>From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Tue Dec 03 13:54:58 1996 Date: Tue, 03 Dec 1996 13:39:57 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27384 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Tue, 03 Dec 1996 13:39:57 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27384 Today's topics: 'Casio digital camera' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 15:39:02 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Casio digital camera At the last Cotter market, I ordered a Casio digital camera #QV10A Plus for a customer. The cost through Cotter was excellent ($340), but after the camera came in and the customer tried it for a day, he decided to return it (so much for doing favors for "good" customers). Anyway, I already own one of these neat little gadgets, and use it for snapping shots for our web pages or for getting images into our PC's and Mac's. If there is anyone on the list who might be interested in a new (used once) digital camera, let me know. I'd like to get $300 for it. Thanks! John ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27384 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed Dec 04 00:01:30 1996 Date: Wed, 04 Dec 1996 00:01:26 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27385 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Wed, 04 Dec 1996 00:01:26 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27385 Today's topics: 'Retailers WWW NetForum...' 'Re: Casio digital camera' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 20:59:15 -0800 From: "BuildingOnline: Alan Wickstrom" Subject: Retailers WWW NetForum... Hello Hardware and LBM retailers! Great job on this list, John... very informative. Just a brief note to alert your readers of a new Hardware and LBM Retailer NetForum at BuildingOnline's website at: http://www.BuildingOnline.com/cgi-bin/netforum/bol/a/3--7 If you are new to WWW NetForums, please read: http://www.BuildingOnline.com/nf_help.shtml THANKS! +-------------- BuildingOnline ----------------+ | Where the Building Industry is FOUND on the 'Net | | http://www.BuildingOnline.com | /) Alan Wickstrom ~ President (\ / ) mailto:webhead@BuildingOnline.com ( \ _( (+-------------------------------------------------+) ) /| (((\ \) /_) 714 496-6648 PHONE /^) / /))/ (\\\\ \_/ / \ \_ / / // \ / 714-496-0036 FAX \ / \ __/ \__ / | | SEARCH OVER 72,500 WEB PAGES FROM | | ******* THE HOME IMPROVEMENT & BUILDING INDUSTRY ******* /*******\ /*******\ ************************************************************* ************************************************************* +-------------- BuildingOnline ----------------+ | Where the Building Industry is FOUND on the 'Net | | http://www.BuildingOnline.com | /) Alan Wickstrom ~ President (\ / ) mailto:webhead@BuildingOnline.com ( \ _( (+-------------------------------------------------+) ) /| (((\ \) /_) 714 496-6648 PHONE /^) / /))/ (\\\\ \_/ / \ \_ / / // \ / 714-496-0036 FAX \ / \ __/ \__ / | | SEARCH OVER 72,500 WEB PAGES FROM | | ******* THE HOME IMPROVEMENT & BUILDING INDUSTRY ******* /*******\ /*******\ ************************************************************* ************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 21:19:40 -0600 (CST) From: Dana Whitton Subject: Re: Casio digital camera Hi John, we met at the fall market, I don't have the cash right now, Christmas and all you know, but I will trade you new IDE 2.1 gig hardrive for the camera. thanks Dave Coffey Gulf Breeze True Value, myxtsea@gulf.net or DMC@pen.net At 03:39 PM 12/2/96 -0500, you wrote: >At the last Cotter market, I ordered a Casio digital camera #QV10A Plus for >a customer. The cost through Cotter was excellent ($340), but after the >camera came in and the customer tried it for a day, he decided to return it >(so much for doing favors for "good" customers). > >Anyway, I already own one of these neat little gadgets, and use it for >snapping shots for our web pages or for getting images into our PC's and >Mac's. If there is anyone on the list who might be interested in a new >(used once) digital camera, let me know. I'd like to get $300 for it. > >Thanks! > >John > > >*************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. > > Address articles you wish to send to list members to: > > hardlines@cornells.com > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com >*************************************************************** > > ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27385 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu Dec 05 00:04:33 1996 Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 00:04:30 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27386 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Thu, 05 Dec 1996 00:04:30 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27386 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27385' 'In-house warehouse weaponry' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 09:41:37 -0500 From: Colehard@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27385 Hi John I might be interested John. E-mail me the details about the camera please. Rick Karp @ Cole Hardware colehard@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: 04 Dec 96 20:20:37 EST From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: In-house warehouse weaponry Folks, I am interested in corresponding with those who have had some success in using their Triad hand-held units to make sense of their back room storage areas. I may have a procedure to document and hand over to my staff to use. The acid test will be a pick list quickly and accurately done, merchandise brought to the floor, and no complaints about how "it's easier to do it with a piece of paper." Despite the rumors, the Triad Symbol gun does work. It is easier and faster to print bin tags. The battery life is good. The printing is ok. The portability is excellant. The searching through sheets of laser output for the needed bin tag is gone. The reams of wasted tag sheets are gone. The coding is gone. The software will do what it needs to, and it needs improvement. Too many key strokes for the "automated pick list" I've ranted about for years, but it will do it faster than any other method I've used. Downsides: It will not hold my entire inventory file. Sam Costa fits his 13,000 big-buck-producing skus into it, but my over-grown, poorly-maintained-and-filled-with-junk 32,000 will not.. The unit is not RF (radio frequency), but how the hell is RF going to work in my building with all the structural steel, the 11 foot ceilings, the two floors, the 24" thick brick walls, the fixtures to the ceiling, etc? The batch file builds quickly in the Triad CPU, but downloading to the Symbol is an exercise in "hurry up and wait." Perhaps it's my old 386 PC... which everybody has in abundance... I have too much else to do to fiddle with it. A higher baud rate from the CPU may improve things. Uploading goes fairly fast, but the shelf manager upload sends all changeable fields (qoh, retail, location, order point, user-code, and mfg-part) up to FIL and needs to be edited. Dangerous. There is not a price change file download. Unforgiveable. The to and from selections are limited, but adequate for now. I haven't had the time to set up with the inventory software. I have not used the receiving software; I disagreed with the direction the software developers were taking. I have shot all sorts of exotic barcodes in my warehouse; the gun would read them all. The receiving software will be limited until Triad has the capability to read and store all those descriptive codes. I should see if the bar codes on the Tru-Test paint boxes could be uploaded and used for an alternate barcode.... Imagine, all paint is required to be stacked with... the bar code facing out. Picking and counting would be done with the hand held going "beep, beep, beep, BEEP.... hey, the thing says I need to pull 4 gallons for the floor. " In my dreams, I suppose... Overall, I could be glad I bought it with a bit more work. Another one might be useful. Anybody have one for sale which hasn't paid for itself? I'll buy it CHEAP! Like anything else anybody has developed, until there is a critical mass of users which knows what it wants and can articulate its needs, the hand-held device will remain underutilized in our industry. Please put a few notes up here. Rumor has it that the devices are obsolete. The Round's True Value hardware hound will remain unfed for two days prior to the next visit from the Triad salesperson for our area. Regards, Bill Round Round's True Value Hardware 02753,622@Compuserv.com Stoneham, The People's Republic of Massachusetts. "Home of the most outragious congressional delegation in the Nation" "We always vote for Loser Presidents " "Most highly paid police officers in the Land" Why do I bother doing business in this state.... ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27386 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri Dec 06 00:01:19 1996 Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 00:01:16 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27387 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Fri, 06 Dec 1996 00:01:16 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27387 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27386' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27384' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 10:05:53 -0500 From: Gary Schwake Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27386 Bill- I agree with your statement about the use of hand helds needing to reach a critical mass. We use Percon's with our Dimensions system and have been fairly happy with their success, however, we are really looking forward to RF, when it becomes "affordable." I envision two primary functions for the hand helds. Receiving and inventory audits. Imagine being able to zap items as they come off the truck and enter in the qty counted. That is all the checking in you need, items go straight to the floor. This is also the time to catch barcode errors, BEFORE the items hit the floor. When you have completed zapping your truck you print out an edit list against that week's PO (which, ideally, was created from a suggested order) and automatically print the exceptions. Now you are only dealing with a handful of items instead of hundreds. We all know (or will soon find out) that computer systems are only as good as the level of accuracy the user maintains. This means constant, iron-tight, maintenance of inventory. One way to go about achieving this is through cycle counts. But I would like to go one better. It would go something like this... Associate takes the hand-held device and begins scanning and counting in the designated aisle. When the associate scans the item, the important item information is displayed on the hand held screen, such as item description, SOH, last sale, and retail price. The associate can then enter in the count AND verify that the retail price on the shelf matches the system. If the retail price does not match, the associate can "tag" the item for a new bin label. I don't believe the use of hand held devices will save you a lot of time, it will merely shift it to more important activities (i.e. inventory and pricing accuracy). However, as we begin to rely more and more on our systems to help us run our business, this level of accuracy is absolutely critical to the success of our stores. Any other thoughts from experienced users of the hand-held worlds? Are there any other systems out there OTHER than Triad? Let's here from you folks too. Go Bucks, Beat Arizona State! -- Gary Schwake Zettler True Value Stores Director - Store Operations Columbus, Ohio 614-672-1327 gschwake@iwaynet.net ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 10:15:26 -0500 From: Johnbaybum@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27384 John I would be interested in the camera. I would like the spec's on it as well as your personal evaluation. If it is still available Thankyou John Marshall (johnbaybum@aol.com) Richland Home Center 8108 N 32nd Street Richland MI 49083 ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27387 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sun Dec 08 00:04:35 1996 Date: Sun, 08 Dec 1996 00:04:31 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27388 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Sun, 08 Dec 1996 00:04:31 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27388 Today's topics: 'RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27387' 'Receiving from Cotter on Triad' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1996 10:31:51 -0700 From: Scott Ellenson Subject: RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27387 ------ =_NextPart_000_01BBE429.E0F400A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hardlines, There is no question the value of handhelds. Dimensions has a new = product available in February 97 that is a PCMCIA slot handeld. A user = can have up to 64mb of memory loaded and will have very similar = functionality to a RF unit. =20 From a marketing position we see this as a viable solution to RF for = those who don't want or have the dollars to through at RF. Receiving & local bin label printing will be new features on the unit = and our same programs that are currently available to do physical = counts, price/cost changes, orders, bar code upload and POS orders will = also be available. The price on this unit will be more palatable than the $2,700 (without = base stations) RF at around $1,700. Thanks! SE PS: Who are the bucks? ---------- From: = hardlines-request@cornells.com[SMTP:hardlines-request@cornells.com] Sent: Thursday, December 05, 1996 5:01 PM To: Hardlines Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27387 hardlines Digest Fri, 06 Dec 1996 00:01:16 Eastern Standard Time = V01 #27387 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27386' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27384' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 10:05:53 -0500 From: Gary Schwake Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27386 Bill- I agree with your statement about the use of hand helds needing to reach = a critical mass. We use Percon's with our Dimensions system and have = been fairly happy with their success, however, we are really looking = forward to RF, when it becomes "affordable." I envision two primary functions for the hand helds. Receiving and = inventory audits. Imagine being able to zap items as they come off the truck and enter in = the qty counted. That is all the checking in you need, items go straight = to the floor. This is also the time to catch barcode errors, BEFORE the = items hit the floor. When you have completed zapping your truck you print out an edit list = against that week's PO (which, ideally, was created from a suggested = order) and automatically print the exceptions. Now you are only dealing = with a handful of items instead of hundreds. We all know (or will soon find out) that computer systems are only as = good as the level of accuracy the user maintains. This means constant, = iron-tight, maintenance of inventory. One way to go about achieving = this is through cycle counts. But I would like to go one better. It = would go something like this... Associate takes the hand-held device and begins scanning and counting in = the designated aisle. When the associate scans the item, the important = item information is displayed on the hand held screen, such as item = description, SOH, last sale, and retail price. The associate can then = enter in the count AND verify that the retail price on the shelf matches = the system. If the retail price does not match, the associate can "tag" = the item for a new bin label. I don't believe the use of hand held devices will save you a lot of = time, it will merely shift it to more important activities (i.e. = inventory and pricing accuracy). However, as we begin to rely more and = more on our systems to help us run our business, this level of accuracy = is absolutely critical to the success of our stores. Any other thoughts from experienced users of the hand-held worlds? Are = there any other systems out there OTHER than Triad? Let's here from you = folks too. Go Bucks, Beat Arizona State! --=20 Gary Schwake Zettler True Value Stores Director - Store Operations Columbus, Ohio 614-672-1327 gschwake@iwaynet.net ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 10:15:26 -0500 From: Johnbaybum@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27384 John I would be interested in the camera. I would like the spec's on it as = well as your personal evaluation. If it is still available Thankyou John Marshall (johnbaybum@aol.com) Richland Home Center 8108 N 32nd Street Richland MI 49083 ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27387 ********************************** ------ =_NextPart_000_01BBE429.E0F400A0 Content-Type: application/ms-tnef Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 eJ8+IgARAQaQCAAEAAAAAAABAAEAAQeQBgAIAAAA5AQAAAAAAADoAAEIgAcAGAAAAElQTS5NaWNy b3NvZnQgTWFpbC5Ob3RlADEIAQ2ABAACAAAAAwADAAEEkAYADAEAAAEAAAAMAAAAAwAAMAIAAAAL AA8OAAAAAAIB/w8BAAAAPgAAAAAAAACBKx+kvqMQGZ1uAN0BD1QCAAAAAEhhcmRsaW5lcwBTTVRQ AGhhcmRsaW5lc0Bjb3JuZWxscy5jb20AAAAeAAIwAQAAAAUAAABTTVRQAAAAAB4AAzABAAAAFwAA AGhhcmRsaW5lc0Bjb3JuZWxscy5jb20AAAMAFQwBAAAAAwD+DwYAAAAeAAEwAQAAAAwAAAAnSGFy ZGxpbmVzJwACAQswAQAAABwAAABTTVRQOkhBUkRMSU5FU0BDT1JORUxMUy5DT00AAwAAOQAAAAAL AEA6AQAAAAIB9g8BAAAABAAAAAAAAALmLgEEgAEAIgAAAFJFOiBoYXJkbGluZXMgRGlnZXN0IC0g VjAxICMyNzM4NwCdCQEFgAMADgAAAMwHDAAHAAoAHwAzAAYASAEBIIADAA4AAADMBwwABwAKABQA 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iP+JwX7fJt+Df4SPa2PwhcsxZAAyY+CG/yBQSm9obkGweVDQbfxAYTSQW5KKT4tffd2NX/9pMiyC j2fXBDmR0UI6Ubfif+4GO+E8YNiy1vvxIhCAY/94UeXSOzEEgsfAaQW9kZCj/xCBRBDRgEPQm1Ae 0UrTA7H/8vI7IdUBDZBDsz32TJ9NoPeQoTEvukBNaUDxUMeyScDqaiyfKWkFUryh+DDJQVsD4HYx Q6rTaQU4hmA4/cJAICPwyUF1gJARJcZAJ6JNj9AgNDlB8DMl3/dFjyf/dyxFyUKSgi8Ndo++Kksv TD5HT2/PcNQycUJWNFSnaQV9aQAAUWADABAQAAAAAAMAERAAAAAAQAAHMIDX/Pti5LsBQAAIMIDX /Pti5LsBHgA9AAEAAAAFAAAAUkU6IAAAAAADAA00/TcAAC+d ------ =_NextPart_000_01BBE429.E0F400A0-- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Dec 96 03:21:50 UT From: "MIKE JONES" Subject: Receiving from Cotter on Triad Greetings Hardliners, We have been putting our store back together from a big turnover in personnel and we are trying to understand the best way to receive the Cotter relay shipments which straggle in in bits and pieces. What is the best way to identify and receive in the Triad while not double receiving (a problem we have had)? I think it would be a lot easier if Cotter would indentify our P.O. number but they don't. Any suggestions? We had occasion to talk to Dave Watson concerning some Triad net change-to-accounts problems and, as I have heard on Hardlines in the past, he is very good at solving Triad problems. Last item: What system do you use to screen job applicants? Is the program offered by Cotter in the last Corporate Advisor any good? Thanks for your help and Merry Christmas. Mike Arcola True Value Arcola (Broom Corn Capitol of the World) IL ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27388 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Mon Dec 09 07:47:07 1996 Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 00:01:22 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27389 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Mon, 09 Dec 1996 00:01:22 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27389 Today's topics: 'Cotter Relay Receiving' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 08 Dec 96 13:27:00 EST From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Cotter Relay Receiving Folks, Here is a Cotter relay management procedure. 1. Purchase order numbers fall within the range 1 to 100. All skus must (or should) be in the system. 2. Month numbers are purchase order numbers for promotional relays. 1 is January, 2 is February, etc. 3. Weekly relay purchase order numbers are numbers 1 through 52. As the weekly relay program is acutally the occassional relay program, purchase order numbers will rarely conflict. 4. Cotter Market relay purchase order numbers are 96 and 97. 5. Set your system constants to IGNORE purchase orders with due dates greater than 200 days. 6. The purchase order type is either R for promotional orders or F for all other relay orders. The back order flag must be answered "Y." 7. The due date for all Cotter relays will then be 12/1/99. This will prevent relay purchases from "bumping into" regular weekly warehouse purchasing. "Bumping into" weekly buying means items which ought to come up on weekly suggested orders are prevented from doing so by a "future" Cotter relay order quantity. You run out of merchandise, the shelves go bare, the staff complains, the customers go elsewhere, and your cash flow goes to hell. It's very dangerous, and compromises your purchase order file integrity besides. 8. Recognize and accept one of the great truths embodied in ROUND'S RULES OF RELAY: It a slow-moving item is on relay and you need it now, and you order it from the warehouse, that relay order quantity will come in on the same truck as the warehouse order quantity. It happens... However, with improvements in the Cotter warehouse and relay shipping systems, it may be possible to use the due dates and handle the situation. For right now, it's not worth it. 9. Create your relay order using your favorite format, the RDM report, your RQ report, your PC download screen, etc. 10. Load the order with the book-page-line numbers and check digits. Don't bother with costs at this point. 11. For promotional relays using the monthly marketing advisor, do the Bargain of the Months first, enter the order quantities and book-pg-line numbers on the month number purchase order, then run the RDM for the main direct mail piece, change the reference number, enter those order quantities ( the book page line numbers will fill in automatically; if you aren't familiar with this, call Triad), then run and work your RDM for the secondary direct mail piece if you use one. With each step, the system will reflect the building purchase order with respect to each promotion for that month. As of 11/26/96, the Cotter Order Processing center accepted a relay #3 with three different promotional relays on it... 12. Use your COTBPO to check data entry. This is especially important on non-promotional orders where book-page-line numbers are entered manually. There is nothing as agonizing as a hundred lines of relay which show up on the BTCMSG error screen. 13. If you are a send and forget person, then send and forget your relay order. If you are a skeptic, then carefully review the order before sending it. Cotter will send back a relay acknowledgement which can be used to check against an RPO or RQ format report. Don't forget to POR the relay order by mfg-part-number sequence to allow the paper work to match the Cotter report. 14. A week or so after the relay order has been sent and acknowledged, strip the check digits from the Mfg-part-number field in MPO. This can be easily accomplished using a keystroke sequence program (a "macro") on your Fredware, your PC-Access, or your unknown 3rd party utility which gets rid of those check-digits in the book-page-line number. It's not an issue for Cotter IBM number items, but can be a real time-saver for non-warehouse items on other relays. 15. The Truck arrives. Forklift stabs valuable merchandise. Volatile organic compond odors waift from the inside of the truck. Dripping can be heard, but not seen. The receiver has called in sick. It's beginning to snow. Pause momentarily to remove the Relay A-Copies and forward them to the office. 16. Go to RP. Grab a ruler and the A copy. For the first line of the A-copy, read to the relay ID column. This is your purchase order number. Display this in RP. Type the IBM (sku) number in the sku field, tab to quantity and type that from the A-copy, tab to cost and enter that from the a-copy. Hit the SAVE button. Check the work. 17. For non-Cotter item, type the relay bk-pg-ln number and hit display. If all is well, the sku will pop up. If not, go to the IMU screen and hunt'em down. 18. Repeat until the order is done. 19. Run RRP option T, update option C with the range 1 to 100. 20. If the total matches the A-copy, you're cleared to print price tags. Run them by sku sequence for PO 1 to 100. It's not the best sequence, but it is the only useful one we've found. 21. Tags and a-copies go back to receiver. He or she checks order off as usual. Exceptions are then posted in RP. 22. Tags can be an important audit method. Too few, too many, or no tags can signal a mis-posting. 23. Reject all items which appear on the A-copy but which are not shipped. They may ship the following week as "free-astrays," but who knows? Rick Schwartz now refuses all "free-astrays" as costly interruptions to his operations. I have seen the wisdom in this given the number of receiving errors we have encountered with this Cotter freight dock clean up method. 24. When updating, do not use update prices option C as you will have relay costs contaminating your replacement costs. You are using average costs in your system, if not, please arrange to buy beer at the Fall Market in Atlanta for some informed member of the conference; he or she can set you straight. Call your Triad for a review of costing options.... 