the Point of Sale program designed for easy use by small businesses,
without the need of any computer knowledge. This low cost program is a
complete cash register as well as an accounting, inventory and
Customer management system all kept up-to-date by simply using
the cash register and protected by a four level security system.
The Cash Register handles new sales with any number of
items and quantities up to 9999 per line item. Any number of
deposits can be put on a sale as well as balance payments at pickup
time. Returns and voids are also handled by the cash register. A
ledger is updated with all cash register transactions. Inventory and
Customer databases are also updated when the register is used.
Payments may be made by cash, check, or credit card and any
number of split tenders are supported. Quotes can be made and
turned into sales at a later date. Tax exempt sales are also easily
made.
The Accounting system keeps track of all dollar
information on sales, returns, voids and tax collected as well as
inventory. This information can be requested for any time frame
and includes the number of sales, the total dollar amounts of the
sales broken down by type (I.E. cash, check, credit card type), the
dollar amounts collected and returned, and the tax collected. A
ledger can be viewed showing all cash register usage by date or by
sales number. The ledger can also be printed for any date range.
The information shown includes the date and time of sale, sales
number, dollar amount of sale, tax, amount collected, method of
payment and employee number of the sales person. End of day
reports giving the same information may also be requested, dollar
values for inventory sold are also given for predetermined
categories as well as a parts usage report showing all parts used
and there profit margin, the end of day report is from the last time
the cash register was cleared.
The Customer database keeps a list of all customers and is
built through use of the cash register or manual entry. When the
register is used the last four digits of the customer's phone number
are used to find the customer information, if the customer is already in
the database the information will automatically displayed and if not
you will be prompted to ask for it. Customer information is not
needed to complete the sale, but if entered the customer database
will be updated to include it. Mailing lists/labels can be printed
based on the last date the customer purchased something and by
the items purchased.
The Security system has four levels to allow limited access
to information. Level one is the lowest level allowing only the
ability to make new sales, take deposits, and pick ups as well as
checking part quantities and looking up receipts by number, last
name, or date. Level two gives all of level one plus the ability
to do returns and voids. Level three also gives the employee access
to inventory control and clearing the register. Level four has
complete access to everything.
The Inventory control system is used to add, delete, and
edit items in your inventory. The information saved has room for
three vendors each with three price ranges, reorder levels,
maximum levels, on hand quantities, price paid, selling price,
description. Each item may be assigned to any one of one
hundred categories and listed as taxable or nontaxable. Upon
running the end of day reports a reorder printout may be requested
giving a list of part numbers that have on-hand levels plus on-order
levels lower then the reorder level. When parts are ordered into the
system the on-order levels are increased. When parts are received
into the system the on-order level is decreased and the on-hand
level is increased. A printout of parts received into the system may
be printed to verify entry. A list of parts can be displayed, edited, or
printed several different ways. On-order lists and parts usage
reports including profit margins may also be printed as well as
UPC labels. Part numbers can be from six to twenty characters long
and can be formatted. Total size of both part number and
description is fifty-two characters. As the part number increases or
decreases the description size is inversely affected.
P.O.S. will run on any IBM compatible XT, AT, 386, 486,
or higher computer running a DOS version of 3.01 or greater with a
minimum of 640k of memory and a 30-megabyte hard disk drive. A
printer is also needed. The printer should be able to emulate an
Epson with the extended graphics character set. It is however
suggested, for performance reasons, that a 386 25MHz or higher
system with 2 megabyte of memory and a fast hard disk drive be
used. A tape backup unit is also recommended.
LOADING P.O.S. on your computer
1. Insert the program floppy into the floppy drive.
2. Select the floppy drive. Example: "A:"
3. At the prompt type "Install"
4. Follow the prompts and the program will be
automatically installed on you computer.
6. Start the program by typing "POS" <return>
SETTING UP YOUR PROGRAM
After reading and agreeing to the license agreement by
answering "Y" (yes) to both prompts the program will be loaded
onto your computer. To start the program after it has completed
loading simply type POS at the DOS prompt. The program's
banner screen will appear. In the upper left is the version number
and in the upper right is the serial number assigned to your copy of
the program. Your serial number is very important for registration
of this program and should be written down and kept in a safe
place for it will be used when updates are made.
Since this is a new copy there is no password so all you
need to do is hit the return key. On the bottom of the screen will
flash "CHECKING DATA BASES...Please wait" this will check
files for errors before letting you start.
The next screen that will appear is the first setup screen.
The first question on the setup screen is asking where the data
bases are located. The installation program has already told setup
where they are and this information will be displayed as the default
answer. You should not have to change this unless you change the
data base drive or path. The next question is the format you want
to use for your part numbers. There is a short paragraph
explaining that using an "X" will allow entry of any character in
that position, a "9" will allow only numbers in that position, and
that the characters "/" and "-" will be fixed in that position.
Overall length of the part number can be 6 through 20 characters.
As the part number grows from 6 characters up to the 20 maximum
the length of the description field will go down proportionally. The
default is ten characters allowing letters, both upper and lower
case, and numbers. Upper and lower case letters are not considered
the same so care should be taken when assigning part numbers.
This allows for sixty-two possible entrees per position giving many
possible part numbers with few character positions used. Also if
using a slash or a dash in the format and the format is changed
care must be taken that the new format will allow old part numbers
to be entered. The format and size can be changed at any time.
