Entering Item Using Bar Codes
OBJECTIVE
The Entering Items Using Bar Codes icon is used to enter inventory codes using a bar code reader rather than entering the items codes manually.
The barcode reader generates a sequence of characters that are searched by maestro* in catalogue management. The found product is subsequently displayed on the screen.
This option is available in the following options, by clicking on the icon provided for this purpose:
PREREQUISITEs
- Bar code reader
- Catalogue Management
sUmmary
- Configuring the Catalogue
- Access the Entryof items by bar Code option
- Using the Entry ofitems by bar code screen
Steps
Configuring the catalogue
- Access the Catalogue Management option.
- This option can be accessed in the Purchasing module, Maintenance section. From the Maintenance section, go to the Catalogue section.
- For each of the products in Catalogue Management, specify the code that will be returned by the barcode reader in the Universal Product Code (UPC) field or in the Manufacturer’s Part Number (Manuf. Part No.) field.
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The code returned by the bar code reader may also be the main Code for the item. In this case, the code must be specified in the Code field and it is not necessary to repeat it in the Universal Product Code or in the Manufacturer’s Part Number. |
When a product is read by the barcode reader, maestro* searches the code received in the following fields, in the order shown here and displays the first item found based on this priority:
- The Universal Product Code (UPC) (UPC field)
- The maestro* item code (Code field)
- The manufacturer’s part number (Manuf. Part No. field)
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Since the code serves as a link to the bar code reader, it must be the same length as the code read and returned by the bar code reader. If the reader returns an 8-character code, the code in maestro* must also contain 8 characters. |
To enter the code to be used for a series of catalogue items, you can perform a mass update in Catalogue Management by performing the following steps:
- From the list generator in Catalogue Management, export the fields to Excel.
- Enter any missing information in the Excel file and save.
- From Catalogue Management, click on the Tools menu and select the Import an Excel File option.
- Match the fields in the Excel file with the fields of maestro* and click Transfer.
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You cannot change the item’s Main code. This procedure therefore only applies for changing the universal product code or the manufacturer’s part number. |
Access the Entry of items by bar codeoption
Follow one of the procedures below:
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Receipt of Goods |
Inventory toProject Transfer or Internal Sales |
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In the main merchandise receipt entry screen:
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In the main inventory-to-project transfer or internal sales screen:
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Using the Entry of items by bar code screen
Icons
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Icon |
Title |
Description |
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New |
Deletes all entries displayed on the screen without saving so you can start reading items again. |
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New product code |
Deletes the contents of the Product Code field so you can start reading product codes again without losing the previously displayed entries in the grid. |
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Continuing the processing |
Transfers the list of products, quantities and serial numbers to the final transaction, depending on the option in which the Entry of items by bar code option was requested. |
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Configuration |
Used to configure the behaviour of the screen. |
Configuration
Before starting, it is important to configure how the system handles the items read by the bar code reader. The settings are saved by user and by option.
- Click the Configuration icon.
- Complete the following information:
Field
Description
Maximum number of lines
Determines the number of lines to be displayed in the grid.
By default, the system displays 100 lines.
Entry Method
Lets you specify how the quantities will be processed. Available values:
With Quantity
The user must specify the quantity for each item.
Without Quantity
The user is not required to specify the quantity for each item. The system presumes that the quantity for each item is 1 (one).
The system does not display the Quantity field, but it does displays the quantity column in the grid. If necessary, the user can change the quantity in the grid manually.
Treatment of the items managed by serial number
When the Item Management mode of an item is Serial Number, the system must know the serial number(s) of the items to be processed. There are three methods for specifying serial numbers:
One at a time
The bar code reader is used to scan the code of the item and then to scan the serial number of the item.
NOTE: If the user wants to enter a second serial number for a given item, he must scan the item again and then scan the second serial number.
Predetermined Number
The bar code reader is used to scan the item and then a predetermined number of serial numbers must be scanned.
The user must:
- Scan the product code
- Specify the number of items to be processed
NOTE: The Predetermined Number field can be scanned or entered manually and matches the number of serial numbers to be scanned.
- Scan the serial numbers up to the predetermined number.
