August 1st & 3rd 2023, Release Note: Inventory | Export Period Status Report | Ordering by Barcode

Release date for all features: August 1st 2023 (US) and August 3rd 2023 (EMEA)

“Great Idea! This new feature was originally raised as an Idea in our Customer Community. The suggestion helped our teams to design and release the enhancement which is now available to everyone.
Why not share your inspirational ideas (or vote on someone else’s) today!

Export Stock Period Status

• Enabled by Default? - Yes
• Set up by customer Admin? - No
• Enable via Support ticket? - No
• Affects configuration or data? - No

What's Changing?

The Stock Period Status page can now be exported to a CSV file.

Reason for the Change

Being able to export the Stock Period Status page will allow customers to store and analyse historical information on the timeliness of sites closing their stock periods

Customers Affected

All Inventory customers

Release Note Info/Steps

On the Stock Period Status page which is accessed from Stock Management > All Options > Stock Period Administration, there is a new button labelled Export.  This will export all data that meets the specified criteria (Note: by default, this page only shows the first 10 records but the export will include all records that meet the specified criteria)

The tick/cross marks used for true and false values will be exported as 0 (False) and 1 (True).

As well as all columns present on the page the export file will also include the date and time of the export which can be used for historical tracking purposes.  The time will be expressed in UTC time.

Fig. 1 - New option to export the Stock Period Status page

Fig. 2 - Exported Stock Period Status report

Ordering by Barcode

• Enabled by Default? - Yes
• Set up by customer Admin? - No
• Enable via Support ticket? - Yes
• Affects configuration or data? - No
• Roles Affected: - Customers who use the Ordering app to place orders in Inventory

What's Changing?

It is now possible to search for products in the Ordering app using bar codes.

Reason for the Change

Being able to identify items by scanning their barcode provides a quick and accurate way to identify products.  As barcodes are unique per product this eliminates the chances of ordering the wrong product.

Customers Affected

Inventory customers that use the mobile Ordering App.

Release Note Info/Steps

• In the Ordering app, select a location and Confirm

Fig.3 - Selecting a location

• Select the barcode scan icon from the bottom-right corner

Fig.4- A barcode scan icon

• Select to use either the Device camera or External scanner
   The Fourth app will prompt to ask permission to use the device camera

Fig.5 - Options to use device camera or external scanner

Device Camera

• Position the camera so that the product's barcode is lined up inside the onscreen target area

The device will automatically detect and search for the barcode and then display search results onscreen.

• To use the device's front-facing light, use the flash icon on the camera display
• To close the camera use the cross in the top right corner

Fig.6 - Scanning window with flash and close' buttons

External Scanner

• After selecting External scanner, scan a barcode using the connected device
• The barcode number will automatically appear in the search field - see Fig.5
• Then select Search

Fig.7 - Populated barcode search field after external scanning

 If External scanner is selected when no external scanner is actually attached, a barcode can be manually entered and searched for.

Fig.8 - Manual barcode search - no external scanner attached

Search Results

Whilst a barcode is linked to a single unit of a product, search results will list all unit types for the product (stock item) scanned.  

• From the search results, enter Quantities and Add to Cart as required

Fig.9 - Search results, adding a quantity, adding to order

Any products already in the cart are indicated, as shown in Fig.8.

Fig.10 - [x] number in cart

Assigning and Replacing Barcodes

Barcodes can also be assigned to or replaced for products from the search results. Certain user permissions are required to do this.

If a barcode is scanned but no product is found, a message will display (Fig.9).

• Select Assign Barcode and Search for the product by name
• Select the UoM and then Assign

The selected product will then be assigned to the scanned barcode.

Fig.11 - No search results for barcode, 'Assign Barcode' button

If search results display an incorrect product for a scanned barcode:

• Use the Replace button and search for the product by name
• Select the UoM and then Replace

Fig.12 - Searching for and selecting a replacement product for a barcode

Please note: In a future upcoming release we will be extending barcode scanning to the Counting app allowing you to quickly identify items whilst conducting a stock take.