The next three questions deal with how you would like the cash
register to function. The first question, "adding customers during
sales" allows you to bypass to customer data base entry if your
business does not warrant it. The second question, "validate every
price", is asking if you want to have and chance to modify the price
on each part entered as they are sold. As parts are sold, the selling
price is automatically retrieved from the inventory database and if
you answer "Y" (yes) to this question you will have to confirm or
change the price on each item entered. This is an extra step for
each item and is not necessary if most of the time the price will not
be changed. The price can also be changed by hitting <F1> to edit
the item sold as explained later in the Sales Menu section of this
manual. The third question, "ask for quantities", is asking if you
want to enter quantities for each line item or if you want to just
enter the part number and each line will be a quantity of one.
Answering "Y" (yes) will allow you to enter quantities for each
item. If you plan on printing labels the next line should also be
filled in. This line is printed on the bottom of every label. The
next four lines will print on the sales receipts in the lower left
across from the totals. These lines will not print on the sales
quotes. Under that are the last invoice and quote numbers.
Once that screen is complete screen two will appear. The
next few questions deal with what is connected to your computer.
The prompts will allow you to chose between parallel and serial
communication ports. Use the arrow keys to highlight the correct
choice and then press enter to select it. (Important: the system will
not function properly if you chose a serial port but do not have the
cash drawer, pole display, or printer installed). You will also be
asked to choose a printer type. At the time of this printing support
for Epson, Panasonic, and IBM emulation's are supported for the report
printer and Citizen and Star for the receipt printer. Only the EMAX
Universal 104-pole display has been tested but most 20 column 2 line
serial displays should work. By answering "Y" (yes) to the next
question, "Ask before printing receipts", a prompt would appear after
every sale asking if you what to print a receipt. Answering "N" (no)
will automatically print receipts after a sale. To reenter any of the
above information answer "N" (no) to the last question otherwise
answering "Y" (yes) will continue you onto the third and final setup
screen. All the information on this screen can be changed at any time.
The next screen shows the information that the program
will use for the front banner and the sales receipts. The registered
owners' name will appear on the Login screen under "Registered to"
and will be double-spaced. (I.E. There will be a space between each
character in the name.) Next is the information that is printed on
the receipt. Line 1 is printed in double high and wide print and is
20 characters maximum. Line 2 is under line 1 and is 30
characters maximum. Lines 3 and 4 are also 30 character maximum.
Line 5 is the phone number. Lines left
blank will not print and all others will be centered. After entering
the information a registration form will print and you will be reminded
to fax or mail in the form within 30 days or your copy will no longer
function until you receive and enter your registration code. This
allows us to keep you up to date on changes and improvements to the
program and protects us from unauthorized copies being used. There
is no cost involved with registering your legal copy.
On the next screen you will be prompted to enter at least 1
level 4, system wide, employee. Here you must enter a 4-digit code
and then after pressing the return key you will be asked to verify it.
Next you will be prompted to input a first and last name. The
security level on this first entry must be a 4 and no other number
will be accepted. After entering the employee you will be at the
employee menu and may enter more employees by hitting the letter
"A" for add and following the same procedure as before only now
level 1 through 4 is possible. There this a default employee
number with level 4 access already inputted. This default number is
9999 and can be deleted if desired. For more information on the
employee menu choices see the section entitled "EMPLOYEE
MENU".
Before you can use the cash register parts must be entered
into the program. The procedure for entering parts is covered in the
section entitled "INVENTORY MENU". It is recommended you
read through all sections of this manual, but to enable you to start
using P.O.S. right away you may want to skip to the inventory
section first, as it is the only thing that must be done prior to use of
the cash register.
Once parts have been added the program is ready to make
sales. To do this you can go to the SALES MENU and go to the
sales screen as explained in the section entitled "SALES MENU"
or quit out of the program and restart it. After you have entered the
startup information and restart the program it will automatically go
to the sales screen whenever started. For information on getting back to
the menus please read the SALES MENU section of this manual.
MAIN MENU
The MAIN MENU is a path to all areas of the program. It
is accessed by typing "MENU" in the employee number area on the
cash register and then inputting a level 3 or 4 employee number,
level 3 has limited access to menu functions and level 4 has full
access. The menu system is not needed to perform any cash register
functions. Menu choices are made by ether hitting the letter of that
choice which will execute that choice and bring you to the next
menu or by using the up and down arrows to scroll through the
choices. When scrolling through the choices a sub menu showing
the choices under that menu will also be updated.
For information on the sub menu choices see the
appropriate section in this file.
ACCOUNTING MENU
By pressing the letter "A" from the MAIN MENU the
ACCOUNTING MENU will appear. This menu is use for all
information about money. As with the MAIN MENU you need only
hit the first letter of the choice or use the arrow keys to highlight it
and hit enter.
By pressing the letter "L" from the ACCOUNTING
MENU the ledger menu will be displayed.
Pressing "D" from the LEDGER MENU will display the ledger
on the screen. The right arrow key will move the whole screen to
the left showing additional information for each line. Using the left
arrow will move it back and the up and down arrow keys move you though
the information records. Page up and page down may also be used to
move more quickly to the records wanted. Pressing the question mark "?"
will display additional navigation keys. The "F1" key sorts each line
by sale date, this is the default, and the "F10" key sorts them by sales
number making all transactions, for that sale, appear next to each
other. You can also delete lines by pressing the "Del" key. The
word "DELETE" will appear on the top of the screen showing that
the line is marked for deletion. Pressing "Del" again on the same
line will undelete that line. To exit the ledger press the "Esc" key,
if any lines are marked for deletion a prompt will appear on the
bottom of the screen. These lines have only been marked for
deletion but are not actually removed until you hit the "F1" key.