25. Write Cotter and Triad for the following improvements in the relay processing system: - a second run of the store's relay a-copy in sku sequence. - subtotals by relay number and a-copy page. It is a travesty that Cotter.... and I am sure the rest of the co-ops... don't provide basic tools to balance against. - Electronic A-copies (ERP posting for you Triad people) for Relay. If not, why not? If not now, when? This is grunt paper pushing at its worst. It's ideally suited to automation. - More work on the extremely useful RDM report. Kill the paper, put it on-line, and on a screen. For the PC-tinker-types, the new RQ data dictionaries permit this, but the time required to build something and de-bug it is not available in my store. I've got to run. Regards, Bill Round, Round's True Value Hardware 290 Main Street Stoneham, MA 02180 617-438-0131 FAX 617-279-9123 Compuserve address: I don't remember..... ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27389 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Tue Dec 10 00:01:19 1996 Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 00:01:16 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27390 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Tue, 10 Dec 1996 00:01:16 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27390 Today's topics: 'Big announcement tomorrow?' 'Putting QOH on the computer' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 14:00:59 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Big announcement tomorrow? Cotter will be holding a meeting at all the distribution centers tomorrow morning, with a planned satellite broadcast as well as a conference call with all the field reps. Also, there is word that some or all the field reps are being called into Chicago over the weekend. This may be the long rumoured announcement of some sort of merger or deal between Cotter and Servistar, or some other combination of wholesalers. It also might be some other major announcement, related to Cotter management. Odds are the merger is the topic, as the field reps would not be brought in just because of changes at the top. However, a merger would entail some sort of field staff training so they can go around to the stores and answer questions, etc. Plus, any merger would have some long term effects on the size of the combined field staff force as well as the number of RDC's that remain in operation. Cotter members with CSN might want to tune in tomorrow at 9 or 9:30 am to see if they can pick up the broadcast... I am pretty sure that Cotter uses the same video feed for the corporate stuff as they use for member updates. Also, watch your CSN printers for an announcement timed to come out at the same time as the meeting. Happy Holidays! John PS - Triad owners (and Tru Trac).... early signups for the Edcon in Orlando in January are evidently pretty disappointing. Try and make some time in your schedule to head south to this conference... we can all benefit if more of us attend (I'll be there, as will several others on the list). ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 22:41:43 -0600 From: "Cyndi Martini" Subject: Putting QOH on the computer Hello everyone, We are about to start putting the quantity on hand counts into our system and I am looking for suggestions from others who have done this. Thanks for the assistance. Cyndi Martini Martini TV Hardware Houston, TX ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27390 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed Dec 11 00:01:03 1996 Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 00:00:58 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27391 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Wed, 11 Dec 1996 00:00:58 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27391 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27390' 'Re: Putting QOH on the computer' 'RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27387' 'Re: Receiving from Cotter on Triad' 'Reaction to the merger' 'Cotter/Servistar = TruServe' 'Re: Big announcement tomorrow?' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27390' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 22:59:12 -0800 From: Jay Will & Linda Farr Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27390 Cindi Martini: I suggest looking into Cole Hardware's 'fredware' software to use a standard Telxon (with the old chip) to capture QOH, and locations to download to a Triad ... you do have a triad don't you. Call Ron at 1-800-222-0039. It's slick, but everything takes time. They may even have a scanner input by now. It's been a long time since we used it. Jay Farr jwlfarr@mail.coos.or.us ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 07:00:42 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Putting QOH on the computer we used a rather kinky method... i took a terminal and a long extension cord and a phone-line extension cord. we put the terminal on a rolling cart (flat top!) and gave it to a college student when the store closed (right after backup finished). they (actually we used two so they would have someone to talk to..) pushed the carts up and down the aisles entering sku, qoh, and location into fil. when they quit they would load a queue which contained rfl and start shutdown. sure, there were errors (especially when we had the same sku in two places...), but it got most of the data entered quickly and accurately. once they were done, we started cycle counts in location sequence and worked our way through the store 'adjusting' quantities and locations. At 10:41 PM EST 12/9/96 -0600, you wrote: >Hello everyone, > >We are about to start putting the quantity on hand counts into our system >and I am looking for suggestions from others who have done this. > >Thanks for the assistance. > >Cyndi Martini >Martini TV Hardware >Houston, TX ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! Keweenaw Peninsula Chapter American Red Cross CIO/Treasurer Ham It Up! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 07:26:35 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27387 before anyone starts writing code for this idea, i've got a wrinkle that must be taken into consideration... if there are items that the computer thinks are in the aisle but aren't found by the 'physical counter' there's got to be a way to get them to pop up in the handheld so they can be corrected. maybe when the counter moves to the next 'location' (evidenced by the sku record location field resulting from a scan), the unit would show the 'un-counted' skus in the prior location. when we do cycle counts from a printed list, we always have skus written on by hand that were found in addition to the listed ones and have printed ones that were noted as being: 1. bin tag not found anywhere or 2. bin tag found in another aisle... (and half the time the quantity is wrong). we find that some people will put merchandise on a peg hook but not put up the bin tag -- drat, humans! >Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 10:05:53 -0500 >From: Gary Schwake > >We all know (or will soon find out) that computer systems are only as good as the level of accuracy the user maintains. This means constant, iron-tight, maintenance of inventory. One way to go about achieving this is through cycle counts. But I would like to go one better. It would go something like this... > >Associate takes the hand-held device and begins scanning and counting in the designated aisle. When the associate scans the item, the important item information is displayed on the hand held screen, such as item description, SOH, last sale, and retail price. The associate can then enter in the count AND verify that the retail price on the shelf matches the system. If the retail price does not match, the associate can "tag" the item for a new bin label. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! Keweenaw Peninsula Chapter American Red Cross CIO/Treasurer Ham It Up! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 11:50:04 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Receiving from Cotter on Triad we have a very simple procedure - all relays are on one purchase order... step 1: make a purchase order # RL step 2: make a purchase order for the relay you're ordering (relay 97 is po # RL97) and add items to it putting the relay id in the manufacturer part number field. (we use the member cancel date as the date due.) then transmit the order. step 3: use a keyboard macro (in "MPO") to change the format of the relay id number to: a. include the relay number; b. remove the check digits; and c. insert the dashes. then run "POR" option "M" to resequence the po by relay id (MPN). step 4: when the acknowledgement comes in, correct "MPO" for cotter's changes so that it matches the acknowledgement. step 5: run "BPO" to add the purchase order to the 'main' relay purchase order...... step 6: when the relay invoice comes in, look up the items in "RP" on po # RL using the relay-id/manufacturer-part-number. note the po line numbers on the invoice and circle on the invoice any 'changed' data (quantity, cost, retail -- cotter's version of russian roulette is "relay roulette"). then go into "MPO" and change the quantity or cost and go into "IPC"/"RPC" to make the retail changes. step 7: check in the merchandise using the price-tickets/bin-labels. errors are discovered by having left-over tickets and/or merchandise... (we're in an "item-Pricing" state and must have price tickets on all merchandise -- it's convenient in this instance...) step 8: in "RP" option "E" post the po line numbers received and run "RRP". (we add freight and ticket costs to get landed cost in our average cost.) then run "RRP"......... step 9: send back everything that wasn't ordered -- "relay spread" is another bullet in the roulette gun and refers to buyer laziness! At 03:21 AM EST 12/8/96 UT, you wrote: >Greetings Hardliners, > We have been putting our store back together from a big turnover in personnel >and we are trying to understand the best way to receive the Cotter relay >shipments which straggle in in bits and pieces. > What is the best way to identify and receive in the Triad while not double >receiving (a problem we have had)? I think it would be a lot easier if >Cotter would indentify our P.O. number but they don't. Any suggestions? > > Mike > Arcola True Value > Arcola (Broom Corn Capitol of the World) IL ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! Keweenaw Peninsula Chapter American Red Cross CIO/Treasurer Ham It Up! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 16:00:21 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Reaction to the merger It's official... Cotter & Co and ServiStar Coast to Coast are merging to form a wholesale company called TruServ Corporation. Of course, everything needs to be approved, and there are a number of questions that will come up over the next few weeks. My gut feeling is that this will be a great opportunity for both co-ops. Prices for merchandise will certainly drop, and overhead for the RDC's and administration will also be lowered. The merger resulted in both Steve Porter and Dave Christmas leaving Cotter (Porter's contract was up for renewal... not sure about Christmas). Any other names noticeably absent from the new TruServ org chart? This deal complicates the recent relationship between Cotter and Triad, as now there are two additional systems that might need to be integrated. I'm not sure how much Servistar controls the two systems used in their organization, and what the percentage of system installations are (any Servistar folks on the list who could fill us in on the system makeup?). I'd say that the upcoming meeting in Orlando for Just Ask/Triad/TruTrac/Lumber will be a lot more lively than originally planned.... even more reason to attend! John ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 16:31:13 -0500 From: Gary Schwake Subject: Cotter/Servistar = TruServe Well, it's official. What does everybody think? Of course all I'm hearing is the True Value perspective. What do some of our ServiStar brethren think? There is only one problem I have with this merger. Where is Steve Porter? I believe he was THE driving force behind many of Cotter's positive changes. I personally would hate to see him go. -- Gary Schwake Zettler True Value Stores Director - Store Operations 614-672-1327 gschwake@iwaynet.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 16:19:25 -0600 From: "True Value" Subject: Re: Big announcement tomorrow? ---------- > From: John Fix 3rd > To: Multiple recipients of list hardlines > Subject: Big announcement tomorrow? > Date: Monday, December 09, 1996 1:00 PM > > Cotter members with CSN might want to tune in tomorrow at 9 or 9:30 am to > see if they can pick up the broadcast... I am pretty sure that Cotter uses > the same video feed for the corporate stuff as they use for member updates. > Also, watch your CSN printers for an announcement timed to come out at the > same time as the meeting. John- It looks like your message yesterday really fouled Cotter (TruServ) up. First they issued a incomplete message over CSN this morning about the broadcast, then they issued two revised "complete" messages giving the time and channel. Finally I got a message saying there was no broadcast (I got this after I had watched it.). I also got my FEDEX package while I was watching the broadcast. For what it's worth....I'm looking forward to the merger. I think it will wake Cotter up to get it's head out of the sand. Here Cotter has been saying you MUST put JustAsk rental inside a True Value store, now you will be able to have a free standing rental store without even owning a hardware store and I think that's great! This is just one example. Cotter has seemed to be on a heading of big programs, big fancy advertising schemes, etc. when we need help with better product selection and prices. The rumor mill also has it that Steve Porter has resigned. It going to be fun and to borrow a phrase "Enjoy the ride!" David Casaletto True Value Home Center Pittsburg, KS 66762 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 15:19:28 +0000 From: "Peter J. Cailotto" Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27390 Now thats proactive! Way to go Cotter & Servistar... -- *********************************************************** Peter Cailotto business page: http://www.dedot.com/pkm/Arrow.html personal page: http://www.dedot.com/pkm *********************************************************** ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27391 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu Dec 12 00:02:42 1996 Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 00:02:38 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27392 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Thu, 12 Dec 1996 00:02:38 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27392 Today's topics: 'Steve Porter' 'Re: Steve Porter' 'Re: Cotter Relay Receiving' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 17:30:26 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Steve Porter Steve Porter and Dave Christmas are both out. Steve's contract was up for renewal anyway. You can glance at the new org chart and see that Dave Christmas is no listed, so unless he's in the mailroom I'd say he's also not part of the "new world order". I'd be interested in how this merger will affect integration of POS systems. Before, there was Triad and TruTrac... now there are additional Servistar systems (although many Servistar outlets are running Triad). Also, how will this affect the technology "push". Reading the Q&A document, it implied that all TruServe members will be steered towards automation by the end of 1997, either with full systems or with a modified True Start configured to handle the Servistar products as well as the Cotter items. John ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 16:46:41 -0600 From: "True Value" Subject: Re: Steve Porter ---------- > From: John Fix 3rd > To: Multiple recipients of list hardlines > Subject: Steve Porter > Date: Wednesday, December 11, 1996 4:30 PM > > Steve Porter and Dave Christmas are both out. Steve's contract was up for > renewal anyway. You can glance at the new org chart and see that Dave > Christmas is no listed, so unless he's in the mailroom I'd say he's also > not part of the "new world order". > John- Dave Christmas is on the org chart. He's on the right side, halfway down. He's listed as VP of TV Merchandise under G. O'Donnell. So unless you've heard something else, he must still be around. David Casaletto True Value Home Center Pittsburg, KS ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 20:25:18 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Cotter Relay Receiving At 01:27 PM EST 12/8/96 EST, Bill Round wrote: <<>> >8. Recognize and accept one of the great truths embodied in ROUND'S RULES OF >RELAY: It a slow-moving item is on relay and you need it now, and you order it >from the warehouse, that relay order quantity will come in on the same truck as >the warehouse order quantity. It happens... bill, if this 'rule' was created by your dad, then you're forgiven... but -- when i first got back here our assistant manager told me this rule and he'd come across it when they changed from "pool" to "relay"..... so i think it's more properly "HAROLD'S FIRST RULE OF RELAY".... <<>>>> {{if you can't laugh at cotter, then you'd better join HWI -- i hear they don't allow being laughed at, cotter er--truserv is used to it}} ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! Keweenaw Peninsula Chapter American Red Cross CIO/Treasurer Ham It Up! