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SUPERSTOCK Quick Reference Guide Copyright (C) 1991,1992 by M.C.S. All Rights Reserved ┌─────────┐ ┌─────┴───┐ │ (R) ──│ │o │────────────────── │ ┌─────┴╨──┐ │ Association of │ │ │─┘ Shareware └───│ o │ Professionals ──────│ ║ │──────────────────── └────╨────┘ MEMBER "This program is produced by E. McNab who is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442- 9427 or send a Compuserve message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536" The SuperStock program and manual are (C) Copyright 1991,1992 by MCS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY THE SUPERSTOCK SOFTWARE IS SUPPLIED AS IS. MCS MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THIS PROGRAM, REFERENCE MANUAL OR DOCUMENTATION INCLUDING THEIR QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT WILL MCS BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM, REFERENCE MANUAL OR DOCUMENTATION, EVEN MCS IS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN PARTICULAR, MCS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THOSE INCURRED AS A RESULT OF LOST PROFITS OR REVENUE, LOSS OF USE OF COMPUTER PROGRAMS, LOSS OF DATA, THE COST OF A SUBSTITUTE PROGRAM, CLAIMS BY THIRD PARTIES OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR COSTS. IN NO EVENT SHALL MCS LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES EVER EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THE SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF CLAIM. THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE. Some states do not allow the exclusion of the limit of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you. LICENSE for Shareware version SuperStock is NOT public domain or free software. This version of Superstock is distributed as "SHAREWARE". SuperStock is Copyright (C) 1991, 1992 by MCS. All rights reserved. MCS permits the copying and transfer of the SHAREWARE VERSION SuperStock to others, under the following conditions: 1. No fee shall be charged for copies of any portion of the SuperStock program, its documentation or other information contained on the Superstock diskette(s). A charge for the copying service and media is allowed as long as this charge does not exceed £5.00. 2. The recipient receives an unmodified copy of all the SuperStock files, INCLUDING THIS DOCUMENT. Files included in this package : Disk 1 : INSTALL.EXE Installation program UPGRADE.EXE Upgrade program STOCK.OVL Overlay file for main program HELP.DBF Help file for on-line help NEWSUPP.DBF Data files used in SuperStock SC-PORD.DBF " SC-STCK1.DBF " SC-STCK2.DBF " SC-SUPPL.DBF " SC-TRANS.DBF " SC-WORK.DBF " MANUAL.DOC This file REGISTER.DOC How to Register SuperStock COLOR.MEM Default colours for colour screens MONO.MEM Default attributes for mono screen DEFAULTS.MEM Other defaults *.PRD Various Printer Definition Files (PDF) Disk 2 : STOCK.EXE The main SuperStock program file. NOTE : If this program is supplied on 3.5" floppy, all files will be on the same floppy. If, for some reason, the install program does not work, copy all the files from each floppy into a sub-directory on your hard-disk. Hardware requirements : IBM PC/XT/AT/386/486 or fully compatible. 512k free memory. Hard Disk (will run on high-density floppy, but not recommended) INSTALLATION & UPGRADE A) UPGRADE If you are upgrading from a previous version of SuperStock, insert the disk labelled 'DISK 1' in drive A: Change to drive A: and type the following : UPGRADE <ENTER> When prompted, enter the name of the directory that the current version of SuperStock is located, ie C:\SSTOCK <ENTER> Follow the instructions as appropriate B) INSTALL If you are installing this copy of SuperStock for the first time, ins- ert the disk labelled 'DISK 1' in drive A: Change to drive A: and type the following : INSTALL <ENTER> When prompted, enter the name of the directory that you wish to install your copy of SuperStock, ie C:\SSTOCK <ENTER> Follow the instructions as appropriate Using install will overwrite any older version of SuperStock, including your data files. If you are upgrading, use the UPGRADE program instead. Page 1 MENU STRUCTURE The following is a summary of the menu structure of the Stock Control database system. The numbers to the left of each header represent the relevant section of the manual. Page No. -------- 1) Files 2 1.1) Amend Stock Items 2 1.2) Supplier Amend 5 1.3) Re-index Files - 2) Movements 6 2.1) Stock Movements 6 2.2) Amend Movements 9 3) Purchase Orders 10 3.1) Manual P/Orders 12 3.2) P/Order Amend 14 3.3) Automatic P/Orders 13 3.4) Reprint P/Orders 15 3.5) Design P/Order 15 4) Reports 16 4.1) Stocktake 16 4.2) Outstanding P/Orders 16 4.3) Movements 16 4.4) Re-Order Report 16 4.5) Usage (Stock) 17 4.6) Enquiry (Stock) 17 4.7) Valuation (Stock) 17 4.8) Price List 17 4.9) Potential Value 17 5) Utilities 18 5.1) Colours 18 5.2) Define Printer File 18 5.3) Printer Code Definition 18 5.4) Shell to DOS 19 5.5) Backup 19 5.6) Data Restore 19 5.7) Re-Organise 19 5.8) Update R.O.L.'s 19 5.9) Spool File Print 20 5.10) Label Print 20 Page 2 1 FILES This section describes the part of the system you will use to input your stock records and supplier details. You will use this section extensively when first using this system, then to maintain or add details from then on. It is suggested that you enter the supplier details first, as checks are made for valid suppliers in the stock details section. 