Author Topic: Can I use one computer to check in inventory and make sales at the same time?  (Read 11878 times)

Offline Courtright

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Basically, we may get in 100 new items to check into inventory and some we may even have to create a New Product for and trying to do this while also making sales and trying not to screw up the inventory count can be tough.

Can I have 1 system run a monitor for making sales that an employee can use and a separate monitor a manager can use to scan in daily inventory that arrives.  I know just using a dual monitor cable would affect the mouse/keyboard on the screen so basically I'm looking to have a Network I take it?  Never set one up and I wasn't sure if there's a way I can do it without having to hire someone.  If anyone has any input it'd be greatly appreciated.

EDIT:  So I have been reading the EZPOS Help Doc and see there is info in there about setting up a Network, however can I do that using my retail version of EZPOS.  It sounds like I needed to buy a Network version of POS or am I reading it wrong?  Thank you
« Last Edit: December 21, 2015, 05:34:41 AM by Courtright »
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Offline ronaldrwl

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Yes, you can do this but it would require the Network version.  You would have to have two complete computers setup, not just a monitor.  Typically, there is a back office computer and 1 to 7 registers up front.

Offline Courtright

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So let's say I want to upgrade to v14 and been using retail v13.  Can I simply make the switch to the network v14 and it would still be just as usable as the v13 retail one I have been using?  This entire thing of trying to add inventory into the system everyday while also ringing up customers has become a nightmare I didn't foresee.
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Offline ronaldrwl

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Version 14 would be a separate program from v13.  It would be empty to start with.  Use the product export to load the inventory and use the sales export.  The settings would all be at their defaults.

Offline Courtright

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Im more worried about the visual feel of the program I mean.  V13 retail is VERY use to use and very easy to teach new employees.  When I looked on your website the only Network Version I can find is for Business Version and the look/feel seems completely different.
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Offline ronaldrwl

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There is no difference in how the network version looks or feels from it's single user version.

Offline rjsmeyer

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If I can chime in on this - Ronald is right.  The only difference we ever see with the second (client) pc on the network versions is a slight lag time compared to using the server.

The functionality of v14 is really the same as with v13, I'd say - no major changes in how anything is done by the cashiers.  A number of really nice features are added, and some functions (like the product export and import) are labelled a little differently but still used the same way as in v13. 

Also, it's easier than you might think to set up the network version.  If you have any kind of network between pc's now, there's almost nothing to it.  If you don't have a network, it's not too bad to create a network with Windows (hey, even I did it!).

As an alternative to Ronald's example of running the client in your office, I added it as a second/backup cash register.  Besides the pc, it's just the cost of the cash drawer, really, since the receipts can be networked to the printer at the server.  Even if you have just one clerk on, you can be doing your work nearby while your other register is churning through the transactions.  Or you could be tinkering with the server while the cashier is using the client. 

Hopefully I'm not violating any license agreements, but I have a non-connected version in my office.  I use it as a "test" system to try various changes and the resulting effects before exposing the data in my active version to them.  If the data in my test system is getting a little old, I just copy & paste the EZP folder from the server (through the pc network) to bring it entirely up to date (e.g., if a trial change went really bad and I want it out).

I can still update inventory an all that from my office computer by using one of those remote programs to look in on the active registers.  If a cashier is using one of them, I'll just switch to the other.  It works out very well.

That might be just the thing to get you to switch to v14! 

Offline Courtright

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Sounds great!  I look forward to making the leap!
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