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27392 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri Dec 13 00:04:11 1996 Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 00:04:07 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27393 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Fri, 13 Dec 1996 00:04:07 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27393 Today's topics: 'Press release from Cotter/ServiStar merger' 'QOH' 'Re: QOH' 'Staff shuffling...' 'triad short descriptions' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 10:35:25 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Press release from Cotter/ServiStar merger For those who haven't seen it, here's the official press release for the Cotter and ServiStar Coast to Coast merger... FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE True Value and ServiStar Coast to Coast Propose Merger of Wholesalers New $4.5 Billion Cooperative To Be Largest In The World CHICAGO, Dec. 10, 1996 The Boards of Directors of Cotter & Company, the world's largest wholesaler of hardware and related products to True Value retailers, and ServiStar Coast to Coast Corporation, the third largest wholesaler in the Do-It-Yourself market, have agreed to merge the two companies. The merger will create a new co-op called TruServ Corporation. TruServ is expected to have initial annual sales of $4.5 billion. Its mission is to fortify the leading wholesale market position and preserve the future growth of nearly 10,500 independent retailer members who will belong to the cooperative. Members of the two predecessor co-ops will exchange common and preferred stock in their cooperatives at par value for stock in the new cooperative on a dollar-for-dollar basis. "By consolidating our operations, we expect to give the owner/members better prices, better services and long-term strength in the wholesale industry," said Dan Cotter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cotter & Company, and designated chairman and CEO of TruServ. Paul Pentz, President and CEO of ServiStar Coast to Coast and designated President, Chief Operating Officer, and member of the Board of Directors for TruServ, added, "As a company we are creating the strongest cooperative in the marketplace. And while we will continue to fortify the retail identities in the marketplace, we will share common support functions which will significantly improve our operating efficiencies and costs." The Boards of Directors of Cotter and ServiStar Coast to Coast approved the merger plan on December 9, 1996. A proxy vote with merger documents and background material will be mailed to Members of the two co-ops as soon as all regulatory requirements are met, tentatively mid-January 1997. The benefits of the planned merger will also be communicated to members during meetings and conventions scheduled for January and February. Merger votes are due by March 1, 1997. Under the proposed plan, TruServ's headquarters will be officially located at Cotter & Company's headquarters near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Several of TruServ's combined businesses, however, including its $1 billion lumber business, will be managed from the Butler, Pennsylvania headquarters of ServiStar Coast to Coast. When the headquarters consolidation and relocation is complete, the Chicago facility will house approximately 1,000 people, and more than 500 employees will be located in Butler. In addition to Cotter and Pentz, TruServ will be managed by a combined team comprised of senior management from each of the existing wholesale companies. The corporate officers of the combined company will continue to report to a Board of Directors comprised of retail members. Eight directors of TruServ will be nominated from the Cotter board and seven directors will be nominated from the ServiStar Coast to Coast board. Steve Porter, Chief Operating Officer of Cotter & Company, will take on new responsibilities in helping members understand the benefits of the merger. Porter, one of the key authors of the TruServ plan, will serve as a consultant to the new organization through the transition. "This merger should gain more competitive prices for independent retailers, and consequently for consumers," said Cotter. "The $145 billion Do-It-Yourself industry is consolidating, with over 50 percent of the market belonging to Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and other national chain stores. Our boards proposed this merger as a means to provide additional resources and assistance to our independent retailer members, helping them compete more effectively and grow market share." Retail Conversion Plan Unique to the merger plan is a $40 million fund created to assist members complete store upgrades and technological improvements. Members must apply to gain access to these funds, yet the new co-op intends to encourage and assist its members in making retail improvements that make them more competitive. The fund has three components. 1) ServiStar Coast to Coast members can be reimbursed for costs associated with converting to the Cotter & Company pricing system and vendor changes. 2) An information systems fund will be available to defray the costs of retail automation or software enhancements. 3) A retail store development fund of $16 million will be available to assist members who elect to update, improve or open a new store. This retail conversion fund is unique to the DIY co-op industry. Savings Cotter and Pentz agree that the greatest financial advantage of the merger will be realized through consolidation and distribution improvements. Distribution currently accounts for more than 60 percent of a cooperative's expense base. TruServ expects to reduce this expense significantly by gradually combining warehouse facilities and delivering on common trucks. A logistics plan is being developed to improve TruServ efficiencies and lower distribution costs. Retail Identities TruServ co-op members would keep their individual store names after the merger is completed. Store owners don't want to lose the high level of customer name recognition and equity in the store names: True Value, ServiStar, Coast To Coast; or the names of several existing brands: Tru-Test Paints, Master Mechanic, Green Thumb, etc. Co-op members will continue to pay to advertise the specific identities and brands, but their investment will not support promotions and advertising for other stores or brands. Some overlap of store service area is inevitable with a retail merger of this scope. No existing member will be required to relocate or change names as a result of the merger. TruServ will identify any future market overlap on a store-by-store, market-by-market basis. The unique nature of niche marketing opportunities, such as Grand Rental Station or Home & Garden Showplace, greatly reduces the potential for conflict. Community Impact "This merger will create consolidation and relocation, and that's never easy," said Pentz. "But over the long term it will protect thousands of jobs that would otherwise be threatened by industry changes. ServiStar Coast to Coast and Cotter & Company have long-standing reputations as good corporate citizens. Community involvement will continue to be a key element of our corporate culture. Dan and I are personally committed to continuing our grassroots involvement in the communities where we operate, and in the thousands of communities where True Value and ServiStar Coast to Coast stores do business." ------------------------------ Date: 12 Dec 96 11:28:31 EST From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@compuserve.com> Subject: QOH Dear Folks, Wandering around the store with hand-helds, the "carted-terminal," the lap-top, the telxon, the IST, the LDT, the yellow pad of paper, or just a damned good memory will indeed get those