Parts List and Inventory Software

[James T. White]

The time has finally come to graduate beyond Excel spreadsheets for our
parts lists and inventory. We manufacture specialized measurement and
control equipment for oilfield use in relatively small volumes but are
made up of a lot of parts and can be put together in lots of different
ways. We use QuickBooks for accounting and even though the inventory
capabilities of the latest versions are better, they really aren't
designed for electronics manufacturing. We would like to have whatever
we select at least able to exchange purchase order and invoicing
information with QucikBooks.

Products that I'm aware of and have taken a look at the demos:

Parts & Vendors
StockIt
ERPLite
Fishbowl Inventory

What parts list and inventory software are you guys using? Beyond what
product you are currently using and how happy you are with it, I would
be interested in hearing what other products you might have looked at
and what features led you to pick what you are using.

Thanks.

 

[Nico Coesel]

The time has finally come to graduate beyond Excel spreadsheets for our
parts lists and inventory. We manufacture specialized measurement and
control equipment for oilfield use in relatively small volumes but are
made up of a lot of parts and can be put together in lots of different

Products that I'm aware of and have taken a look at the demos:

Parts & Vendors
StockIt
ERPLite
Fishbowl Inventory

What parts list and inventory software are you guys using? Beyond what
product you are currently using and how happy you are with it, I would
be interested in hearing what other products you might have looked at
and what features led you to pick what you are using.

I've always used Microsoft Access for parts and bills of materials (to
calculate costs, make order list, keep track of stocks, etc). It even
works well in a small multi-user environment. Most EDA packages will
be able to connect to an Access database.

 

[Joerg]

Hello Nico,

I've always used Microsoft Access for parts and bills of materials (to
calculate costs, make order list, keep track of stocks, etc). It even
works well in a small multi-user environment. Most EDA packages will
be able to connect to an Access database.

I'll second that. Always done it that way, too, since day one of my biz.
Stick with a common database format, don't use spreadsheet software for
that job.

I am amazed how many businesses around here use spreadsheet SW where
they should be using a database. Once you get the hang of how to
generate reports you'll never look back.

Regards, Joerg

 

[RST Engineering \(jw\)]

Parts & Vendors is what we've been using for ten years or so with splendid
results.

Jim

 

[Rich Grise]

The time has finally come to graduate beyond Excel spreadsheets for our
parts lists and inventory. We manufacture specialized measurement and
control equipment for oilfield use in relatively small volumes but are
made up of a lot of parts and can be put together in lots of different
ways. We use QuickBooks for accounting and even though the inventory
capabilities of the latest versions are better, they really aren't
designed for electronics manufacturing. We would like to have whatever we
select at least able to exchange purchase order and invoicing information
with QucikBooks.

Products that I'm aware of and have taken a look at the demos:

Parts & Vendors
StockIt
ERPLite
Fishbowl Inventory

What parts list and inventory software are you guys using? Beyond what
product you are currently using and how happy you are with it, I would be
interested in hearing what other products you might have looked at and
what features led you to pick what you are using.

I've used Lotus "Approach", and something called "Paradox", but they were
DOS, and I don't even know if you can still get them. In about 1995, I
bought a copy of Visual Basic, which is really to draw eye candy with, and
it has all the hooks to communicate with Access; but since you already
have an Excel spreadsheet, I'd seriously think about looking into VBA,
Visual Basic for Applications - you could make it do anything you want to,
albeit I have no idea how to get the manual, since my copy of Excel is
bootlegged.

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[JeffM]

Products that I'm aware of and have taken a look at the demos:

Parts & Vendors
StockIt
ERPLite
Fishbowl Inventory

What parts list and inventory software are you guys using?
[...]and what features led you to pick what you are using.
James T. White

A previous thread on this:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci....y-management-freeware+financial-stuff+zzz+P&V
(Everything below ~Post #23 is OT.)