Hitting the "F10" key will not remove the lines giving you a chance
to go back and undelete then. Be very careful when using this
feature because you are changing the databases and this may give
you inaccurate reports in the future.
Pressing "P" will print the ledger. First you will be prompted to
enter a beginning and end date for the printout giving you the ability
to print only the date range that you want. Once these dates have been
entered the ledger will print all entries from the beginning date
through the ending date.
Pressing the letter "B" from the ACCOUNTING MENU
will bring up the BIG PICTURE screens. The Big Picture is a
snapshot of all sales dollar information within any time frame.
When requesting Big Picture information first will appear a box
asking you to enter the beginning and ending dates that you would
like the information for. The system will default to the dates of the
first and last sale in the current data base. To use these dates,
giving you a total picture of your current database, simply hit
"ENTER" or you may change the dates by typing over them with
the dates wanted. Hit "F1" to show sale dollars by category and
then to return to the ACCOUNTING MENU.
By pressing "S" from the ACCOUNTING MENU a box
will appear requesting you to enter the beginning and ending dates
of the sales tax period you want information for. Unlike the BIG
PICTURE the system does not default to any dates and you must
always enter them manually. The taxable sales are the total sales
of taxable items not including the tax, the nontaxable sales are the
total sales of items that are nontaxable, the exempt sales are the
total sales of taxable items that no tax was charged, the total sales
line is the total of all three types of sales, and the tax collected line
is the amount of tax collected during the time frame requested.
You may print this screen by pressing the "PRINT SCREEN" key
on your keyboard, any other key will take you back to the
ACCOUNTING MENU".
By pressing the letter "E" from the ACCOUNTING
MENU the End of Day report is requested. The End of Day report
gives you information on all sales since the register was last
cleared. This information may be requested with or without
clearing the register. This is done by pressing ether the letter "Y"
which gives you the information but does not clear the register or
pressing the letter "Z" which gives you the information and also
clears the register. In addition a reorder list may be printed by
answering "Y" to question "Print reorder list?". Once this screen is
completed the computer will start getting the information needed,
this may take a minute or so depending on you computer speed
and the amount of information in it. After the computer has
finished the report will be printed. If your printer is not ready or
not working a beep and a message will appear on the bottom of the
screen telling you to make the printer ready and hit any key or to
press "Esc" to abort the printing. This message is normal for all
printouts and in most cases hitting "Esc" will bring you back to the
last menu that you were on, but for the End of Day report the
information will be sent to the screen one page at a time. Pressing
the "F1" key will display the next screen The first part of the
report is much like the Big Picture except that it only shows
information for the time period since your last clearing of the cash
register. This can be used to reconcile the cash draw. The next
part, the Category List, shows all one hundred possible categories
that parts may be assigned to and the dollar amount sold in each
category since the register was last cleared. All parts when entered
into the inventory are assigned by default to category 0 but can be
change at any time, see the INVENTORY MENU section for more
information on categories. The last part, the Parts Usage section,
shows all parts sold since the register was cleared listing the part
number, description, total dollar charged for that part, and the
profit margin made. Part usage can also be printed for any length
of time and any range of part numbers through the parts printing
option in the inventory section of the program. For more
information on that feature see the INVENTORY MENU section of
this manual. If a reorder list was requested this would print after
the End of Day report. When inputting parts into the system you
can set up a reorder level. Parts printed in the reorder list are those
that have an on-hand plus on-order quantity less then the reorder
level. For more information on the on-hand, on-order, or reorder
levels see the INVENTORY MENU section of the manual.
The next choice on the ACCOUNTING MENU is the
"Inventory $". By pressing the letter "I" you will be prompted to
input a range of part numbers that you would like the total value of.
The default is all part numbers in your inventory. The returned
value is computed using the latest "last paid" price for each item
times the "on-hand" number for that part.
The next choice on the ACCOUNTING MENU is the
"Category list" option. Pressing the letter "C" will bring up a sub
menu.
The first choice, "Edit category", is selected by pressing the
letter "E" and will next ask for a category number. After inputting
the category number desired the description field will be displayed
and may be edited to describe the category. After entering the
description and hitting the "Enter" key you will be asked to hit
"F1" to enter the new information or "F10" the abort the entry
returning it to its original state.
The other choice is the "List" option used to display all one
hundred categories. This list can be modified by highlighting the
field you wish to change and then pressing the "Enter" key. Once
"Enter" has been pressed a cursor will appear letting you type over
the information in that field. The category numbers can not be changed.
The last choice on the ACCOUNTING MENU is to graph
sales. This is done by pressing "G" from the menu. The system
will prompt you with the choices of graphing by days, weeks, or
months. The graph will show twelve bars each representing one
day, week, or month. After selecting one of the choices the system
will prompt you for a date. The default date will be the date that
the system is using as today's date. This date can be changed to
any valid date and the graph will count back from that date twelve
time periods. On the left side of the graph will be the dollar value
of each step on the graph. These figures are automatically scaled
based on the highest value of the time periods. Along the bottom
of the graph is the date and exact dollar amount for each bar. The
date will be the day, the beginning of the week, or the beginning of
the month. Weeks are seven-day periods, and months are calendar
months. Pressing "Esc" will return you to the ACCOUNTING
MENU.
CUSTOMER MENU
Pressing "C" from the MAIN MENU the CUSTOMER
MENU. This menu allows you to Add, Delete, Edit, and View
customer information as well as to print customer lists and labels
for mailing lists.