1.1) AMEND STOCK ITEMS Select FILES from the main menu followed by AMEND STOCK ITEMS. A form will be displayed on the screen for you to enter the stock record information. You will need to press the <ENTER> key after each entry is complete. A. Stock Ref. You should allocate a reference to each of your stock items so that each stock record in the system has a unique code. If a stock reference has previously been used, you will be prompted whether to DELETE or AMEND the record. If you select "Delete", the system will check for outstanding movements, and will allow you to delete the record only if it finds none. If you wish to amend an existing stock reference, press <F2> and a list of valid stock items will be displayed on screen. Use the cursor keys to move up and down this list and press <ENTER> to select the one you wish to amend. B. Description Enter your stock record description in the box provided. Up to 30 characters may be used for this. C. Cost Code This is a four digit code and is used for reference purposes. Enter a code or press <ENTER> to skip this box. Page 3 D. Last Price This is the last price paid for this stock item (as opposed to cost price), This price may be adjusted when recording a receipt of goods into stock (see Section 2.1) E. Pack Size Enter the unit of sale in this box. For example: box, pound, metre, etc. This is used for reference only and is not used in any calculation. F. Lead Time This is the amount of time (in weeks) it normally takes for the relevant supplier to deliver the goods after the posting of a purchase order. G. Supplier Code (*2) This is the code that identifies the supplier that you normally purchase this stock item from. You should have entered the supplier details prior to this section (see Section 1.2). If you enter an invalid code, the system will display an error message, but will allow the code to be accepted and the supplier's details may be entered at a later date (Section 1.2). You may also press the <F2> key for a list of valid suppliers. H. Suppliers Part No. (*2) If you are using a stock referencing system different to that of your supplier, it may be useful to enter the supplier's part number for this stock item. This may be recorded on Purchase orders (see Section 3). I. Discount (*2) Enter the percentage discount you receive from this supplier. J. Special Requirements This is simply a reference field to enter any special requirements that this stock item may have, eg Storage, etc. K. Quality Control Usually just a Yes or No entry, but you may enter any type of description. Page 4 L. Reorder Level Enter the stock level at which you wish to be reminded to reorder this item. This will be shown during the routine which records stock movements (see Section 2.), and on toe reorder report (see Section 4.4). If stock issues are made that reduce the stock levels to reorder level, the system indicates this. M. Reorder Quantity Enter the quantity of this item which you normally reorder at any one time. This quantity is not calculated by the system and it will be best determined by experience. It will appear as the suggested reorder quantity on the reorder report (see Section 4.4) N. Minimum Stock Level This is the level at which you wish to be warned, both during stock issuing (Section 2.1) and on the reorder report (section 4.4), that the stock on hand has reached a dangerous level. This warning takes precedence over the reorder level warning. Page 5 1.2) SUPPLIER AMEND Select FILES from the main menu followed by SUPPLIER AMEND. A form will be displayed on the screen for you to enter the supplier details. A. Supplier Code Enter the supplier code. This code is used in various parts of the system to reference the supplier details (ie. it is used in purchase orders to bring in the relevant addresses. See sections 3 & 4.4). There is one code that is permanent and is used to hold your company name and address. This code is 'CNAM'. The details for 'CNAM' can be amended but cannot be deleted. If you enter a new supplier code, a blank entry screen will be displayed for you to enter the address and telephone