Stock control software?

[martin griffith]

Any suggestions for a stock control system that does BOMs, kits,
shortages etc.

Just been chatting to a mate who is doing it with a XLS spread sheet,
far too complicated.
He used to use Page freeware, but that died on th Y2K problem, but was
apparently ideal for the work.

Done a quick search of the archives, nothing obvious. But ISTR that
there was an Oz software package that looked good


martin

 

[Fred Bloggs]

Any suggestions for a stock control system that does BOMs, kits,

shortages etc.

Just been chatting to a mate who is doing it with a XLS spread sheet,
far too complicated.
He used to use Page freeware, but that died on th Y2K problem, but was
apparently ideal for the work.

Done a quick search of the archives, nothing obvious. But ISTR that
there was an Oz software package that looked good

Run a Google search under * inventory management freeware *, then come
back and you tell us...

 

[martin griffith]

Run a Google search under * inventory management freeware *, then come
back and you tell us...

sheesh, terminology....

found this
http://www.trilogydesign.com/index.htm







martin

 

[Joerg]

Hello Martin,

sheesh, terminology....

found this
http://www.trilogydesign.com/index.htm

Doesn't look free to me. When there is no price listed but a link to ask
for a quote that can often mean $$$. Enterprise SW typically is
expensive but for a larger business it can be well worth it. Before
embarking on one particular product talk with others because this is
usually a decision you can't easily change a few years down the road.

But for heaven's sake don't use spreadsheets for that and discourage you
friend from doing that. It may be ok for a hobby project but the query
options are rather limited. I use databases exclusively. Come to think
of it, I do not use spreadsheets at all anymore these days. Since the
biz isn't large I am pretty happy with the Works/Access format.

Check it out: Your PC most likely came with Office or Works and that
usually contains a database program.

Regards, Joerg

 

[martin griffith]

Hello Martin,

Doesn't look free to me. When there is no price listed but a link to ask
for a quote that can often mean $$$. Enterprise SW typically is
expensive but for a larger business it can be well worth it. Before
embarking on one particular product talk with others because this is
usually a decision you can't easily change a few years down the road.

But for heaven's sake don't use spreadsheets for that and discourage you
friend from doing that. It may be ok for a hobby project but the query
options are rather limited. I use databases exclusively. Come to think
of it, I do not use spreadsheets at all anymore these days. Since the
biz isn't large I am pretty happy with the Works/Access format.

Check it out: Your PC most likely came with Office or Works and that
usually contains a database program.

Regards, Joerg

Hi Joerg,
No its for a 2 man 1 wirewoman biz, just stuffing pcs, doing final
test, etc.

He just wants something simple, and P+V I think may do the job. it is
cheap, 99$ to 300$, well worth it, by the looks of it


martin

 

[Joerg]

Hello Martin,

He just wants something simple, and P+V I think may do the job. it is
cheap, 99$ to 300$, well worth it, by the looks of it

Could be ok. Make sure it's a long standing business you buy from. After
all, you don't want to find out 5-10 years from now that the SW has
become incompatible with something on the PCs and then the SW vendor has
gone belly up. That would mean most or all of the legacy data might have
to be re-entered into a new system by hand. I have seen that happen more
than once.

Regards, Joerg

 

[Frank Bemelman]

Hello Martin,

Could be ok. Make sure it's a long standing business you buy from. After
all, you don't want to find out 5-10 years from now that the SW has
become incompatible with something on the PCs and then the SW vendor has
gone belly up. That would mean most or all of the legacy data might have
to be re-entered into a new system by hand. I have seen that happen more
than once.

That's not something that needs to happen. For every possible database
engine there are ODBC drivers, it can all be converted to mysql or
whatever. Often the most ingenious part of the system is the actual
design of the database, relations between tables etc. The application
to manage the database, well, thats just an application

BTW, if customers expect to live 5-10 years with the same software,
every SW vendor goes belly up.

 

[RST Engineering \(jw\)]

P&V is located about two miles from where I sit. I've known the owner for
30 years, and I don't think he has any intent on leaving the biz. I've got
my complete manufacturing inventory on it, and while I think it emphasizes
the V part (vendors) to the detriment of the P (parts) side, it is very
useful.