Pressing "A" will bring up an Add Customer screen. It is
not necessary to manually add customers since using the cash
register will automatically add new customers when they purchase
items. This is a second way to add customers without using the
register. Once entered on the screen press "F1" to enter it into the
database or "F10" to abort that entry.
Pressing "D" will cause the system to request that you
press the number "1" to locate the customer by the last four
numbers of the phone number or "2" to locate by last name. After
hitting the number "1" the system will request the last four
numbers of the phone number of the customer you wish to delete.
After entering it, if more then one customer is in the system with
that number a list will appear and then using the arrow keys you
highlight the correct customer and hit enter. By hitting the number
"2" the system will request the last name. It is not necessary to
know the complete spelling of the last name, enter as little as is
known and then hit enter. The system will display the customers
last name closest to the entered name and let you search forward by
pressing "F" or backward by pressing "B" from there. When you
find the correct name press "U" (use) or if the name is not found
press "Q" (quit) to return to the menu. After the information is on
the screen press "F1" to delete that customer or "F10" to abort the
deletion.
Pressing "E" works much the same way as deleting to get
the customer information up onto the screen. Once the information
is on the screen the cursor will be placed over the first name
allowing you to change any information needed, hitting enter or
using the arrow keys will move you from field to field. Changing
the phone number will cause the four-digit number used to locate
the customer to change to the new last four numbers of the phone
number. This screen will also show you the last date any items
were sold to this customer. This date may be changed to allow the
customer to be included it a mailing discussed later in this chapter.
After entering the information and hitting enter on the sale date the
changes will automatically update the database.
Pressing "V" will display on the screen the database
information for all customers. Using the left, right, up, and down
arrows will move you around the database as will as the "PgUp",
and "PgDn". By highlighting a field a hitting enter you can change
the information, but as in the ledger, use caution making changes
this way. If you change the phone number for example, the four
digit code will NOT change. The information is, by default, sorted
by the four digit customer number, (last four numbers of phone
number), by pressing "F10" the information will sort by customers
last name. Hitting "F1" will again sort it by customer number.
Pressing "Esc" will exit you back to the menu.
Pressing "P" simply will print a list of all customers.
Pressing "M" will cause the system to request sales dates
and a part range for the mailing list printout. The defaults are all
sales dates and all part numbers giving you a complete mailing list.
By changing the dates you can control the mailing to a range of
either recent or old customers. By changing the part range you can
mail to customers that have purchased specific items or range of
items. Once done the system will request you insert labels into the
printer. The system is setup for 15/16x3.5 by one wide labels
allowing for minimum waste when finishing in the middle of a
page. After inserting the label forms press any key to continue and
the system will ask if you would like to print line up labels. If you
answer "Y" (yes) three labels of X's will print to help you line up
the forms. After the forms are lined up answer "N" (no) and the
address labels will print.
INVENTORY MENU
Pressing "I" from the MAIN MENU will bring up the
INVENTORY MENU.
Pressing "A" brings up the ADD PARTS SCREEN. The
first field entered is the part number you wish to assign to the new
part. If the number is already used the system will display a status
line at the bottom of the page "Part already on file...Hit any key"
this means that the number you have entered is already in the
system as either a different part or that the part you wish to enter is
already entered. If the number is not in the system the cursor will
move to the next line where the description of the new part is
entered as you wish it to be displayed throughout the program
screens and printouts. Next is three vendor information areas, this
information is for reference only and need not be entered. First is
where the vendor name is entered, next is an area where quantity
and price ranges can be entered. After the vendor information
areas is the quantity on-hand field, this is the number of pieces in
stock. Then comes the reorder level, this level is used when
requesting a reorder list with the End of Day report. If the on-hand
plus the on-order levels are at or below the reorder level this part
will appear on the reorder list. Next is the maximum on-hand
level, this is for informational reasons only. After that is the
on-order field used to keep track of the number of this part on-order
but not yet in stock. Next is the line that tells the system whether
or not the item is taxable. Answering "Y" (yes) to this question
tells the system to calculate tax for the sale of the item, and
answering "N" (no) tells the system that this item is nontaxable and
no tax will be calculated for this item when sold. Next is the
selling price of the item, then the price last paid for the item. The
price last paid is used for both informational reason and for
calculating profit margins. Last is the category number you wish
this part to be assigned, the default category is 0 for all parts and
can be any number up to 99. After entering this information press
"F1" to enter the part into the database or "F10" to abort this entry.
The cursor will go back to the part number field for your next part
number, when finished entering numbers hit enter with a blank
part number to return to the menu.
Pressing "D" will bring up the DELETE PARTS
SCREEN. The system will request you enter a valid part number
and after hitting enter will display all information about that part.
At the bottom of the page a status line will appear requesting you
press "F1" to delete this part or "F10" to abort the deletion.
Pressing "F1" will also bring you back to the part number field so
that another number can be entered. As with the add part screen,
entering a blank number will bring you back to the menu. Hitting
"F10" will bring you directly back to the menu.
Pressing "E" will bring up the EDIT PARTS SCREEN.
The system will request you enter a valid part number and after
hitting enter will display all information about that part. The
cursor will be positioned on the part number allowing you to
change any field information by moving to that field using the up
and down arrow keys or hitting enter, once at the field you wish to
change just type in the new information then hit enter. After
hitting enter on the last field, (category), the status line will appear
at the bottom. Press "F1" to enter changes or "F10" to abort
changes. After this a blank parts screen will return requesting the
next part number. Entering a blank number will return you to the
menu.