number of the supplier. If you wish to amend an existing supplier, press <F2> and a list of valid supplier codes will be displayed on the screen. Use the cursor keys to move up and down this list and press <ENTER> to select the one you wish. The details for the supplier you chose will be displayed on the screen for you to amend. B. Address This is a five line box used to enter the name and address of the supplier. The first line of the address cannot be left blank. Note that you cannot delete the supplier 'CNAM', even accidentally. C. Telephone Enter the telephone number of the supplier here. D. Fax Enter the Fax number (if any) for this supplier. If you have a Hayes Compatible Modem and phone connected to the serial port of your PC, you can press <F8> to automatically dial the displayed supplier. Page 6 2. MOVEMENTS This section deals with movements of stock. In general, any increase or decrease in stock levels will need to be entered in this section as described below. 2.1) STOCK MOVEMENTS This section deals with the actual recording of stock movements, including : Canceling purchase orders (Can P/O) Receipts Issues Allocations Returns Deallocations Adjustments Receipts can be allocated to purchase orders. Adjustments simply adjust the stock level up or down depending on whether a positive or negative quantity is posted. Select MOVEMENTS from the main menu, followed by STOCK MOVEMENTS. The screen will display the input form ready for entry of a stock reference code. A. Stock Reference Enter the stock reference and press <ENTER>. (You may also use the <F2> key to get a list of stock items). The description of the item will be displayed on the screen for verification, along with the following items : Physical stock Quantity allocated Quantity on order Projected stock (Physical stock + Orders) B. Transaction Date Note that the system date appears on the screen. This may be accepted or changed to conform to the true movement date. C. Type Enter the appropriate movement type (a summary of the valid types of movement is displayed at the bottom of the screen). The type of movement selected will be displayed beside the entry box as confirmation of the selection, and the prompt cleared from the bottom of the screen. Page 7 D. Cancel Purchase Orders If the movement is a purchase order cancellation, the system will check for any outstanding orders for that stock item. If none are found, the system will display a message to that effect and return you to the initial input screen. Otherwise, the system will display a list of all outstanding orders and allow you to delete the applicable orders. Use the cursor keys to move up and down the list (<PGUP>/PGDN> to display the previous/next pages), press <SPACE> to toggle between Cancel (Y), and no cancel (N). Press <ESC> when finished, and to save the movement (after verification). Note that any other stock items ordered on the same order numbers will not be affected. E. Receipts If the movement type is a receipt (type 3), enter a reference in the reference box as required. Input the quantity received in the quantity box (cannot be negative), and the screen will display a box for entry of a last price. This is the last price you paid for this stock item. If the price has been changed since the last delivery from your supplier, enter the new price for this item. If not, you may retain the old price by simply pressing the <ENTER> key. The new cost price is calculated by the system as follows : (old in stock quantity * previous cost price) + (quantity received * new cost price) ------------------------------------------------- new in stock quantity This cost is used in the calculation of stock values. Note that the price displayed is the LAST PRICE PAID for this stock item and not the AVERAGE COST. The prompt line then displays the message : Received Against Order? (Y/N) If you reply 'Y', you will be able to allocate the receipt to outstanding orders. If you reply 'N', the receipt will be recorded on the file and you will be returned to the screen form for the entry of the next movement. If there are no outstanding purchase orders for this item, the prompt line will display the message : No Orders - Press any key to continue. Page 8 For receipts against purchase orders the system will display up to the first eleven outstanding purchase orders for the item entered. You may move the cursor up and down this list, using the cursor control keys, and type the quantity delivered against the relevant order(s). You may receive any part of the ordered quantity, and if this is less than the total outstanding, a balance will remain for that order. You may also receive a quantity in excess of that ordered. When the balance of an order is reduced to zero, or a negative amount (over-delivery), the order