User Manual Inventory Application

Transcription

1 User Manual Inventory Application (Release 1.1)

2 Introduction This application was designed and implemented by Jester Solutions for Dr. John G. McHenry, M.D., M.P.H., P.L.L.C in August Specifically, it is a light-weight inventory management system that satisfies the following requirements: Provide a primary, mutli-user application that allows for inventory management. Build into the system a roaming component that uses barcode-scanning to allow barcodes to be assigned and scanned in-the-field. The roaming component is to be installed on a laptop with MS Access Include a basic means of synchronizing data from the roaming laptop back to the central server. System Components Three (3) separate files make up the inventory system. The first is an Access database file named Inventory_DB_64.accdb which is located on a central server in the office. The network administrator should be able to provide access to this file for all persons who need it. The second file is the workstation front-end file named Inventory_SW_64.accdb which is to be installed on computers at the office that have a permanent (cable) LAN connection to the inventory server. The third file is the roaming laptop file named Inventory_RL_64.accdb which is installed on a dedicated laptop. This is the device that is to be used away from the office at various storage locations to enter inventory data. It uses a barcode scanner to scan pre-printed barcode labels that are applied to inventory items at the time inventory is taken. All of these files have been copied to a common folder on to the central database server. ii

3 Table of Contents Introduction... ii System Components... ii User Manual Overview... 1 System Log-In... 1 I. File Installation and Set-up... 2 Assumptions... 2 Stationary Workstations... 2 Roaming Laptop... 3 II. Sync... 4 What is sync?... 4 When should the Sync button be clicked?... 4 What happens during sync?... 4 III. Entering Inventory Data... 4 Database Diagram... 5 System Navigation... 6 Main Menu... 6 Inventory... 6 New Inventory Item... 7 Locations... 7 Items... 8 New Item... 8 IV. Reports... 9 Inventory Levels... 9 Locations... 9 Items List Categories V. Administration User Management Look-up Tables iii

4 User Manual Overview File Installation and Set-up This section describes how to install the front-end files Inventory_WS_64.accdb and Inventory_RL_64.accdb files and successfully connect them to the central database. Sync This section only applies to the roaming laptop computer, and describes what happens during the sync process between the laptop and the central database. Entering Inventory Data This section describes the core data elements and how they relate. Various screens are captured here to demonstrate data relations, workflow and system navigation. Reports This section shows the reports and report dialogs that have been created for the application. Administration This section covers user administration and lookup tables. System Log-In Users are presented with a log-in screen when the application is launched. A valid username and password are required to gain access. Designated administrators are responsible for setting-up and maintaining user accounts. Jester Solutions glenn.jester@gmail.com (469)

5 I. File Installation and Set-Up Assumptions The central database file ( Inventory_DB_64.accdb ) was installed on a central server at Dr. McHenry s office on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, TX by Jester Solutions in August All current and future workstations intended to serve as inventory computers need to have network access to this database file. It is the responsibility of the network administrator to provide network access and read/write permissions to user accounts and computers on the LAN. Stationary Workstations ( Inventory_SW_64.accdb ) A stationary workstation can be any desktop computer located at Dr. McHenry s primary facility the same office where the database server lives. In addition to a network connection, each designated workstation must have a 64-bit, licensed copy of Access 2010 installed on it. To install the Inventory_SW_64.accdb file to a stationary workstation computer, simply login into the machine as the intended user, map a network drive to the database server, and copy the Inventory_SW_64.accdb file down from the server to the desktop of the workstation. After the file is copied, launch the inventory app by double clicking its icon on the desktop. The first time the application launches from the desktop the system will ask the user to locate the central database. The user needs to use the screen below to locate the mapped drive to the database server, and then select the Inventory_DB_64.accdb file. Once this file has been identified, the system will automatically establish a permanent working connection between the workstation and the central database. From then on whenever the application is launched, the user will be prompted for a username and password in order to open the app. 2

6 Roaming Laptop ( Inventory_RL_64.accdb ) A single laptop computer has been designated to serve as a roaming device to capture inventory levels at various storage warehouse locations in the area. This laptop has a special version of the inventory app installed on it a version that operates in disconnected mode as well as a detachable barcode scanner. What is disconnected mode? Disconnected mode simply means the laptop runs by itself while DISCONNECTED from the LAN. It has a special Sync button located at the top of the main menu screen. Please note this button does NOT exist on the workstation version of the inventory app. The laptop s main menu is show below. To configure another laptop to serve as a roaming inventory app, simply follow the same instructions in the previous section for stationary workstations, but instead of copying the Inventory_SW_64.accdb file to the laptop s desktop, copy the Inventory_RL_64.accdb file. 3