Pressing "R" will bring up the RECEIVE PART
SCREEN. This screen is used to receive parts into the system
adding the quantities to the on-hand level for that part number. If
there is an on-order level it will be reduced by the amount received.
Entering a part number will display the description of that part.
Next enter the quantity received. Next will appear the last price
paid allowing you to change it if your cost has changed. Then the
current selling price will appear giving you a chance to change it.
The status bar will then appear, hit "F1" to enter the new quantity
or "F10" to abort that entry. When you are done entering parts
enter a blank part number. A window asking if you would like to
print a list of the received parts will appear. If you answer "Y"
(yes) to the print list question, you will be asked if you also want to
print labels. Answering "N" (no) to printing the reorder list will
save the information till the next time you receive parts. It is
suggested that you print the list when you are done receiving parts
otherwise the list will keep growing until it is printed.
Pressing "O" brings up the ORDER PART SCREEN.
This is use to put parts on order in the system and to get them off
the reorder list. It also helps give useful information when looking
at the status of parts inventory letting you know that the part has
already been ordered. After the quantity has been entered press
"F1" to order or "F10" to abort. Entering a blank part number will
bring you back to the menu. To print an on order list use "P" Print
Parts discussed next in this chapter.
Pressing "P" will bring up a window allowing for seven
different parts printouts. By pressing the numbers "1" through "7"
the printout listed will be printed. Printouts "1" through "4" will
request the range of part numbers you wish to print defaulting to
the total part range. Printout "6" will request both a date range and
part range defaulting to all dates and all parts. Printout "7" will
request you to input part numbers and quantities for labels to be
printed.
Pressing "L" will bring up a display of the parts database.
This display, like the others, can be moved through by pressing the
arrow keys and the "PgUp" or "PgDn" keys. By highlighting a
field and pressing enter, field information can be changed.
Pressing "Esc" will bring you back to the menu.
SALES MENU
This menu can be used to make sales, "Cash Register",
return items, "Return", void sales, "Void", pick up items with
deposits or make second deposits, "Pick Up", and display sale,
return, void, deposit and quote information, "Display". These
functions are explained in more detail in the text to follow since
they will most often be used from within the cash register. The
major difference is that the employee number will not be required
from within the menu system for each transaction as it is at the
cash register since it had to be entered to get into the menu system.
All transactions performed from the menu will have the employee
number of the person who signed into the menu system.
The cash register screen will normally be displayed when
the system is first brought up and is where all sales are performed.
If this screen is displayed for more then four minutes a screen saver
will be displayed to avoid "burning" the register format into the
screen. To display the register just hit any key on the keyboard.
At the top left of the screen "Employee number" will be
flashing. To make a sale the employee's number must be entered.
After a valid number has been entered the cursor will
move down to "Enter last four digits of phone number" prompt.
At this point the last four digits of the customers phone number
should be entered. If a past sale was made to the customer their name,
address, and telephone number will automatically appear. If more
then one customer with the same last four digits is in the computer
a box will appear on the screen showing the customers first and last name.
Using the arrow keys move the highlight bar to the correct name and hit
the ENTER key to select it. If many customers have the same last four
digits the box that appears may only show the first few names and by
continuing to press the down arrow key the names will scroll through
the box showing more names of customers with those numbers. If no
customer with those numbers is found a box will appear requesting the
customers' name, address, and phone number. This information is not
mandatory and may be left blank. If entered, the customers information
will be added to the customer database for future sales and for customer
lists such as mailing. If entered this information will also print on the
sales receipt.
Once this is done the cursor will move to the bottom of the
screen waiting for part number entry. This can be done by typing
in the part number and then hitting ENTER or, if using a wand, by
passing the wand across the bar code. If the part number is valid
the part description and price per unit will appear and the cursor
will move to the quantity column if the setup question, ask for
quantities, was answered "Y" (yes). If the part number is not valid
a message under the number will appear along with a short beep.
After responding to this message the cursor will return to part
number column waiting for a new number to be entered. After a
valid part number and quantity greater then zero, if quantities are
being used, has been entered the cursor will move to the selling
price if the setup question, validate selling price, was answered "Y"
(yes). After this the line item will move up into the middle part of
the screen. As new parts are entered the line items will fill the
middle section of the screen and the total sale and tax information
in the top right part of the screen will be updated. If the middle
section fills up the lines will begin to scroll up but will not be lost.
When the cursor is in the part number column pressing
"F1" will highlight the already sold items allowing you to use the
arrow keys and select and item to edit. Once the line has been selected
pressing the ENTER key will place the cursor over the quantity sold.
To remove this line simply enter a quality of zero. If the quantity
is greater than zero the cursor will move to the part number allowing
you to change the part number to another valid number. If the number
is left alone or change to another valid number hitting ENTER will
move the cursor to the parts description field. Changing this field
only affects this one receipt and does not change the description in
the parts database. Again pressing enter will move the cursor to
the price per unit column allowing you to change the price for that
item only one this one sale and like the description the parts data
base is not effected. Pressing enter at this point will update the
receipt and return you to part entry column at the screens bottom.
When the cursor is in the part number column pressing
"F3" will first ask you to confirm that you wish to clear the sale and
if answered "Y" (yes) will then remove all parts from the sale.
This will not take you out of the sale, it only zeros the totals and
lets you reenter parts for that customer sale.
When the cursor is in the part number column pressing
"F8" will first ask you to confirm that you wish to abort the sale
and if answered "Y" (yes) will delete the sale returning you to the
"Employee Number" prompt. If new customer information was
entered this information will be saved even though the sale was
aborted.
