Unusual Stock Database

[jamer03]

Hello,

For ages, I have wanted to create a database for my company to control and assess the stock.

The company is a steel stockist company which buys bars of steel of different grades and then cuts them to sell them.

What I would like to do is create a database which allows a user to put in the details of each bar which comes in then also for a delivery note to be written out of all the pieces of steel which is to be delivered (which have been obviously cut off the bars in stock)

Can anyone please help me because I'm not that great with databases.

If you need more info then just say and any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Jamer

 

[HiTechCoach]

See:

Inventory Control: Quantity on Hand

 

[gemma-the-husky]

i think managing off-cuts of bars of stock (similar issue with carpets/fabrics/remnants/wood sheet etc -anything that comes in discrete portions) is not easy or straightforward, and requires careful thought.

Obviously you can buy 100 bars of given size, but once you cut one, it becomes a different size bar - so i guess if you dont sell the whole bar, you need to transfer the remainder from 1 product to another - ie your 6m bar, becomes a 4m bar once its part sold. I suppose its doable for quantity, maybe harder still if you want to include value

 

[HiTechCoach]

inventory for production/manufacturing is different.

The way I have aleays handled this is to enter the not as 1 bar in a lot but the numer of units. For example 10 feet or 120 inches. Or whatever the minimum unit size would be for each item.

 

[Lightwave]

Obviously you know your business well - but starting as a beginner and going straight into a stock control system is well = a bit of a feat.

If its a learning experience fair enough otherwise you could hire someone from in here.. / buy an off the shelf product.

Have a bash at setting up HiTechs link and it will be a case of coming back with more specific questions as they arise. Hiring someone might feel like a good idea after awhile.

 

[jamer03]

OK thanks for all your feedback but could you please tell me how much would hiring someone here would cost?

 

[HiTechCoach]

OK thanks for all your feedback but could you please tell me how much would hiring someone here would cost?

From a productivity/efficiency and accuracy standpoints, this should be integrated into your accounting system and not a standalone system.

It normally is more expensive to have custom software created that purchasing a commercial product. I specialize in creating custom solutions. I only do that when this is the only option.

 

[Boro]

This is not the way of defining the problem. You couldn't define it in few general sentences . If You want to solve it on distance, throught net, first
thing is to give us formulars and reports which you use. Second, customers who need soft solutions for their business have to say all they
want at once. Not portion now, portion later. That means that it could be good thing if you give us in formulars you use for that job as first step.

 

[Boro]

If i understand well you just want that part of you business to be solved
with data base. Offcourse it could be integrated with other parts of business and accounting, but it is job for few years maby.Yes, there are
soft solutions on the market but probably noone with that specific functionality you need.

 

[jamer03]

Yes, it would help if I had a more in depth knowledge of using access, since I am really a beginner tbh. It would most probably be easier to get a custom one made but all depends on the price of course.

My e-mail is jamer03@hotmail.co.uk so send any quotes or rates there please.

Thanks for the help so far,
Jamer

 

[sportsguy]

jamer,

how do you do it now? or don't you do it at all?
What is the goal or output of the database to be used for?

Understand that for the board, is a big requirement for helping you, as some may interpret the word control to be inventory to be accounting based. Others, like myself, might use it for production planning and customer planning, without having it link to the accounting system.


sportsguy

 

[jamer03]

jamer,

how do you do it now? or don't you do it at all?
What is the goal or output of the database to be used for?

Understand that for the board, is a big requirement for helping you, as some may interpret the word control to be inventory to be accounting based. Others, like myself, might use it for production planning and customer planning, without having it link to the accounting system.


sportsguy

Yes well we currently use excel to keep the stock in. It is nothing to do with the accountants it is simply a system so we can track how much stock we have in the factory, making stock takes a lot easier and also easier for the staff to view how much of a certain product we have there.

You know what I mean now?

Jamer

 

[sportsguy]

Yes,

if you post a snapshot of the excel spreadsheet, this would give people an idea on how to lead you in the best direction.

sportsguy

 

[jamer03]

OK I will do when I am at work tommorow, it will be to be a few screenshots to give you an idea.

Thanks again,
Jamer

 

[jamer03]

OK below are the links to two screenshots to give you an idea of how we currently do things. If you need any more screenshots or info then just say

http://rapidshare.com/files/323928880/1.jpg.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/323929249/2.jpg.html

 

[Simon_MT]

Are you trying to manage stock or efficiency? It would seem that there are always sufficient bars of steel. What I don't understand is that the bars have a seem to be measured in diameter.

Assuming that each bar is individually identifable then it is a matter of managing the attrition by calculating the impact of the Delivery Notes - 1 bar many Delivery Notes. Obviously the Delivery Notes reflects the process of cutting into each bar.

Simon

 

[jamer03]

Well it is stock which I am managing. So, when we get low in stock of a certain diameter and grade of steel then we know we need to order some more. This is where a database would be a lot easier and user friendly.