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OT: Recommendation for Inventory Management System

Johnny SolidWorks

Hot Rolled
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Location
Rochester
Say I have a website that sells 150 or so different widgets. Some are widgets made in-house, some are widgets sourced from another shop, some are widgets bought from MSC style companies. Kits that are combinations of all of the above are also a popular item.

In a perfect solution, an order would be completed (and paid for) through the website, and an email would get sent (or a paper printed) with a 'pick list'. Even better would be if it could print shipping labels via UPS too. Ideally, the website will be able to tell customers if the widget is in stock, and if not, what the lead time is.

If an order was placed for something not in stock, a purchase order would be created for it from the source automatically, and if that source is in house manufacturing, it should know if the stock is on hand to make it. If not, create a purchase order for stock automatically.

Ideally, all of this would tie into accounting software (or be contained within the system.)

Alternatively, the system should also be equipped to handle quotes for custom work, and track that through to completion as well.

I know there are a ton of systems out there to address these issues - the problem might be there are too many, and I only have experience from the Engineering side (creating BOMS and item masters in ERPs) so to pick one based on everything else is really difficult for me. And as with all things, cost is a concern. I've heard some ERP systems can be huge money.

Any input or experience you guys want to share would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
If there's one thing to remember as you make this perilous journey into hell, it's that your system is only as good as the data that gets put into it. After that, it's only as good as you are at updating it when the "real world" changes.

You will spend a lot of time adjusting things in your system to match the real world. The rest of your time will be spent figuring out ways to trick the system when it doesn't match.
 
I don't know about the website side of things. However we use AllOrders which links with QuickBooks and it is about as low cost $1800 for two seats as you might find. Good people, I am at my second company using it and they do a good job. Tell them Gary Lucas sent you, I bust their balls constantly about features I want. To their credit lots of have been implemented over the years.
 
You are looking for the holy grail of small business software. If you find it, please share!

I bought a system that was supposed to do almost all of this, spent $12K on it 25 years ago, finally found I couldn't afford all the consulting I was going to need to implement it and gave up. It's gone now, so I'd be on something else by now anyway.

Later bought Orders Plus and Business Works gold from Sage. Hired someone to help me implement it. Gave up on that too, and switched to Peachtree temporarily just to be able to function on something multiuser for sales and accounting. Peachtree is gone now too. I hate Sage, will never buy another Sage product.

I heard of a product called Big Business from an aftermarket automotive manufacturer/distributor, it looks promising.
 
Or, OR, you could just help the unemployment ratio, and hire someone to [wo]man Sales and Purchasing.

Now there's a novel idear eh?

:stirthepot:


-----------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
Or, OR, you could just help the unemployment ratio, and hire someone to [wo]man Sales and Purchasing.

Now there's a novel idear eh?

:stirthepot:


-----------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Just think of the impact the members of this forum could have on the unemployment rate by getting rid of all their CNCS and going back to manual machines!

And if that's not far enough, get rid of electricity too!

But seriously, I'll still be using the same accountant I do right now - it will just free up a lot of time for me if I can put this system in place, and probably save a lot of errors on my part, making my accountant's life that much better too.
 
Just think of the impact the members of this forum could have on the unemployment rate by getting rid of all their CNCS and going back to manual machines!

And if that's not far enough, get rid of electricity too!

But seriously, I'll still be using the same accountant I do right now - it will just free up a lot of time for me if I can put this system in place, and probably save a lot of errors on my part, making my accountant's life that much better too.

This is the optimistic mentality that keeps companies that produce substandard software in business.

You have every right to expect the world. Just don't expect anyone to deliver any time soon.
 
Take a look at Atrex from millennium software. Atrex is a point-of-sale / inventory control software capable of interfacing with zen cart which is a e-commerce store front. Atrex allows you to track inventory items with your own categories, subcategories, manufacturer and stock code. You can set minimum and target quantities allowing the software to build reorder lists by vendors or many other options. With a barcode scanner you can print inventory labels with your own stock code to speed things up and/or use up too three different alternate codes tagged too your personal stock code. Ex, a upc code or manufacturer part number. You can build container assemblies where say 6 widgets will build one product. Atrex can let you know what you have in stock and how many products you can make or what you are missing . When you build an assembly the software will increase your inventory while decreasing the items on hand to assemble it. Atrex also does service quotes and service orders for custom jobs. All this is just touching the surface of what Atrex is capable of.

Zen cart allows you to set up a storefront to accept internet orders and works well with Atrex.

Unfortunately anything you use is going to have a steep learning curve. It takes many man hours to set up Inventory management and you will be constantly adding to it. Lucky for you 150 to 300 inventory items is cake.

Atrex offers a free, full software version, 30 day download to try it out and play around.
 
A little late to the game but I just pulled the trigger on a new system. We have had quickbooks Enterprise for many years now and did not rely on the inventory tracking. We would make manual adjustments after counts.

We upgraded to Misys which works in conjunction with quickbooks. MISys Manufacturing Software | The Power of MRP

We also got several Grabba scanners that use an android device as the horsepower on barcode scanners. Everything in my factory got bar coded which may or may not work for you. The Grabba's will get integrated to Misys in their next upgrade. We also evaluated Fishbowl which did not work for us as they wanted every salesperson to have a seat as well.

Happy to give additional info if you all want.

Jason
 








 
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