Inventory Control

[Rick Palechuk]

Is anyone using a software to track their inventory? If so, how is it working for you.

[Gary Puckett]

Rick,

Are you just wanting to inventory your sheet goods, and hard wood?


Gary

[Dean Fehribach]

I'm moving this to the Lounge since it's not an eCabinet Systems-related post.

[Rick Palechuk]

Thanks Dean.
Gary, we try to buy in bulk for most of our hardware items, if it's something that we will use in the future then we don't mind taking the price break and stocking the rest. That's one of the areas in the shop that we would like to fine tune. I am just wondering if anyone is using a specialized software for this task. My Excel experience is limited. I would prefer to buy than try to develop software.

[Gary Puckett]

Rick,

I use Cut-List Plus for making bids , I transfer eCab information to cut list plus it's just habit. Well they inventory sheet goods and hardwood, but not hardware (why) it makes sense to be able to know how many drawer slides, hinges, hinge plates, puck lights, etc. you have on hand . So I emailed him suggesting to inventory hardware and it will be in another version. That doesn't help you now but just giving you a heads up.

Gary

[Rick Palechuk]

So how do you like that software? Do you have to jump through a lot of hoops to import the Excel file?

[Gary Puckett]

I think the program is great. It has never failed in the amount of material to buy. I have been using it for 9 years. It's not all that bad to export eCab cutlist to cutlist plus. The only thing is the way you name your material in eCab , and the way you name the material in cutlist plus. Updtaes are free also, the only time you have to pay is if he comes up with a new edition. Like the silver edition and gold edition

They have a free trial version so you can try it. If you need any help with the program just ask, and I will do my best to help. I have the gold edition.

Gary

[Rick Palechuk]

Thanks Gary.

[Kerry Fullington]

Rick,

If you use Quikbooks, it has great inventory control features, You can set reorder points, check quantity on hand, average cost, quantity on order, get warnings when inventory is low etc.

I don't stock anything so I don't use it but it looks great.

Kerry

[Nick M Singer]

All I can add re this topic regardless of the software you use be it Quickbooks or whatever, my experience is that inventory control has a high maintenance overhead. It needs some dedication to maintain accurate stock control, remember garbage in garbage out!So if you don't have the resources in personnel and time don't bother.

[Rick Palechuk]

Kerry, that's interesting, I will have to talk to our bookkeeper about that.

Nick, that's a good point. Is it worth the hourly rate of the shop to deal with it? Then one hicup in the system and it all goes down the tube.

[Dean Fehribach]

<<snip>> one hicup in the system and it all goes down the tube.

One must be completely diligent and disciplined to make sure to enter every transaction or the whole inventory levels will be off. None of the type of thinking where one might say, "I'm in a hurry; I'll make note of this inventory transaction later."

[Gary Puckett]

<<snip>> one hicup in the system and it all goes down the tube.

One must be completely diligent and disciplined to make sure to enter every transaction or the whole inventory levels will be off. None of the type of thinking where one might say, "I'm in a hurry; I'll make note of this inventory transaction later."

That's the beauty of cut-list plus it automatically ajust inventory as you create your cutlist.

Gary

[Sergio Fetter]

Rick,
I have been a warehouse manager for 3 years now. In my experience with inventory control software bought at the store, the system is very general. For what you are trying to do, if you don't develop something don't even try. It is definitely a task to keep everything right in the system. In the searches for a software, I found open sources ERP, which are excellent programs, and you would be able to use for your application, but you will need classes for a whole year to learn the system. But there again, you will have to take notes of every thing that goes out.
You can look for some free softwares at sourceforge.net.
I hope this helps.

[Gary Puckett]

Sergio,

I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but the program I mentioned keeps tract of your inventory as you create the cut list. In other words if you have 50 sheets of Maple plywood and the job uses 14 of those sheets all you do is press the icon adjust inventory and it does it . When you go to the material tab and look at Maple Plywood it will show 36 sheets in stock. It also works with your hardwood inventory, the only thing it does not inventory is the hardware, hings, drawer slides, things like that. This is something he is going to offer in the future as an update.

The system will also control your off fall but that you have to type in manually.

Gary