November 7th 2023, Release Note: Counting App | Automatic Check for Updates, Location Selection Filter, Inventory Barcode Scanning

Summary

Great Idea! One of these features was originally raised as an Idea in our Customer Community. The suggestion helped our teams to design and release an enhancement which is now available to everyone.

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Select the release feature from the table below to be taken directly to that section of the release note.

Feature 1	Feature 2	Feature 3
Automatic Update Check when a Location is Selected The app will now automatically check for updates (new periods, products, barcodes, etc) when a Location is selected	Location Selection Improvement When selecting a Location, up to 8 will now display onscreen, as well as a search filter	Barcode Scanning for Inventory Users The Counting app now supports barcode scanning, either with the device camera or an external scanner

Release date for all features:  November 7th 2023

 

Automatic Update Check when a Location is Selected

• Enabled by default? - Yes
• Set up by customer admin? - No
• Enable via support ticket? - No
• Affects configuration or data? - No
• Roles affected: - if applicable

What's Changing?

When a Location is selected, the Counting app will check for updates automatically.

Reason for the Change

To increase ease of use. Removes the need to select Check for Updates.

Customers Affected

All customers using the Counting app.

Release Note Info/Steps

A spinner will display while updates such as new periods, new areas, products and barcodes are being fetched.

Fig.1 - 'Checking for updates' spinner

After the update has been completed, the Areas for the selected Location will be displayed. 

Counts will not be sent as part of this automatic synchronisation

• To send Counts, select Send Count and Synchronize Areas

Fig.2 - Areas and 'Send Count and Synchronize Areas' button

A confirmation message will then be displayed.

Fig.3 - Confirmation message

 

Location Selection Filter

• Enabled by default? - Yes
• Set up by customer Admin? - No
• Enable via support ticket? - No
• Affects configuration or data? - No
• Roles affected: - if applicable

What's Changing?

A Location selection list and search filter will replace the drop-down list for Location selection in the Counting app.

The same functionality has also been recently released for the Ordering and Receiving apps - see here for more information.

Reason for the Change

To increase ease of use for users with access to multiple Locations.

Customers Affected

All customers using the Counting app with access to multiple Locations.

Release Note Info/Steps

When first accessing the Counting app, users with access to more than one Location have previously selected the required Location from a drop-down list and then confirmed their selection. This drop-down has been replaced by a list that displays all Locations (up to eight) to which the user has access.

If the user has access to more than eight Locations, a search field will display at the top of the list, which will filter results as soon as a character is entered into it.

To select a Location, tap or click on the required Location in the list. No further confirmation of the selected Location is required.

 

Barcode Scanning Available to Inventory Users

• Enabled by default? - Y
• Set up by customer admin? - No
• Enable via support ticket? - Yes
• Affects configuration or data? - No
• Roles affected: - Stock counters using the mobile Counting app

What's Changing?

Barcode scanning is available to Counting app users who use Inventory as their stock management solution. Previously only the Adaco solution was supported.  See below for links to articles regarding the use of barcodes in the Counting and Ordering apps.

Reason for the Change

Once barcodes are assigned to products, the products can be quickly found in the Counting app by scanning their barcode. Barcodes can be assigned to products via workflows in both the Counting and Ordering apps. Barcodes assigned in Counting will then be available for use in Ordering and vice-versa.

Customers Affected

Inventory customers using the mobile Counting app.

Release Note Info/Steps

Please note - the screenshots below were taken from the Ordering app but the functionality is the same in the Counting app.

• In the Counting app, select a location and Confirm

Fig.4 - Selecting a location

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

Fig.5- 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.6 - 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.7 - 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.8
• Then select Search

Fig.8 - 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.9 - 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.10 - Search results, adding a quantity, adding to order

Any products already in the cart are indicated, as shown in Fig.11.

Fig.11 - [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.12).

• 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.12 - 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.13 - Searching for and selecting a replacement product for a barcode

Additional Resources

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