When the cursor is in the part number column pressing
"F10" will complete the sale. The first thing that will happen is a
box will appear requesting a method of payment. Split tenders are
possible so the method chosen may only be for part of the payment.
After selecting the payment method the cursor will move to the
upper right section of the screen at the "Amount Received" prompt.
If the sale is to be tax exempt press the up arrow and the cursor will
move to the "Tax" prompt allowing you to zero the tax amount,
hitting ENTER will then return you to the "Amount Received"
prompt. The tax prompt will only allow full tax or zero tax on a
sale, if only part of the sale is tax exempt it must be done on a
separate sale. If the amount received is equal too or higher then
the total sale a box asking if the sale is complete will appear.
Answering "N" (no) will return the cursor to the "Amount
Received" prompt giving you a chance to modify your tax or total
amounts and if answered "Y" (yes) will cause the cash drawer (if
installed) to open and the receipt to print. If the amount entered as
the amount received is less then the total sale, a box will appear
asking if this is a deposit, split (tender), or back. If "deposit" is
chosen the balance due will flash in the upper right, the receipt will
print and, if installed, the cash drawer will open. If "split" is
chosen again you will be asked the method of payment and the
same prompts will appear. Any number of splits can be made on
the sale. Answering "back" will assume a mistake was made in
entering the amounts and it will give you another chance to enter
the payment information.
To reprint any receipt, make a return as explained later in this
section returning no items. After the return a new receipt will print.
When the cursor is at the "Employee Number" prompt,
just to the right of that prompt are some other commands that may
be performed. Instead of entering an employee number any of the
commands shown may be entered. The commands are performed
by entering the letters that are capitalized.
To return items from a sale, type "RET" in the employee
number prompt. The system will then ask for the employee
number. The employee must have a level two are higher security to
do a sales return. After entering a valid level two or higher
employee number a box asking for the sales receipt number will
appear, enter the correct sale number and press enter. The system
will find the sales receipt a display it on the screen. Pressing "F1"
will highlight the first line item, and as in the sale screen use the
arrow keys to highlight the line item desired then press enter. You
may then enter the new quantity of that item being retained by the
customer, for example, if the customer bought three of an item and
returned one, two would be entered as the new quantity. If only
one was purchased and then returned entering zero will remove the
entire line from the sale. After all returns have been made pressing
"F10" will open the cash drawer, if install, and print a new receipt.
The cash to be returned and the method of payment will be
displayed on the screen. If the sale had not been paid in full, it is
possible that none or less then the total return amount will be
displayed as the amount to return to the customer. If the tax rate
has be changed since the sale the system will prompt you to enter
the old tax rate to correctly compute the tax to return. The ledger
will be updated to show a return.
To void out a sale type "VOID" in as the employee number
then enter a valid level two or higher employee number. Next as in
the return, enter the sales receipt number. The system will display
the sale and by pressing "F10" will void the entire sale, or by
pressing "F1" will abort the void and return to the sales screen
without doing anything. If the sale is voided the ledger will be
updated to show a void.
The next choice is called "Pick Up" which is entered
"PKUP". This can be done by an employee of any level a serves
two purposes, the first being that the customer is picking up a sale
that has a deposit and is going to finish paying for it, or second
they are putting additional money down on the sale but not paying
the balance in full. As with the return and void the employee
number and sales receipt number are requested and then the sale is
displayed. Receiving money here is similar to receiving money in
the sales screen. No receipt will print but the cash drawer, if
installed, will open when complete. The employee should mark the
customers receipt the show this transaction. The ledger will be
updated to show a pick up if the final payment was made, or
2_deposit if only a deposit was left.
Part is used by typing in "PART" in as the employee
number. This option allows any employee to search for an exact
part number, on hand level, or selling price of any part. A box will
appear on the screen and the employee can enter the part number
they desire or the closest number they know to that number, the
system will display the closest match and allow the employee to
search forward and backwards by part number to view the
information. Hitting "Esc" or entering a blank part number will
return you to the sales screen.
"EDAY", which stands for End of Day, is a report that
gives the employee a reading, or clearing of the cash register. The
report which normally is printed to the printer consists of four
separate sections. The first section shows all sales, returns, voids,
deposits, and pick up dollar information as well as cash received
and returned. It breaks this information down by method of
payment and also calculates the total money in the cash drawer.
The second section lists the one hundred categories that parts can
be assigned to and the total dollars sold in each of those categories.
The third section shows, by part number, all the parts numbers sold
and includes the quantity sold, the total dollars of the item sold,
and the profit margin percentage based on the last amount paid for
that item. And the forth section, if you answered "Y" (yes) to the
prompt "Print reorder list", is a list of all parts that have an on
hand plus on order level lower then the reorder level set up for that
part. If the printer is not working this report will be redirected to
the screen so the information may be copied. All totals for the first
three sections of this report are zeroed after it is ran only when
clearing the register, if only a reading was taken all totals are
preserved. This report can also be ran from within the menu
system under Accounting/End Of Day.
"QTE" is entered to create a sales quote. The screen is the
same as the sales screen except that parts are not removed from
inventory, and no entries are made in the ledger. There is a quote
number assigned to be used later to recall the quote. When entry of
the quote is complete the quote will be printed and new customer
information will be retrained in the customer database. The quote
can later be recalled using the look up command from within the
cash register or through the "display" menu choice in the menu
system. Once displayed through ether method the quote can be
made into a sale by pressing "F10" or deleted by pressing "F5".
Pressing "F1" will retain the quote for later recall.