EXAMPLE: If the predetermined number is five, the system prompts you to enter five serial numbers before allowing you to read a new product code.
Many
The bar code reader is used to scan the item and then the serial numbers must be scanned. When the user has finished scanning the serial numbers for the item, he must specify it manually.
The user must:
- Scan the product code
- Scan the first serial number
- Scan the second serial number and so on
For each serial number scanned, the system increases the quantity of the item by 1.
NOTE: To enter a new item, the user must click the New Product Code icon.
- Click OK to save the setting and return to the Entry of items by bar code screen.
Implementation
- Position the cursor in the Product Code field.
- Scan the item using the bar code reader.
To prevent the user from having to press ENTER after each reading, you can usually configure the bar code reader to automatically add the carriage return and line feed (CRLF) characters after each reading. If you are not familiar with this type of procedure, contact the supplier of your bar code reader for more information on this topic.
- Depending on the type of item and the settings selected, the following fields are displayed and must be completed:
Field
Description
Quantity
Used to specify the quantity of the product scanned.
NOTE: This field is only displayed if the "With Quantity" entry method is selected and the item is not managed by serial number.
If you scan a product that is already in the grid a second time, the quantity will be increased:
- by 1 if the entry method is Without Quantity
- by the quantity entered in the Quantity field if the entry method is With Quantity
The quantity can be scanned with the reader or entered manually.
Predetermined Number
Used to specify the number of serial numbers to be entered.
NOTE: This field is only displayed if the item is managed by serial number.
The number can be scanned with the reader or entered manually.
Serial Number
Used to specify the serial number of the item.
NOTE: This field is only displayed if the item is managed by serial number.
The serial number can be scanned with the reader or entered manually.
If multiple serial numbers must be entered manually, each serial number must be separated by a comma (,).
- Last Product Found section: this section displays information for the last product code scanned or entered manually.
- Confirm the information.
The quantity and serial number of the item are displayed in the breakdown grid after each item entered. This lets you monitor the items entered and make corrections if necessary.
Field
Description
Product code received from the reader
Product code from the reader.
Found in
Catalogue field in which the code returned by the reader was found.
Catalogue Code
Maestro* catalogue code that matches the scanned product code.
Description
Description of the product from Catalogue Management.
Quantity
Quantity processed.
Serial Numbers
Serial Number(s) Processed
Only the quantity and serial number columns can be modified in the breakdown grid.
- When all of the required have been scanned, click the Continue the process icon or press the F12 key.
The system performs the following function based on the option from which processing was initiated:
Receipt of Goods
For each item in this grid, the system performs the following verifications and processing:
The quantity scanned (or entered) in the Quantity column is considered the quantity received.
- If the catalogue code is on the order, the quantity received will be moved to the Inventory Received (Invt. Rcpt.) column in the receiving screen, on the first line on which the catalogue code is found.
- If the quantity received exceeds the quantity to be received, the system checks whether the same product has been entered on additional lines.
- In this case, the system indicates a quantity received that matches the quantity to be received for each of the products found until the quantity received has been fully distributed.
- If the quantity received of the product is higher than the quantity to be received on the order, the surplus quantity is added to the quantity received on the last line of the order on which the product is found.
- If the catalogue code is not found on the order, the system adds the catalogue code in the grid of items added to the receiving screen, in the Add Item tab.
By default, the items added directly affect the inventory, if their status allows. You can add a project, activity or group manually if the item should be allocated to a project.
Non-catalogue items that are identified with an exclamation mark (!) or items that do not affect the inventory must be allocated to a project.
Inventory toProject Transfer
Internal Sales
For each item in the grid, the system adds the following information to the inventory-to-project transfer breakdown grid:
- The product code
- The quantity
- The serial number(s), if applicable
The user must complete the table to add information about the project, activity or group.
Equipment Allocation
- Only works for “Rental Returns”
- Must only be used for serial number managed items. If the same item code is on rental in more than one project, and the serial number is not scanned, then:
- The return will be applied to the oldest rental.
- The scanned quantity (which corresponds to the number of items returned) cannot be greater than the quantity of items rented in the oldest rental.
See also