Simply Accounting Inventory Setup Guide

 

Table of Contents

Creating an Item

Create the Custom Fields

The Custom Field SKU

The Custom Field TYPE

The Custom Field Choices

 

SIMPLY ACCOUNTING INVENTORY SETUP:

 

This guide was written for Platinum Version 9 of AccuPOS Retail Management.  If you are running an earlier version of AccuPOS or not running Platinum, you will notice differences in the look of the Retail Management program.  Also, the Simply Accounting images and setup steps were written with Simply Accounting Enterprise 08.  If you are running a different version of Simply Accounting, there will also be slight differences in the look but the setup is not that different.

 

AccuPOS understands that setting up an inventory list is a very time-consuming task but the good thing is that it only needs to be completely setup once.  Setting up the inventory is very important, both for the accounting side of a business as well as the Point of Sale.  This guide will cover the basics of creating items inside Simply Accounting and how the inventory list works with AccuPOS Retail Point of Sale.

 

*For more information on setting up the Simply Accounting Company file to communicate with AccuPOS, please refer to the Simply Accounting Initial Setup Guide.  One thing to note is that the company type you choose when installing Simply Accounting must allow inventoried items.

 

Creating an Item: (top)

 

Creating an item inside Simply Accounting is a very simple process.  Simply:

 

  1. From the Inventory & Services tab, select Inventory & Services -> Add Inventory & Services (Figure 1-1).  The Inventory & Services Ledger appears.

 

Figure 1-1

 

  1. Select the type of Item using the radial dial arrow (Figure 1-2).  Typically, an item in Simply Accounting to be used at the Point of Sale is an inventory item.  The type is also what AccuPOS will classify the item as (unless custom field TYPE is used, see below).

 

Figure 1-2

 

AccuPOS does not grab information from all the fields.  After selecting the item type, the fields AccuPOS utilizes need to be filled in:

 

  1. Item Number (Figure 1-3):  Will be the Item Code that will be used at the Point of Sale (unless custom field SKU is used, see below).  The item code length can be a maximum of 20 characters.  Any Item code that is longer than 20 characters will not import into AccuPOS.  You can use numbers, letters, or a combination of the two.  AccuPOS does not recommend using special characters (#, $, &).  Also, AccuPOS strongly discourages using commas (,) or quotes (“) in any fields inside your inventory list.

 

Figure 1-3

 

-          If the item is bar-coded:  It is recommended that you scan the barcode information into Simply Accounting directly.  Simply place the mouse cursor in the Item Number field and scan the item.  Also, make sure you’re using the same scanner as the one that will be used at the Point of Sale.

-          If the item is not going to be bar-coded:  Assign the Item Number now and barcodes can be printed out later using Wasp Labeler.  Keep in mind that the item code still cannot exceed 20 characters in length.  The more characters on the Item Number, the longer the barcode will be once it is printed out.  Keep that in mind if the labels are extremely small, such as barcodes for jewelry.

-          If the item will be assigned to a key:  The Item Number can be a combination of numbers and letters that will later be attached to a button at the Point of Sale.  This is great for a Food Service company.

  1. Description (Figure 1-4):  The first 25 characters will be printed on the customer’s receipt; the remaining characters will be ignored.

 

Figure 1-4

 

  1. Regular Sales Price (Figure 1-5):  This will determine the default sales price.

 

Figure 1-5

 

  1. Tax Information (Figure 1-6):  Will determine if the item is to be taxed at the Point of Sale.  If a nontaxable customer is set at the Point of Sale, the item will not be taxed despite being set as taxable.

 

Figure 1-6

 

The remaining fields do not affect AccuPOS.  Please refer to the Simply Accounting help file for more information on those fields.

 

Create the Custom Fields: (top)

 

AccuPOS utilizes custom fields for items inside Simply Accounting.  These custom fields have a wide variety of uses ranging from Remote Printing to Bar-coding to applying sales discounts across a specific item type.  Before the custom fields can be used, they need to be created inside Simply Accounting.  To set up the custom fields:

 

  1. From the Company tab, select Settings (Figure 2-1).  The Settings window appears.

 

Figure 2-1

 

  1. Go to Inventory & Services -> Names (Figure 2-2).

 

Figure 2-2

 

  1. Enter SKU for Field 1, Choices for Field 2, and TYPE for Field 3.  (Figure 2-3)

 

Figure 2-3

 

  1. Hit OK when finished.

 

Now that the custom fields have been set up, they will be able to be filled in when creating new inventory items.  Current inventory items will also be able to fill in those fields as well.