"MENU" allows a level three or four employee access the
menu system.
"QUIT" is entered to exit the program. After a valid
employee number is entered the system will ask you to confirm that
you want to exit the program. Answering "Y" (yes) will exit you to
the DOS prompt and answering "N" (no) will return you back to
the last screen you were at.
EMPLOYEE MENU
The employee menu allows security level four employees
to "ADD", "DELETE", "EDIT", and "LIST" all employees.
Pressing "A" will allow you to add a new employee to the
system. When adding new employees, a unique employee code is
needed. The system will check the new code and rejected it if it is
not unique. It will then ask you to verify the code by reentering it.
Once the code has been verified the employees name and security
level must be entered. After the information has been entered
pressing "F1" will enter the employee's code, name, and security
level to the system, and pressing "F10" will abort the entry.
Pressing "D" will allow you to delete and employee that is
no longer allowed access to the system. The system will prompt you
for the employee's code, then will show you the name and security
level of the employee being deleted. Pressing "F1" will then delete
the employee or press "F10" will abort the deletion and return you
to the employee menu.
Pressing "E" will allow you to edit an employee's
information. You must first enter the employee's code then you
will be prompted to reenter the code or a new code and verify it.
Next you can change name information and the security level.
Pressing "L" will list all information on all employees.
Hit "Esc" to return to the employees menu.
UTILITIES MENU
Pressing "D" from the UTILITIES MENU allows you to
change the date for all system activities. When the P.O.S. system
is started the date is taken from the computers internal clock.
From that point on the system will use that date for all transactions.
Should you need to change the date while the system is in use press
"D" from the UTILITIES MENU and enter the date you wish to
use. This action does not change the date of the computers internal
clock but only changes the date being used be the system. The
system will allow only valid dates to be entered.
Pressing "T" from the UTILITIES MENU allows you to
change the tax rate for all future sales. The rate should be entered
as a percentage. The system will keep track of the date of the
change and, as discussed in the chapter on sales, request the old
rate for returns and voids prior to that date for correct tax reduction
on the ledger and for cash returned.
Press "P" from the UTILITIES MENU to change the
program's password. When changing the password you will first be
prompted to enter the old password. Once the old password has
been entered and verified you will be prompted to enter the new
password and then to verify it. If verified this new password will
be needed the next time the program is executed. Please note that
the password is case sensitive (upper case and lower case characters
are different).
Pressing "A" from the UTILITIES MENU allows you to
archive older sales information including the sales, returns, voids,
and ledgers. The system will prompted you for a date and will then
archive all information prior to and including that date. This
function allows the system to work faster since the amount of
information in the current databases is less. None of the archived
information is lost, and can be viewed if needed. Viewing this
archived information is discussed later in this chapter.
Pressing "C" from the UTILITIES MENU allows you to
use the current databases. The current databases are the data
bases normally used. This feature is only needed if you were
viewing the archived data bases and want to return to the current
information.
Pressing "V" from the UTILITIES MENU allows you to
view archived information. This option is only active if you have
previously archived data base information. Once activated there
will be a message flashing in the upper right of the screen to let you
know you are using the archived databases. Some of the menu
choices in the menu system will not be active and will beep as well
as give you a message that these functions can not be used while in
the "view archive mode".
Pressing "S" from the UTILITIES MENU allows you to
change the setup of the system. The first question on the setup
screen is asking where the databases are located. The installation
program has already told setup where they are and this information
will be displayed as the default answer. You should not have to
change this unless you change the data base drive or path.
The next question is the format you want to use for your
part numbers. There is a short paragraph explaining that using an
"X" will allow entry of any character in that position, a "9" will
allow only numbers in that position, and that the characters "/" and
"-" will be fixed in that position. Overall length of the part number
can be 6 through 20 characters. As the part number grows from 6
characters up to the 20 maximum the length of the description field
will go down proportionally. The default is ten characters allowing
letters, both upper and lower case, and numbers. Upper and lower
case letters are not considered the same so care should be taken
when assigning part numbers. This allows for sixty-two possible
entrees per position giving many possible part numbers with few
character positions used. Also if using a slash or a dash in the
format and the format is changed care must be taken that the new
format will allow old part numbers to be entered. The format and
size can be changed at any time.
The next three questions deal with how you would like the
cash register to function. The first question, "adding customers
during sales" allows you to bypass to customer data base entry if
your business does not warrant it. The second question, "validate
every price", is asking if you want to have and chance to modify the
price on each part entered as they are sold. As parts are sold, the
selling price is automatically retrieved from the inventory database
and if you answer "Y" (yes) to this question you will have to
confirm or change the price on each item entered. This is an extra
step for each item and is not necessary if most of the time the price
will not be changed. The price can also be changed by hitting
<F1> to edit the item sold as explained later in the Sales Menu
section of this manual. The third question, "ask for quantities", is
asking if you want to enter quantities for each line item or if you
want to just enter the part number and each line will be a quantity
of one. Answering "Y" (yes) will allow you to enter quantities for
each item. If you plan on printing labels the next line should also
be filled in. This line is printed on the bottom of every label..
The next four lines will print on the sales receipts in the
lower left across from the totals. These lines will not print on the
sales quotes.
Under that are the last invoice and quote numbers.
Once that screen is complete screen two will appear. The
next few questions deal with what is connected to your computer.