will be considered completed. F. Issues If the movement type is an issue (type 4) enter a reference in the reference box as required. Input the quantity issued in the quantity box (cannot be negative). The movement will be saved on file and the stock level will be reduced by the quantity entered. G. Returns Returns (type 6) are posted similarly to issues. H. Adjustments When entering adjustments (type 8), the quantity entered may be preceded by a minus sign to decrease the available stock. Otherwise the stock will be increased. During any of the above movements various warning messages may appear. These appear when stock levels are approaching the previously set limits (i.e. reorder level, minimum stock, etc.). If this occurs the system will allow you to either continue with the movement, or cancel it. Page 9 2.2) AMEND MOVEMENT This section allows you to amend movements that have already been posted. You may amend any type of movement (see above). In most cases you are allowed the option of updating the stock levels for the selected item. However, the stock levels are automatically updated for the Cancel P/Order (2) and Receipt (2) movements. Select MOVEMENTS from the main menu, followed by AMEND MOVEMENTS. The screen will display the input form ready for entry of a stock reference code. A. Stock Reference Enter the stock reference and press <ENTER>. (You may also use the <F2> key to get a list of stock items). The description of the item will be displayed on the screen for verification, along with the following items : Physical stock Quantity allocated Quantity on order Projected stock (Physical stock + Orders) B. Type Enter the appropriate movement type (a summary of the valid types of movement is displayed at the bottom of the screen). The type of movement selected will be displayed beside the entry box as confirmation of the selection, and the prompt cleared from the bottom of the screen. If there are any movements of the selected type for this stock item they will be displayed on the screen. You can use the cursor keys (inc- luding <PGUP> and <PGDN>) to move about the displayed movements. You can also use the <INS> key to add a movement (except for 2-Can P/O and 3-Receipt), and <DEL> to delete a movement (except for 2-Can P/O) The column headers and the information displayed in the list of movements will vary depending on the type of movement selected. Use the cursor keys to select the movement you wish to amend and press <SPACE>. You will then be allowed to amend the relevant information. After you have made the necessary changes you will be asked if you want to save the changes and whether you wish to update the stock files. Once you have finished amending any movements, press <ESC> to bring you to the initial entry screen. You can either enter another stock item or press <ESC> again to return to the MOVEMENTS menu. Page 10 3 PURCHASE ORDERS This function is used to record purchase orders for items on the stock files. An outstanding purchase order report can also be obtained to help you to track the purchase orders once raised. There are two ways of raising a purchase order. Manual and Automatic. There is also a section to allow you to amend purchase orders after they have been raised. Select P/ORDERS from the main menu. If you wish to use the automatic option you must do the reorder report first (Section 4.4) A form is displayed for entry of the supplier details and the first part of the order. A. Supplier Code Enter the relevant supplier in the first box (use <F2> for a list of valid suppliers). If the code entered is not in the supplier file, the system will display the following message: Supplier not found. Continue? (Y/N) If you enter 'Y' the system will allow you to continue entry but will not display any address. If you enter 'N' the system will prompt you for another supplier code. If a valid supplier code is entered the system will display the supplier's address in the appropriate box. If you are using the automatic purchase order option, the system will also check if any of the stock items this supplier supplies requires re-ordering. B. Date The date box will contain the system date, but you may amend this if required. C. Order Number Enter an order number for this purchase order. This can be any alpha-numeric code, but must be unique. The system will check the movements file for this order number and, if found, will force you to enter a new, unique, number. D. Originator Enter the name or initials of the person originating this purchase order. Page 11 E. Deliver By Enter the date by which the items specified on this purchase order should be delivered (this date may be changed later - see Section 3.1D). This will be used by the system when printing the outstanding purchase orders report to advise of