The ONE thing it doesn't do that "some day (TM)" I'll write an ancillary
code to do is invoice, keep a running bank balance, subtract parts sold
directly out of inventory on a B/M basis, and give me a projection of parts
usage as a function of history.

For the money, it is a damned fine program.

Jim

 

[RST Engineering \(jw\)]

Hello Frank,
I have seen quite proprietary formats there and that's when obsolescence
problems happened. So yes, it is also important to find out that the
chosen vendor does not use a proprietary file format.

P&V uses a straight unadorned Access .mdb file. You can get in and mess up
the database all you want {;-)

I don't agree there. Enterprise SW must live longer than that. Where the
vendors make money is on the maintenance and upgrades. A SW that won't
have a chance to live a decade will not be bought for my biz, that's for
sure.

Last major upgrade (v5) was in 2002. Seems they do a major version once
every two or three years. I'm expecting one soon. By the way, my current
revision is 5.0.143. I think they start at 5.0.100, so that's 43 minor
glitch fixes in 3 years. They are very conscientious about making minor
upgrades and glitchfixes as they come along.

THey also have an ancillary program that coordinates with Circuitmaker (an
obsolete Protel pcb layout and schematic capture program) that I did the
beta testing on. I can give P&V a Circuitmaker file and it makes a
Manufacturing Parts List for me for all the parts on the board.

Not only that, but P&V has 5 "user fields" that are customizable to your own
liking. Since I make "Heathkit" types of products, I've got one field set
up for "marking", so that along with the MPL I get the resistor color code
for each resistor, the color banding on a diode, the part number printed on
capacitors, and all that stuff that makes user manual editing a real breeze.

Jim

 

[Joerg]

Hello Frank,

That's not something that needs to happen. For every possible database
engine there are ODBC drivers, it can all be converted to mysql or
whatever. Often the most ingenious part of the system is the actual
design of the database, relations between tables etc. The application
to manage the database, well, thats just an application

I have seen quite proprietary formats there and that's when obsolescence
problems happened. So yes, it is also important to find out that the
chosen vendor does not use a proprietary file format.

But even if they don't, porting it all to a new system is a huge job.

BTW, if customers expect to live 5-10 years with the same software,
every SW vendor goes belly up.

I don't agree there. Enterprise SW must live longer than that. Where the
vendors make money is on the maintenance and upgrades. A SW that won't
have a chance to live a decade will not be bought for my biz, that's for
sure.

BTW, the biz data is still entered and stored in a Works 2.0 compatible
format. The same that I used 1990.

Regards, Joerg

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

The ONE thing it doesn't do that "some day (TM)" I'll write an ancillary
code to do is invoice, keep a running bank balance, subtract parts sold
directly out of inventory on a B/M basis, and give me a projection of parts
usage as a function of history.

As long as the user can write macros or small additional programs to do
that with a reasonable effort that should be fine.

For the money, it is a damned fine program.

Sure looks like it. What better endorsement can the program get than
right here on s.e.d.?

Then why don't they simply tell us on their web site what the three
versions cost? To me "Request quote" somehow has that taste of going to
a car dealer. The last one said if he develops an ulcer it would be my
fault. The one before that almost had a nervous breakdown after about
four solid hours of haggling. I actually began to enjoy it...

Regards, Joerg

 

[RST Engineering \(jw\)]

They do, in about three or four places.

Go to www.trilogydesign.com

Click on "ordering/pricing" at the top of the page.

From the drop-down box pick any option and you get something like this:

Program Edition 1-5 Licenses, @ 6-11 Licenses @ 12+ Licenses @
SE $99 $79 $69
EX $299 $239 $209
ECO $399 $329 $299


....and so on. What's the problem?


Jim

 

[martin griffith]

Hello Jim,

As long as the user can write macros or small additional programs to do
that with a reasonable effort that should be fine.


Sure looks like it. What better endorsement can the program get than
right here on s.e.d.?

Then why don't they simply tell us on their web site what the three
versions cost? To me "Request quote" somehow has that taste of going to
a car dealer. The last one said if he develops an ulcer it would be my
fault. The one before that almost had a nervous breakdown after about
four solid hours of haggling. I actually began to enjoy it...