The prompts will allow you to chose between parallel and serial
communication ports. Use the arrow keys to highlight the correct
choice and then press enter to select it. (Important: the system will
not function properly if you chose a serial port but do not have the
cash drawer, pole display, or printer install on it). You will also be
asked to chose a printer type. At the time of this printing support
for Epson, Panasonic, and IBM emulation's are supported for the report
printer and Citizen and Star for the receipt printer. Only the EMAX
Universal 104 pole display has been tested but most 20 column 2 line
serial displays should work
If you answering "Y" (yes) to the next question, "Ask before
printing receipts", a prompt would appear after every sale asking
if you what to print a receipt. Answering "N" (no) will automatically
print receipts after a sale.
To reenter any of the above information answer "N" (no)
to the last question otherwise answering "Y" (yes) will continue
you onto the third and final setup screen. All the information on
this screen can be changed at any time.
The next screen shows the information that the program
will use for the front banner and the sales receipts. The registered
owners name will appear on the Login screen under "Registered to"
and will be double spaced. (I.E. There will be a space between each
character in the name.)
Next is the information that is printed on the receipt.
Line 1 is printed in double high and wide print and is 20
characters maximum.
Line 2 is under line 1 and is 30 characters maximum.
Line 3 is also 30 characters and line 4 is 30 characters
maximum.
Line 5 is the phone number.
Lines left blank will not print and all others will be
centered.
After entering the information a registration form will print and
you will be reminded to fax or mail in the form within 30 days or your
copy will no longer function until you receive and enter your
registration code. This allows us to keep you up to date on changes
and improvements to the program and protects us from unauthorized
copies being used. There is no cost involved with registering your legal
copy.
If no changes are made the system will return to the
UTILITIES MENU. If changes were made the system will prompt
you to confirm that you want to make the changes and if answered
"Y" (yes) that you must call and register the changes within seven
days or the program will stop working. Even if it stops working no
data will be lost and registering it will restore everything. If you
answer "N" (no) to the confirmation the original information will
be retained.
Advanced Point Of Sale (made easy)
Sales system
- Full cash register
- Handles any number of items
- Handles quantities up to 9,999 per item
- Automatically brings up customer information based on
last 4 numbers of telephone number, or allows you to
enter it easily, automatically building a customer data
base for future use.
- Very easy to correct mistakes
- Prices can be adjusted for individual sales
- Shows total of sale after each entry
- Any number of deposits may be left before pick up
- 4 Security levels limit level of use allowed by
employees
- Easy to create and save quotes
- Quotes can easily be converted into sales
- Easy look up of past sales, returns, voids, and quotes
by receipt/quote number, customers last name, or date
of sale/quote
- Look up parts and inventory levels from within the
cash register
- Easy to make returns and voids
- All activities logged in ledger and time stamped with
employee number for easy identification
- Part quantities checked as parts are entered and
updated after sale
- Description and price automatically shown
- Optional use of bar code wand for easy and accurate
part entry
Inventory system
- Ability to manually add, delete, or edit items
- Easily receive parts increasing on-hand quantities
and giving you a chance to change pricing
- Prints list of received parts for verification
- Enter quantities of parts on-order to remove them from
the reorder report
- View data base by part number
- Print reports on inventory information 6 different
ways
- Price list with on-hand quantities
- Price list without quantities
- Parts list with limited information for any range
of part numbers
- Parts list with all information for any range of
part numbers
- List of parts on-order
- Parts usage report for any time frame and any
part range including profit margins
- Print bar code labels including price, description
and a fixed line
Accounting system
- Full view of ledger by date or sale number
- Total register information for any period of time
- Sales tax information for any period of time
- Reading or clearing of current register
- Current inventory value for any range of part numbers
- Graph sales for twelve days, weeks, or months from any
date
Customer system
- automatically built through sales system by using the
cash register or quoting system
- Ability to manually add, delete, or edit customer
information
- Print address labels for customers that purchased any
range of part numbers during any period of time
- Print full customer lists
Employee system
- Add, delete, edit, view employee information including
a private 4 digit code and security level
Utility system
- Change tax rate
- Change date
- Change entry password
- Archive older information
- Switch between Viewing archived files or using the
current information
- Change owner or business information
Security system
- 4 level security protection to limit employees access
- Level 1 can only make sales, take deposits, and
do customer pick ups
- Level 2 can also do returns, voids, and quotes
- Level 3 also has access to limited inventory
functions
- Level 4 has full system access
Printer and Cash Drawer Specifications
Printer...
Both parallel and serial interfaces are supported. The system
supports use of ether one printer for reports and receipts or a report
printer and a receipt printer. As of version 4.1 only Epson, and IBM
compatible graphic printers are supported for report printing and full
page receipt printing. Citizen and Star emulation is supported when
using a receipt printer. 24 pin dot matrix printers that advance the
paper to the perforation when finished printing, (sometimes called
"Pcut"), work great and are inexpensive With 2 ply plain paper the
receipts will have copies for you and your customers and the same paper
can be used for printing reports. If your printer does not have the
correct emulation, select the generic choice. Only some bold and
condensed printing may be affected.
Future versions will support more printer emulation's.
Cash Drawer...
Both parallel and serial interfaces are supported. The cash drawer must
open by receiving an ASCII character. If the cash drawer you chose opens
using a specific ASCII character it must be set to receive an ASCII "01"
character.
Pole Display...
Only the EMAX Universal 104 pole display has been tested but most
20 column 2 line serial displays should work.
.......................POS Optional Equipment
Cash Drawers, Pole Displays, and Receipt printers can be purchased through M-S Cash Drawer Corp. They are located at 2085 East Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91107. Their telephone number is 818-792-2111, outside CA. 1-800-544-1749.
