Stand Alone Inventory App

Owned by Dawn Brunke (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jun 14, 2022 by Mark Valverde
10 min read

The Inventory software will allow the user to conduct a real-time physical inventory by scanning products and entering their quantities. The software allows the user to specify a location, batch number, fixture, and area. After scanning or entering a barcode, the application will connect to the PrismCore ICS Server, if in live mode, to search the PrismCore database. If an item is found, the item information will display. The user will then be able to enter a quantity for the item. After the quantity has been added, the user can accept the entered quantity and the information will automatically be transferred to the PrismCore system for further processing.

Before starting an inventory with the application, it is best to make sure that the Pre- Inventory checklist has been reviewed and that the store has been separated into fixtures and areas.

Download for Stand Alone Inventory App

To use the Inventory software – Live Mode:

  1.  Double click the Inventory.exe software you have downloaded from the Support web site.

  2. A login screen will appear. This needs to be pointed to the “Hand Held” line in Wpconsole

  3. Fill in the information as needed:

    1. Host - The IP address of the computer where the “Hand Held” line is at in Wpconsole

    2. Port - The port as defined in WPServer.

    3. User - A PrismCore user name login.

    4. Pass - The user’s PrismCore password.

    5. Retain Password – If checked, the password will be saved in the software until otherwise changed. If a single user is used to run inventory applications, this checkbox should be checked. If each user of the uses their own PrismCore password, then this box should be unchecked for security reasons.

    6. Batch Mode – If checked, the application will not automatically transfer the scanned items and quantities directly to PrismCore. Instead, batch mode will store the items for future download when wireless access is available. This mode can be used if scanning in areas without wireless access, such as a storeroom or a warehouse. If wanting Live mode, do NOT check this box.

    7. Clear Data – If selected, the user is given the option to permanently remove batched inventory amounts from the application.

  4. Once you have the information entered, click OK.

  5. The Inventory Application should connect, since you are using Live mode, and open with the following screen.

  6. Before scanning any items, click the Config button at the top on the menu, and choose ‘Parameters’.

  7. The following dialog will open:

  8. Fill in the following, as needed:

    1. Location: Choose your location from the pull down menu.

    2. Batch:  PrismCore requires a batch number, which is entered into the software prior to doing inventory. The batch number is usually 1, but can be whatever number you choose as long as the same batch number is used for the entire inventory. In order for the inventory counts to be properly posted in PrismCore, you must use only one batch number for all the physical inventory counts you are going to post together at one time in PrismCore.

    3. Fixture: For the physical inventory, your store should be divided into fixtures and areas. You decide what a fixture and an area are. A fixture can be an aisle, the upper row of an aisle, or a rotating rack, etc. Fixtures are then further broken down into areas. An area may be a shelf or a 3- foot section of an aisle, etc. The fixture and area are used for reporting purposes. Note that each fixture must have at least one area for the data to be processed correctly in PrismCore. Every item scanned will need both a fixture and an area assigned to it.

    4. Area: For the physical inventory, your store should be divided into fixtures and areas. You decide what a fixture and an area are. A fixture can be an aisle, the upper row of an aisle, or a rotating rack, etc. Fixtures are then further broken down into areas. An area may be a shelf or a 3- foot section of an aisle, etc. The fixture and area are used for reporting purposes. Note that each fixture must have at least one area for the data to be processed correctly in PrismCore. Every item scanned will need both a fixture and an area assigned to it.

  9. When finished, click OK. The following will display:

  10. Scan or enter the first item to be counted.  Either the XREF or SKU may be entered. The application may process for a moment, and then the correct item’s information should show in the screen, along with a default quantity of 1.

  11. If you determine you do not want to count this item, click ‘Clear’. The system will ask if you wish to save the previously scanned item. Click yes to save, or no to clear.

  12. Users have the option to do an item lookup for this particular item. You can click the ‘Lookup’ button. The following will display:

  13. If you wish to see inventory information (SOH) as opposed to item information, click the ‘Inventory’ radio button at the top of the screen.

  14. The following will display:

  15. To close these screens, click the X at the top right corner.

  16. Change the item quantity, if the desired quantity is more than 1. When finished, click Update to transfer the information to PrismCore, if running in Live mode. NOTE:  Pressing Update does not automatically change the stock on hand in PrismCore. It transfers the information to the PrismCore PDT Data Maintenance module.

  17. The screen will clear, and is now ready for the next item to be scanned or entered.

  18. Scan or enter the next item. If a new fixture or area is needed, click the Config > Parameters button to change them before entering new items.

  19. When finished scanning items, go to the PDT Data Maintenance module in PrismCore to save a backup copy, and continue with inventory.