overdue orders. F. Suppliers Address Enter the supplier's address, if required. Up to five lines of text can be entered in the box provided. If you previously selected a valid supplier the correct address should already be displayed and can be amended. G. Delivery Instructions Up to five lines of text can be entered in this box for any delivery instructions or delivery address as required. Each line will accept up to 30 characters. H. Narrative You have two lines of free-form text available with a total of 150 characters which are printed at the foot of the order form. Press <ENTER> to skip these fields if not required. The screen then displays the second part of the order form. Page 12 3.1) MANUAL PURCHASE ORDERS A blank entry form will be displayed on the screen. To insert a new stock item in the order, press the <INS> key. A. Stock Ref Enter the stock reference codes in this column for items that are to be included in this order. You can use the function key <F2> for a list of the valid stock items. Once the stock reference is entered the description of the item is displayed in the description column. The cost price and supplier's part number (if applicable) are shown in the columns alongside. There is also a column with the header 'Stagger Deliveries?' B. Quantity Enter the quantity ordered. If the quantity is 0 (can only do this by pressing <ESC>) this stock item will not be included on this purchase order. C. Price You can amend the displayed cost price before printing the purchase order, however the value entered does not affect the actual value of the stock item. D. Stagger Deliveries Enter 'Y' if you wish to stagger the deliveries of this stock item. A window will then be displayed for the entry of a list of quantities and delivery dates. Press <INS> to insert a quantity and date, <DEL> to delete a quantity and date. The delivery of each stock item may be split into a maximum of 12 deliveries per order. When finished, press <ESC> to save and continue with the order entry. E. End of Order Continue to input items onto the order until it is complete. When you have finished entering all items, press the <ESC> key. The order will then be printed if required. The screen is cleared for entry of the next order. Press <ESC> to exit the routine if no further orders are to be posted. Page 13 3.2) AUTOMATIC PURCHASE ORDERS The system will display a list of all stock items needing ordered from the supplier entered in the first section. You may use the cursor keys to move up and down this list pressing <SPACE> to select and amend any one. You may also press <INS> to add a stock item to this order (see above). A. Quantity The system will suggest a reorder quantity based on the value in the stock records file (see section 1.1). You can change this amount by typing the new amount over the top. If the quantity is 0, this stock item will not be included on the purchase order. B. Stagger Deliveries Enter 'Y' if you wish to stagger the deliveries of this stock item. A window will then be displayed for the entry of a list of quantities and delivery dates. Press <INS> to insert a quantity and date, <DEL> to delete a quantity and date. The delivery of each stock item may be split into a maximum of 12 deliveries per order. When finished, press <ESC> to save and continue with the order entry. C. End of Order Continue to amend items in the order until it is complete. When you have finished entering all items press <ESC>. The order will then be printed if required The screen is cleared for entry of the next order. Press <ESC> to exit the routine if no further orders are to be posted. Page 14 3.3) AMEND PURCHASE ORDERS This section allows you to amend the dates and amounts of any outstanding purchase order. It may be used when the delivery date of an outstanding purchase order needs to be brought forward, or you need to increase the number you previously ordered without having to raise a new purchase order. The system will display a list of all outstanding purchase orders along with the supplier concerned, the date it was raised, and the reference. You may use the cursor keys to move up and down this list, pressing <ENTER> to select and amend any one. A list of the details of the purchase order (see section 3.1 and 3.2) will be displayed. Use the cursor keys to move up and down the list and press <SPACE> to select the stock item you wish to amend. You may also use the <INS> and <DEL> keys to insert and delete items from this order. A. Quantity Enter the new quantity. The system will then display the breakdown of the deliveries. B. Stagger Deliveries The system displays the current breakdown of delivery quantities and dates. You can amend these as appropriate, however the total deliveries ordered in this column must equal the quantity