PDA / Handheld devices

[SteveF]

I had a conversation today about PDAs or handheld computers and it got me thinking that I may be able to use a handheld device to speed our process up.

We are stocktakers, so traditionally we would use printed count sheets and write down counts as we come across them. We may find the same product in half a dozen places so we would write down several counts and then add them up manually before inputting into the database.

I've seen systems where the stocktaker scrolls through a handheld and enters counts there, and then ( presumably ) passes the totals across to a laptop with no need for manual adding up or inputting.

Anybody any experience of these things? What would you look for in the handheld device in terms of OS ? Would there be any great difficulty in having a device total up multiple counts and pass the totals across to a database on a laptop? How would the updating happen, bluetooth?

Thanks in advance for help. I know it's a fairly loose set of questions but I'm just looking for a steer on what is and is not possible.

 

[spikepl]

Hmm ... the stock keeping I have experienced involved barcode scanners. You scan a barcode, enter the count and move on. The barcode is either the location, and the system knows what's there, or a scan of the barcode on the goods, or on a sheet ( where you select the line to scan corresponding to what you are counting). SOme scanners were running a dedicated application, and putting them in their cradly allowed syncing with the main system, whereas other scanners instantly talked to the system via WiFi (bluetooth did not have the range). Google / talk to some warehouse system vendors. Also, there might exist an app for iPhone or Android

 

[SteveF]

I'm not really interested in barcodes, we never count really big inventories so they would be an added and unnecessary complication.

What I really want an idea on is how the handheld unit can do the totalling and send those totals to another computer.

 

[spikepl]

On my old smartphone running Windows Mobile 6.1 (yes, THAT old) I have Office Mobile, including Excel Mobile, which I can export. I guess any handheld comes with a similar application.

 

[SteveF]

But how to export to / from the right place? I might have 50 jobs on my laptop, I work on them one at a time, what would be the process of getting a handheld unit to store and total counts then update the main inventory on my laptop?

Does the handheld need to run Access? Can they run Access?

 

[spikepl]

What is "export to/from right place?" What are those 50 "jobs" in relation to what you have described so far? Please remember that the suggestions provided are based on the information that you provide, not on what YOU know.

You need to collect the data, and to process it. Does it all have to happen simultaneously? Once you have the numbers in a spreadsheet on your handheld, then it's up to you. Transfer to laptop, import to Access, process and you are all set. In what way does this not fit with what you need to accomplish?

 

[SteveF]

Well, what we do now as I said in my initial post is write down counts as we come across them. We may count the same product half a dozen times and then we would manually total those counts and enter that total into a 'stock on hand' field in the database on a laptop.

What I'm asking is how would we go about cutting out that process and instead enter up numbers on a handheld device and then have the handheld update the laptop with totals.

 

[SteveF]

Sorry, to try and answer the rest of your question. The '50 jobs' are individual sites that have no relationship to each other, so what I was wondering there is would there be a front end on the handheld unit that can communicate with a back end on the laptop? Would it be the same front end that we use on the laptop, an Access front end so just the same, or would the handheld have to work in a different format and be persuaded to update an Access database somehow?

 

[spikepl]

Right.

You need to collect the data, and to process it. Does it all have to happen simultaneously? Once you have the numbers in a spreadsheet on your handheld, then it's up to you. Transfer to laptop, import to Access, process and you are all set. In what way does this not fit with what you need to accomplish?

So in what way does my suggestion deviate from your needs? Or perhaps, what is not clear?

Update: Your post crossed mine. I am at a loss, as long as you dripfeed the info. Are "sites" co-located ? Ie within Wifi-range ? Or in different countries, or counties? You talk about connecting to ONE lap top, or one per site? How about a complete description of the problem (and forget about solutions for now): Imagine you had to pay someone to set it up, then describe what ALL the requirements are. And then come back.

 

[SteveF]

Ok, we are licensed trade stocktakers. We work 'on site' so the site may be a bar or pub. We would typically do 50 jobs per month or have that many sites in our work programme, so that is the number of jobs/sites we would hold on our laptop.

Our workflow currently is as described. We would visit one site and count their stock on hard copy sheets, we would then total those counts manually and punch them into our database on our laptop on site.

This would be a handheld unit connecting to one laptop in the same place as the laptop. We do jobs one at a time, there is no connection between sites / jobs. I want a handheld unit to be able to accept data entry, total up the data we have entered and insert that total into a table held on a laptop.

Currently, we have a front end / back end on the laptop. I have zero knowledge of handheld devices ( and not much more knowledge of Access ).