To use the Inventory software – Batch Mode:

  1.  Double click the Inventory.exe software you have downloaded from the Support web site.

  2. A login screen will appear. 

  3. Fill in the information as needed:

    1. Host: The PrismCore SQL Server IP address.

    2. Port: The port as defined in WPServer.

    3. User: A PrismCore user name login.

    4. Pass: The user’s PrismCore password.

    5. Retain Password: If checked, the password will be saved in the software until otherwise changed. If a single user is used to run inventory applications, this checkbox should be checked. If each user of the uses their own PrismCore password, then this box should be unchecked for security reasons.

    6. Batch Mode: If checked, the application will not automatically transfer the scanned items and quantities directly to PrismCore. Instead, batch mode will store the items for future download when wireless access is available. This mode can be used if scanning in areas without wireless access, such as a storeroom or a warehouse. If wanting to upload later, use Batch Mode.

    7. Clear Data: If selected, the user is given the option to permanently remove batched inventory amounts from the application.

      1. Once you have the information entered, click OK.

      2. The Inventory Application will NOT connect, since you have chosen batch mode, but will open with the following screen.

  4. Before scanning any items, click the Config button at the top on the menu, and choose ‘Parameters’.

  5. The following dialog will open:

  6. Fill in the following, as needed:

    1. Location: Since you are in BATCH mode, the location field expects simply the Location ID from PrismCore. You can find this number in PrismCore Admin>Inventory Control>Store Setup>Store Locations.

    2. Batch:  PrismCore requires a batch number, which is entered into the software prior to doing inventory. The batch number is usually 1, but can be whatever number you choose as long as the same batch number is used for the entire inventory. In order for the inventory counts to be properly posted in PrismCore, you must use only one batch number for all the physical inventory counts you are going to post together at one time in PrismCore.

    3. Fixture and Area: For the physical inventory, your store should be divided into fixtures and areas. You decide what a fixture and an area are. A fixture can be an aisle, the upper row of an aisle, or a rotating rack, etc. Fixtures are then further broken down into areas. An area may be a shelf or a 3-foot section of an aisle, etc. The fixture and area are used for reporting purposes. Note that each fixture must have at least one area for the data to be processed correctly in PrismCore. Every item scanned will need both a fixture and an area assigned to it.

  7. When finished, click OK. The following will display:

  8. Scan or enter the first item to be counted.  Either the XREF or SKU may be entered. The item will then show on screen, along with a default quantity of 1. Notice that because you are in batch mode, no item information is available.

  9. If you determine you do not want to count this item, click ‘Clear’. The system will ask if you wish to save the previously scanned item. Click yes to save, or no to clear.

  10. Change the item quantity, if the desired quantity is more than 1. When finished, click Update.

  11. Once an item has been added in batch mode, the screen will clear, and is now ready for the next item to be scanned or entered OR for this batch to be Transmitted. To do this, see the next section.

  12. Scan or enter the next item.

  13. When finished scanning items, you will need to upload. Please see the following section.

To transmit from the Inventory software – Batch Mode:

  1. Once you have finished scanning items in batch mode, you will need to transmit the information to the PrismCore system. You will have to have a connection to the server, either via a wireless connection or a cabled connection. For information, please the Physical Inventory booklet.

  2. Your screen will look like the image below, following your scanning of the final item before the transmission:

  3. Click the ‘Transmit’ button.

  4. The following will display:

  5. You will need to input the parameters, as needed, and be sure to UNCHECK the batch mode box. When finished, click ok.

  6. The system will automatically upload the inventory information into PrismCore.

Inventory – Multiple Barcodes

If scanning or entering items, and a barcode is scanned that belongs to more than one item in the system, the following will display:

The screen lists all items in the system that match the XREF scanned, and the user must choose the item for which they are entering inventory. Highlight the item, and click OK. The following dialog will display:

The user can still change the item for which they are entering inventory by selecting a different system type under the pull down menu. In the screen above, the Used Text Book is being counted, because that was the item chosen in the previous screen. To change this, a user would select one of the other options under the subsystem pull down:

Changing this changes the item for which you are entering inventory:

Inventory – Item Not Found

When scanning in live mode, it is possible to scan an item the system cannot locate within the PrismCore system.

  1. If you scan an item the system does not recognize, you will see the following:

  2. If you wish to add the item, click YES. The following will display:

  3. Input the quantity, and click Update.

  4. The item will transmit to the PrismCore system. When you import the file into the Physical Inventory module, this item will appear as an Item Not Found.

 

Trouble Shooting:

When trying to connect and you get an error “Input string was not in a correct format”. Check the store number in jump 101 and make sure it’s not larger than 999.