above. Otherwise the system will prompt you to re-enter the quantities. The list of outstanding purchase orders will be displayed. If you don't wish to amend another purchase order press <ESC> again. Page 15 3.4) REPRINT PURCHASE ORDERS This section is used to reprint any purchase order. It is useful when, due to a printer malfunction or a badly aligned form, etc, the original purchase order has not been printed correctly. Select P/ORDERS from the main menu followed by REPRINT P/ORDERS. The system will display a list of all outstanding purchase orders along with the supplier concerned, the date it was raised, and the reference. Use the cursor keys to highlight the relevant order, and press <ENTER> to select. A blank form is displayed on the screen (see above) for entry of the order number and delivery instructions etc. The system will check for this order and will display the relevant supplier information. You are then required to enter the delivery and narrative information (see above). You should then set up the printer with a new order form. The order will then be printed. 3.5) DESIGN PURCHASE ORDER Use this section to design your purchase orders. It may be used to fill in a preprinted form, or to design an order to print on plain paper. A list of fields will be displayed on the screen, along with Line, Col, and Attributes. The idea is to place the fields (and optional text) in the right positions on the form. A grig may be printed on the form by pressing the <F8> key and placing a blank form in your printer. Fields and text will be printed on the form according to this grid, however if you use the CONDENSED attributes a lot, the positions may not exactly match the grid and positioning will need to be adjusted by trial and error. If you use a Line and Col of 0 and 0 respectively, the respective field will not be printed. Use the cursor keys to move about the list. If you wish to reposition or change the attributes of a field, use the cursor keys to highlight the field and press the <SPACE> key. You can also insert and delete TEXT fields by using the <INS> and <DEL> keys respectively. Page 16 4 REPORTS Within stock reports there are 7 different reports (at present). To print stock reports select REPORTS from the main menu. A list of the various reports is displayed on the screen : Stocktake Outstanding P/Orders Movements Re-order Report Usage (stock) Enquiry (stock) Valuation (Stock) Price List Potential Value In each of the above cases there is the option to print to the screen, a file, or to the printer. In most cases, if reports are directed to the printer or a file, more detail will be shown. A. Stocktake Select STOCKTAKE from the list and press <ENTER>. Enter the range of stock items to be included in the report. This listing provides a useful aid to stocktaking, listing all items in the range chosen including bin location, in-stock quantity, and suppliers part number. B. Outstanding P/Orders Select OUTSTANDING P/ORDERS from the list and press <ENTER>. There are two ranges to enter : Order number and Due Date. If these are left blank all outstanding purchase orders will be listed. This function produces a listing of the outstanding purchase order items in the range selected, providing an indication of those overdue and by how long. You may optionally include completed and canceled items in the list. C. Stock Movements This function produces a listing of all movements for each stock item in the selected range. D. Re-order Report This function provides a report on stock items that are due for reorder. The system uses the minimum stock and reorder levels as entered in the stock record update routine (see Section 1.1). It also takes into account the suppliers lead-time, and the quantity left in stock compared to the average usage of that item. Page 17 The report also reports the number of deliveries of that stock item due in a certain time, and also the date and quantity of the next delivery due. If the MFR (mark for reorder) parameter is set you may also instruct the system to automatically mark the relevant stock items for reorder. This is used in the Automatic Purchase Order routine (Section 3.2). Note that, in order for this report to work properly, there must be at least 1 month's prior issues (in order to calculate the average usage). E. Usage Report This function calculates the average usage for each item in the range and between the dates entered, and compares it to the calculated overall average monthly usage. F. Stock Enquiry This report displays all known information (including movements) for each of the stock items in the range. G. Valuation (Stock) This report produces a listing of the quantity, cost, and total cost of each stock item in the range. H. Price List This report produces a listing of the Retail Price