 

The Custom Field SKU: (top)

 

The Custom Field SKU allows the Item Number to be different than the actual barcode on a particular item.  This can be useful in such situations as:

 

  1. The Item Number is longer than the maximum 20 characters.  Because this item is longer than 20 characters, it will not be imported into AccuPOS.
  2. If the vendor code for ordering is different than the barcode on the item.  It is best to use the vendor code as the Item Name/Number, which can be used for Purchase Orders, and assign the barcode number to the SKU field.  When the item is imported into AccuPOS, the SKU will be taken in, which is what AccuPOS needs since the item is being scanned at the Point of Sale, but the Item Number inside Simply Accounting may still be used for Purchase Orders.

 

It is important to note that SKUs follow the same 20 character limit as do Item Numbers.  If a SKU is longer than 20 characters, it will not be imported into AccuPOS.

 

The Custom Field TYPE: (top)

 

The type of an item in Simply Accounting, when created, is limited to very generic names, such as Non-inventory, inventory, and service.  Sometimes, it is required for a more specific TYPE to be assigned to item.  The Custom Field TYPE allows for this.  There are many different uses for this custom field:

 

  1. Quantity Pricing*:  AccuPOS allows the spanning of discount across several different items for a specific period of time.  For example, say all Pepsi 1 Liters are 2 for $3.  If you buy one Pepsi 1L and 1 Diet Pepsi 1L, the total will be $3.  You can assign both those items in Simply Accounting the same TYPE and inside AccuPOS Retail Management, a sales price can be created for that type.
  2. Percentage Discounts*:  Just like quantity discounts, AccuPOS allows percentage discounts as well.  For example, all Pepsi products are 10% off for a limited time.  You can assign all items inside Simply Accounting that fit that description with the same TYPE and inside AccuPOS Retail Management, a percentage sales price can be created for that type.
  3. Follow-on Items*:  Automatically apply items to a transaction when a certain item is sold.  For example, an item of TYPE DEPOSIT could be attached to a bottled beverage where an environmental deposit is required by law.  AccuPOS can automatically add on the deposit whenever the item is old at the Point of Sale.
  4. Operator Messages*:  Based off a specific item TYPE, AccuPOS can display an operator message whenever a particular item is sold.  For example, assign all alcohol a specific TYPE so that whenever an alcoholic item is rung in at the Point of Sale, a message will appear for the cashier to check for ID.
  5. Alternate Taxing*:  AccuPOS will allow you to set different tax rates for different items based solely off the item TYPE.  For example, all food items are taxed at 6% but all alcohol is taxed at 7%.
  6. Customized Reports:  Using either the built in AccuPOS reports feature or by using a custom report with Crystal Reports and Microsoft Access, item activity can be view based off the item TYPE.
  7. Food Stamps*:  AccuPOS Retail can only accept Food Stamp items based off a user-defined TYPE for all Food Stamp items.
  8. Remote Printing**:  AccuPOS can use the TYPE field to remote print specific items when sold.  For example, items of TYPE Food will be remote printed to the kitchen printer while items of TYPE Bar will be remote printed to the service bar printer.
  9. Scaleable Items:  If an item is to be weighed at the Point of Sale, the TYPE assigned to that item must have /# somewhere in the TYPE field.  When imported into AccuPOS, it will be read as a scaleable item.
  10. Non-Discountable Items:  If an item is to not be discounted, say a really expensive bottle of wine, than that item must have /d somewhere in the TYPE field.  When imported into AccuPOS, it will never be discounted through a percentage discount at the Point of Sale.

 

It is important to note that item TYPE is case sensitive.  A TYPE of Bar and a TYPE BAR are two different types according to AccuPOS.  Take extra care to make sure that when applying a TYPE to an item, the case is the same.

 

*For more information, please refer to the AccuPOS Retail Management Setup Guide

**For more information, please refer to the AccuPOS Remote Printing Module Setup Guide

 

The Custom Field Choices: (top)

 

Using the AccuPOS Remote Printing Module, choices menus can be set up for specific items to help streamline modifications to orders.  For example, selling a steak and choosing the option of the desired cooking temperature for that steak greatly increases efficiency between the kitchen and the servers.  Filling in the Choices Custom Field option determines what Choice Menu will be displayed when a particular item is rung in at the Point of Sale.

 

For more information on setting up Choice Menus please refer to the Choice Menu Setup Guide.