Regards, Joerg

Then why don't they simply tell us on their web site what the three
versions cost?

They do, Online ordering/priceing on the home page



martin

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

They do, in about three or four places.

Go to www.trilogydesign.com

Click on "ordering/pricing" at the top of the page.

From the drop-down box pick any option and you get something like this:

Program Edition 1-5 Licenses, @ 6-11 Licenses @ 12+ Licenses @
SE $99 $79 $69
EX $299 $239 $209
ECO $399 $329 $299


...and so on. What's the problem?


Jim

Does the Trilogy product do everything you'd want it to do?

I'm looking for some software to develop that might have some
commercial potential. I've played with the demo on this, and it seemed
pretty good, but that's not the same as *committing* to using it for
everything.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

Click on "ordering/pricing" at the top of the page.

From the drop-down box pick any option and you get something like this:

Program Edition 1-5 Licenses, @ 6-11 Licenses @ 12+ Licenses @
SE $99 $79 $69
EX $299 $239 $209
ECO $399 $329 $299


...and so on. What's the problem?

Well, I did. Tried again with IE and then I got the prices. Maybe the
site didn't like Mozilla.

Those are quite decent prices, especially if the deluxe version is good
at ECO handling.

Regards, Joerg

 

[RST Engineering \(jw\)]

Well, I did. Tried again with IE and then I got the prices. Maybe the
site didn't like Mozilla.

I use firefox exclusively and didn't have a problem. I dunno what is going
on, but glad you finally got the data.

Those are quite decent prices, especially if the deluxe version is good at
ECO handling.

"good" being a relative term. It is really quite detailed (23 pages in the
printed manual) which is way more than I need, so I do mine by Excel. If I
wanted to make my ECO train run on P&V's tracks, I suspect I'd need a day or
so to set the system up. However, most of my designs never need ECOs {;-)


Jim

 

[RST Engineering \(jw\)]

Does the Trilogy product do everything you'd want it to do?

No, and I think I wrote in another post on this thread what I'd like it to
do. However, we are a rather specialized business in that the manufacture
we do is on a rather small scale (50 is a large production run) and we sell
to individuals ... think Heathkit.

I'm looking for some software to develop that might have some
commercial potential. I've played with the demo on this, and it seemed
pretty good, but that's not the same as *committing* to using it for
everything.

I'd love for it to do some of the financial stuff (invoicing, bank accounts,
checkwriting...) and some inventory predictions based on past performance.
I'd also like to be able to amortize shipping across inventory as a function
of either weight or cost.

However, as I've stated, it is one hell of a product for what it costs.

Jim

 

[PigPOg]

Any suggestions for a stock control system that does BOMs, kits,
shortages etc.

Just been chatting to a mate who is doing it with a XLS spread sheet,
far too complicated.
He used to use Page freeware, but that died on th Y2K problem, but was
apparently ideal for the work.

Done a quick search of the archives, nothing obvious. But ISTR that
there was an Oz software package that looked good


martin

We use STOCKIT from www.numberone.com - although it isn't free. Works
for us though.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Joerg

The last one said if he develops an ulcer it would be my fault.

You are Helicobacter pylori in disguise? I see the guys who discovered
it have a Nobel. Goo for them!

 

[Utopian Drifter]

I have been using in my business for about two years now. Never gave me
any trouble and it uses a standard database file. Great product at a
very fair price. Hope to see it grow into a complete small business
package someday.

Big advantages for me is that it has some very simple import and export
functions that allow me to sort lists, export them to csv files that I
can bring into a spreadsheet. That allows me to do special things with
the data that the program does not do. Then I can import it right back
into the P&V program.

Download the demo and play with it. It is fully operational, they just
limit the size of the database is all.

What do I wish it had????
Same thing everyone else wants. The rest of the story. Add the invoicing
and other basic accounting functions into it and you will have the
perfect small business package. Right now I have to all my books on
Quickbooks. P&V does have some integration with Quickbooks, but I would
far prefer to have it all integrated so I do not have to always run
exports from one program to the other. To easy to make mistakes or
omissions.

Good luck.