of each stock item in the range. I. Potential Value This report produces an estimate of the potential value of the stock items in the range. This is calculated as follows: Potential Value = (Retail Price - Average Cost) * Number of Items Page 18 5 UTILITIES A. Colours Use this section to change the colours and attributes used in the various displays. A list of the various colour groups will be displayed on the screen. Use the cursor keys to select the group you wish to change, and press <ENTER>. A display of the particular window / colour group etc. will be displayed on the screen with the current colour settings, along with a list of the valid colour options displayed in a box on the right. The system will automatically detect if a colour or mono display is being used (some mono VGA cards will allow the system to use shades- of-grey to represent colour). Edit the fields to change the colour settings. Any changes will show up on the current screen. When you have finished changing the colour settings, press <ESC> to save and quit. Some of the colour changes you have made will not take effect 'till the system is restarted. B. Define Printer File Use this section to define which Printer Definition File (PDF) to use for subsequent printing. If you change any of the printer codes (see below) for the current PDF, it will need to be redefined. The PDF files have the extension PRD. Enter the name of the file you wish to use (do not enter the file extension). C. Printer Code Definition If none of the supplied PDF's match your printer, or if you wish to change the printer codes for a printer, this is the section to use. Enter the name of the PDF you wish to edit. If it is a new PDF, a blank entry form will be displayed, otherwise the current settings will be displayed. Enter the codes (in ASCII separated by '\') to turn on and off each printer attribute. Page 19 D. Shell to DOS Use this option to return temporarily to DOS. For example, you may wish do get a directory listing, or to type out a spool file, etc. To return to the program, type EXIT at the DOS prompt. E. Backup Use this option to make a backup copy of all data files. Select UTILITIES followed by BACKUP. It is important that you make regular backups of your data files as this will save you a lot of trouble in the event that anything goes wrong with your computer. As you proceed with the backup, you will be prompted to enter a diskette in drive A:. Make sure that the diskettes you use are blank and have been formatted correctly. If the data files are too big to fit on one disk, you will be prompted to enter other diskettes as each one is filled. Make a note of the order that the disks are used as this is important when you wish to restore the files. Make a note of the date of each backup. This will enable you to choose the correct data when it comes to restore it. F. Data Restore You should only need to restore a backup if the current set of data files have become corrupted or if you wish to view past data that has been erased from the data files (see section 5 C). If you wish to see previous data MAKE SURE that you make a BACKUP COPY of the CURRENT DATA. This is because when you do a restore, you will over-write the current data. When restoring data enter the diskettes in the correct order. You will be prompted for the relevant diskettes as the restore proceeds. G. Re-organise This is to be used to remove out-of-date information. You will be prompted to enter a date. All movements prior to this date (except outstanding purchase orders) will be deleted from the transaction file. It is advisable to make a backup copy of the data files prior to using this function as the relevant data will be removed permanently. H. Update R.O.L.'s This section is used to calculate and optionally update the reorder levels of the selected range of stock items. If you reply 'N' to the prompt : Update Reorder levels? (Y/N) Page 20 you will be allowed to print out a list of all the selected stock items, with their new reorder levels, without actually updating the reorder levels. If you enter 'Y' to the prompt, the calculated reorder level will replace the old reorder level for these stock items. I. Spool File Print Use this section to print and delete spool files created in the REPORTS section. Any printing will be done in the background so that you can still use the program while the reports are being printed. If you are deleting a spool file make sure that that particular report is not being printed and that it is not in the print queue. J. Label Print Use this section to print mailing labels. You have the option to print as many or as few as you wish. You may also include the name of the contact on the labels. This section may also be used to print a simple listing of the supplier codes.