7 II. Sync This section only applies to the roaming laptop, not the stationary workstations. What is sync? Sync is an abbreviation for synchronization, and is a carefully designed data exchange process that copies inventory information down from the central server (the same server that the stationary workstations are connected to on the LAN), moving the latest changes to the laptop computer. And because sync is bi-directional, it simultaneously pushes inventory data changes from the laptop back up to the central server, making this data available to the other workstations on the system. This process includes all changes affecting inventory locations, items, categories, users, units of measure, and especially inventory levels. Every time the sync button is clicked, the result is the same the laptop and the central database are made mirror images of one another data-wise. When should the Sync button be clicked? It is absolutely imperative that every time the laptop is to be used to collect, modify or delete inventory levels regardless of where that inventory resides that the sync button be clicked once before the data changes are made (departing the office), and again immediately after the data changes are made (upon returning to the office). Why? Again, the system has been specifically designed to accommodate the collection of inventory levels using a laptop with a barcode scanner. Because the laptop may need to be used at remote locations out of WiFi range it needs to be able to operate in disconnected mode. This is made possible by providing a way to update the data whenever the laptop is reconnected to the inventory system. This is the whole purpose of the Sync button. What happens during sync? When the Sync button is clicked, the application first attempts to connect either wirelessly or via LAN to the central database. A connection must be established with the central database when the Sync button is clicked. If a connection cannot be established, the synchronization process is unable to copy data from the server to the laptop and vice versa. When a connection is established, here are actions that automatically occur: 1. Evaluate to see if changes exist on the laptop. 2. Backup the central database server. 3. Upload changes from the laptop to the server. 4. Download changes from the server to the laptop. 5. Step through all the data and update the appropriate target dataset. 6. Verify all updates have completed successfully. (The sync process displays statuses as it progresses through the process.) 4

8 III. Entering Inventory Data Database Diagram Below is the system s database diagram. Note the location of the Inventory table between the Items table and the Locations table, serving as a cross-reference table in a many-to-many relationship between them. This design allows multiple quantities of the same item, such as a specific brand of sutures, to exist at different locations. In other words, a barcode does not identify the item itself, but rather the item and its quantity at a location its actual inventory level. This means a single item may have many different barcodes. That s exactly how the system is intended to behave, and is accurately reflected in reporting. For the record, there are two benefits to this architecture. First, it eliminates the need to ever have two barcode labels with the same barcode number, which greatly reduces the complexity of using pre-printed rolls of barcode labels. Imagine if barcodes were assigned to specific items without regard to their quantity or location. If an item ever needed to exist in multiple locations, i.e. a bag of bandages in warehouse #1 and an identical bag of bandages at warehouse #2, the same barcode label would have to be used. This simply isn t practical for barcode labels that have been pre-printed and are in sequential integer order on a roll. The second benefit of this design is workflow speed. By assigning barcodes to an item and its quantity and location, the person taking the inventory need only identify the item, count the quantity, peel-and-stick a barcode label, scan it into the system, and go on to the next item. Because there are several warehouse locations with potentially hundreds of unknown items, this process needed to be as fast and accommodating as possible. 5

9 System Navigation The system is comprised of the numerous screens and reports. The main ones are described here. Main Menu This is the primary screen used for system navigation. Each button represents a major compartment of the application. Inventory The Inventory screen is used to list current inventory levels. There is a combo-box at the top of the screen that lists locations where inventory is stored. Choosing a location here will filter the list of inventory levels shown below. The yellow text box is used to search inventory by barcode number. A barcode number can either be typed in manually, or if you prefer, scanned in with a scanner. Simply position the cursor in the yellow box and scan the barcode you re seeking. The system will display the item if it exists, or will ask you to create it if it does not. 6

10 New Inventory Item In many respects, this is the most important screen in the system. It has been specifically designed to quickly add new inventory levels on the fly. The user is able to add a new inventory level while simultaneously creating a new inventory item. The lighter shaded square in middle of the screen contains item-specific information. The outer darker portion contains the actual inventory level information. Locations Like several of the screens that open from the main menu, the Locations screen is a list, of locations. Click the New button to create a new location for the system, or to edit or delete a specific location, select it first in the list box. Note: Deleting a location will automatically delete all inventory levels from that location. Please be careful and use caution when deleting a location. 7

11 Items The items screen lists all the individual items in the system. Note the last two columns on the right, which show Total Qty and Locations. As mentioned earlier, the system has been designed to allow for a single item to exist in multiple locations. An item need only be created once, but it may have quantities at several locations. To create a new item click the New button. To edit or delete an item, select it first in the list box, then click Edit or Delete. Note: Deleting an item will automatically delete all of its inventory levels across all locations. Please be careful and use caution when deleting an item. New Item Each item must have a name. All the other fields are optional. 8

12 IV. Reports Currently there are four (4) reports in the system. To open any report, select it in the list and then click Continue. Report: Inventory Levels The primary inventory report is the Inventory Levels report. This report can be filtered by location and/or category. Leave both drop-down boxes blank to have the report display all inventory levels in the system. Report: Locations This report lists all locations in the system. 9

13 Report: Items List This report lists all individual items loaded in the system. Report: Categories This report lists all categories. 10

14 V. Administration The Administration screen is used to manage other information. Users are added, edited and removed from the system like any other data element. Rather than deleting users, they can be kept in the system by disabling them. The reason for disabling a user rather than deleting them is to allow their names to continue to appear on reports. If a user is deleted, that field is made blank on all future reports. The system currently supports two tiers of users, administrators and regular users. Users in the administrative group have full access to all information in the system. Non-administrators can only read and view information. They are specifically denied the ability to modify data. Currently, there are two (2) look-up tables that need to be maintained. These are categories and units of measure. The values can be managed here even though they may have been created on the fly as inventory levels were being added to the system. 11