly rewarding. Remember that you are now going to have to train all of your employees how to add items to the stock table.
Dale
or better still would search stock table for items that dont work then add the new items and price then for inventory use the export csv thing?
also dont forget its best to phisically count your stock every month or two to confirm nothing is missing example damages, theft even staff use that gets taken off the shelf used/wasted and not updated! what you do is do a section or so a day and that way you can keep an eye on whats going walkies and why your not being told to order more as it says "deoderant stock +10" when you havent sold any for 2 months as they been shoplifted
it may be a pain in the Gass but you can check the dates too and possable clean the shelf! so i hope im not telling people to suck an egg and actually give an eye opener, i have helped one user in private chat due to security of store property and have given some ideas this person wouldnt of thought of.
if anyone needs more info on possable soloutions to staff theft and stock loss etc drop a pm
also dont forget its best to phisically count your stock every month or two to confirm nothing is missing example damages, theft even staff use that gets taken off the shelf used/wasted and not updated! what you do is do a section or so a day and that way you can keep an eye on whats going walkies and why your not being told to order more as it says "deoderant stock +10" when you havent sold any for 2 months as they been shoplifted
it may be a pain in the Gass but you can check the dates too and possable clean the shelf! so i hope im not telling people to suck an egg and actually give an eye opener, i have helped one user in private chat due to security of store property and have given some ideas this person wouldnt of thought of.
if anyone needs more info on possable soloutions to staff theft and stock loss etc drop a pm
IAN
(Everything i say is a lie! so am i telling you the truth?)
(Everything i say is a lie! so am i telling you the truth?)
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