counts into your system. This is not enough gang. QOH is the LAST thing to put into your system. Without a tightly-controlled checkout, an attention-to-detail receiver, a good receipt poster, a good data maintenance person, and a series of procedures to govern and connect them together, QOH counts will deteriorate almost overnight. Get these in place before pursuing the holy grail of QOH control. By the way, we're in this to make money. Get all the skus you have in the store into the system. Master the price change functions and get as many gross profit dollars as you can. Your accountant will be more impressed by the margin and cash flow generated by aggressive price maintenance than he or she will be by the accuracy of your counts. QOH accuracy can not be deposited in the bank. Last time I checked, cash was the only thing they would accept. So, get stuff into the store, get as much as you can for it, increase your market share (as Ted Turner quipped when asked for business advice: "early to bed and early to rise, work like hell and advertise!"), get more stuff at a lower cost, get rid of stuff that's not selling well, and cut your shrink as much as you can. All of these things can be accomplished without controlling quantity on hand. QOH control makes it all easier, to be sure, but a fine profit can be made without it. Here are a few things to help attack the QOH maintenance problems: 1. Sku #1. A generic sku for use in emergencies. Description is "type item description here NOW." Screen D message calls for information. Pattern number calls for sku or part number. Request or snow writer report to pull this sku every morning for the previous day's business. Use for screwed up price tags, unknown bar codes, etc. Strickly for items which are in the system but for which the sku is temporarily unknown. Correct it with a credit memo. 2. Obscure departmental skus. For non-system items which will never be in the system, have obscure departmental skus which only department mgrs will know. If Dad wants to sell that antique 6" copper elbow, let him do it on sku DEPTPL. Generic departmental skus should be used frequently in new installations only. If more than 2% of your business is on generic skus, throw your system out and buy a $300 cash register.... 3. Request or snow writer report to pull out skus sold in fractional quantities. Lots of money goes out the door this way. Sometimes cashier put the price in the quantity field for nuts and bolts, or fragments of skus in the quantity field. I've noticed that switching from scanning to keypad entry for nuts and bolts in our store causes big trouble. If a gallon of paint comes up at .78 for a quantity sold, there is a problem. 4. Put proper security on IMU and LOD for Triad systems. 5. Audit receiving and receipt posting. 6. Kill staff members who screw up price tags if you use them. 7. Control who has accept to bar code entry. That is a a real killer.... 8. If you are a Cotter.... TruServe?.... store, watch out for dancing bar codes which change regularly.... 9. Thoroughly train cashiers to search out skus via the usual tricks. 10 . Use security to lock all senior family members out of sensitive functions. I've got to run. Regards, Bill Round Round's True Value Hardware Stoneham, Massachusetts. The state where the educational establishment fears universal GED testing for all Massachusetts high school seniors... many will fail.... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 12:02:09 -0600 From: "True Value" Subject: Re: QOH ---------- > From: WILLIAM H. ROUND <102753.622@compuserve.com> > To: Multiple recipients of list hardlines > Subject: QOH > Date: Thursday, December 12, 1996 10:28 AM > > Dear Folks, > > Wandering around the store with hand-helds, the "carted-terminal," the lap-top, > the telxon, the IST, the LDT, the yellow pad of paper, or just a damned good > memory will indeed get those counts into your system. This is not enough gang. > > QOH is the LAST thing to put into your system. Without a tightly-controlled > checkout, an attention-to-detail receiver, a good receipt poster, a good data > maintenance person, and a series of procedures to govern and connect them > together, QOH counts will deteriorate almost overnight. Get these in place > before pursuing the holy grail of QOH control. > > By the way, we're in this to make money. Get all the skus you have in the store > into the system. Master the price change functions and get as many gross profit > dollars as you can. Your accountant will be more impressed by the margin and > cash flow generated by aggressive price maintenance than he or she will be by > the accuracy of your counts. > > QOH accuracy can not be deposited in the bank. Last time I checked, cash was > the only thing they would accept. > > So, get stuff into the store, get as much as you can for it, increase your > market share (as Ted Turner quipped when asked for business advice: "early to > bed and early to rise, work like hell and advertise!"), get more stuff at a > lower cost, get rid of stuff that's not selling well, and cut your shrink as > much as you can. > > All of these things can be accomplished without controlling quantity on hand. > QOH control makes it all easier, to be sure, but a fine profit can be made > without it. > > Here are a few things to help attack the QOH maintenance problems: > > 1. Sku #1. A generic sku for use in emergencies. Description is "type item > description here NOW." Screen D message calls for information. Pattern number > calls for sku or part number. Request or snow writer report to pull this sku > every morning for the previous day's business. Use for screwed up price tags, > unknown bar codes, etc. Strickly for items which are in the system but for > which the sku is temporarily unknown. Correct it with a credit memo. > > 2. Obscure departmental skus. For non-system items which will never be in the > system, have obscure departmental skus which only department mgrs will know. If > Dad wants to sell that antique 6" copper elbow, let him do it on sku DEPTPL. > Generic departmental skus should be used frequently in new installations only. > If more than 2% of your business is on generic skus, throw your system out and > buy a $300 cash register.... > > 3. Request or snow writer report to pull out skus sold in fractional > quantities. Lots of money goes out the door this way. Sometimes cashier put > the price in the quantity field for nuts and bolts, or fragments of skus in the > quantity field. I've noticed that switching from scanning to keypad entry for > nuts and bolts in our store causes big trouble. If a gallon of paint comes up > at .78 for a quantity sold, there is a problem. > > 4. Put proper security on IMU and LOD for Triad systems. > > 5. Audit receiving and receipt posting. > > 6. Kill staff members who screw up price tags if you use them. > > 7. Control who has accept to bar code entry. That is a a real killer.... > > 8. If you are a Cotter.... TruServe?.... store, watch out for dancing bar codes > which change regularly.... > > 9. Thoroughly train cashiers to search out skus via the usual tricks. > > 10 . Use security to lock all senior family members out of sensitive functions. > > I've got to run. > > Regards, > > Bill Round > Round's True Value Hardware > Stoneham, Massachusetts. > The state where the educational establishment fears universal GED testing for > all Massachusetts high school seniors... many will fail.... > > > Bill- These two pages you wrote should be chisled in stone. I know I lose sight of the correct heading when the winds blow me around everyday. Keep this advice coming. I need the wake up call! David Casaletto True Value Home Center Pittsburg, KS How about those Jayhawks!!!!! (#1 and undefeated!) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 17:45:20 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Staff shuffling... Even though Dave Christmas is on the org chart, I heard from a ServiStar person that he thought that Dave was not going to stay on with the company. The org chart might have been written up last week, in anticipation of the board vote. Also, another rumor is that Rob Liebgott might be coming back, taking over Dave Christmas's position. Rob was merchandise manager for electronics (and more?) years ago at Cotter. He left with Ron Pink to join Sentry. John ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 19:45:58 -0600 (CST) From: Dana Whitton Subject: triad short descriptions Is anyone using the short description capabilities for item look up? When I first heard about it I was excited but we can't come up with a logical way to apply this. We have many seasonal items such as fertilizer and mulch that we keep out in our lumber yard, it would be nice if a cashier who doesn't know much if anything about lawn and garden, could use next item to find exactly what we carry and the prices. So how did you set it up and is it really useful? ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27393 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat Dec 14 00:00:36 1996 Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 00:00:32 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27394 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Sat, 14 Dec 1996 00:00:32 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27394 Today's topics: 'Short Descriptions' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27393' 'RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27392' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 01:44:22 -0600 From: Wayne B Youngblood Subject: Short Descriptions Dave Whitton wrote about short descriptions on the TRIAD. I find these very, very useful. The purpose of short descriptions to is allow the quick search of items in QUICKVIEW (QV) either from a workstation or POS by searching for the short description. The key is to use the utility SDUTL to put something in the short descripton field because they are all blank if you don't put something there. We choose to strip the first word from the description when we run SDUTL because often that is a product # and useless. That transfer the first 15 characters after the first space over to the short description. We have learned to load items with this in mind. We have to run SDUTL every month or so to fill in the short descriptions of new items. Also, we sometimes customize the short descriptions of whole categories in MSD to establish a scheme, i.e. POP,COKE Pop,PEPSI POP,7UP RCIP TOASTER,2SL TOASTER,4SL This groups all your toasters together and is wonderful for quick searches. to get going, you must: 1. run SDUTL 2. Teach everyone to use it! Then search on something like JUMBO -- you'll be amazed at the variety of quantity of the items in your store that might begin with a name like JUMBO. This will not find every item, but you will find some SKUs that you would have found no other way. Incidentally,we call it SHIFT HELP - not quickview -- because that is the way you access it at POS, but now you can get to it with QV at the main menu. Wayne Youngblood Youngblood's True Value Mayfield, KY youngblood@apex.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 02:50:54 -0500 From: Colehard@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27393 Yo folks! Greetings from an Ace dealer! I wish all of you new TruServ dealers the best of luck. Be cautious and careful as you and your cohorts walk the thin ice of this merger. Make sure your interests are truly the motivation. (Why believe Cotter now?) And if any of you would like a free trip to an Ace convention, let me know! I think I could arrange it. Three cheers to Bill Round's treatise on QOH. It is worth printing and hanging over your office terminal, if not including in a management handbook. With regards to the person asking about short descriptions: We use them extensively ... probably have about 80% of our inventory key worded. We try for the "military style" description of noun, adjective. It doesn't always work smoothly, but in general does okay. For example, brush, paint fetilizer, lawn switch, single etc, etc. Good luck! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Dec 96 04:02:54 UT From: "MIKE JONES" Subject: RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27392 Re: Steve Porter Is it possible that if a guy at Steve's level is not included in the new company, it may have been because he disagreed with the merger? We heard that the Chicago paper's reported that Cotter 'bought' ServiStar, though the other local papers reported the AP story that it was a merger. We have a ServiStar distribution center about thirty miles away and the employees there were reportedly told that NO ONE would be offered a job with the new company, if the dist. center closes. The rumor also was that they had been having trouble filling orders since June. Will TruServ insist on the existing ServiStar stores putting in CSN, computers, going True Advantage, etc. like they are making us? Interesting times ahead! Mike Arcola True Value ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27394 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Tue Dec 17 00:00:09 1996 Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 00:00:06 Eastern Standard Time From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Reply-To: "Hardlines" Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27395 To: "Hardlines" hardlines Digest Tue, 17 Dec 1996 00:00:06 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27395 Today's topics: 'D. Christmas' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 11:44:39 -0500 From: Gary Schwake Subject: D. Christmas Mr. Christmas won't be the last change at TruServ... Liebgott Replaces Christmas As merchandising vp at Cotter Chicago =97 Dec. 13, 1996 =97 Rob Liebgott assumed the post of vp of merchandising at Cotter and Co., yesterday, replacing Dave Christmas at the co-op. Christmas, a former executive with Cooper Tools who joined Cotter two years ago, resigned Thursday. Liebgott was vp of advertising and merchandising at Distribution America (DA), Des Plaines, Ill., and was responsible for that buying group=92s move toward a common assortment of vendors among DA=92s 23 distribution members. "It=92s our intent to beef up the merchandising area for the future,= " said Dan Cotter, president of the co-op and slated to be chairman of the TruServ when Cotter and ServiStar Coast to Coast merge next year. Cotter said other personnel changes are anticipated in the next week but he would not elaborate. NHCN was unable to reach Christmas, Liebgott or DA president Ron Pink. =A91996 National Home Center News --=20 Gary Schwake Zettler True Value Stores Director - Store Operations 614-672-1327 gschwake@iwaynet.net ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27395 ********************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Tue Dec 17 14:41:59 1996 Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 14:41:51 -0500 X-Sender: rainbow1@jax-inter.net From: Bruce Crichton Subject: EEBA-L: Holiday Good-cause (or spam?) >Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 07:36:29 -0800 >From: bhoward2@sprynet.com (Bion Howard) >Subject: EEBA-L: Holiday Good-cause (or spam?) >To: ee-building@crest.org, greenbuilding@crest.org >Cc: share@hmco.com, bwilcox@b-s-g.com >Sender: owner-ee-building@crest.org >Reply-To: ee-building@crest.org > > >To: EE-building and GreenBuilding mailing lists >FYI -- A unique "good cause" spam (rather unusual it appears) >------------------------------------------------------------ >Ordinarily these list would not distribute anything like >this, since it appears that it nay be advertizing development. >However, since providing your e- mail address in response >to the solicitation will result in a donation of childrens >books to hospitals, at least think it over. > >You be the judge of what to do. > (Bion Howard, alias: "humbug flame-bait" ) >------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> message as received from Bruce Wilcox, BSG <<< > >Subject: Re: Spread cheers >Please forward this e-mail to everyone you know. >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >David Feig >Symbol Technologies, Inc. >Mobile and Wireless Systems Division >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Take the 2 seconds for this good cause! Happy holidays! > >the Houghton-Mifflin publishing co. is giving books to children's >hospitals; how many books they give depends on how many emails they receive >from people around the world. for every 25 emails they receive, they give >one book. > >All you have to do is email share@hmco.com. >hope you can spare the seconds...and let your friends know. >****so far they only have 3, 400 messages >...last year they reached 23,000. > >Source Info (header was hidden) >Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 17:22:04 -0800 >To: share@hmco.com >From: "Bruce A. Wilcox" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Energy Efficient Building list: sponsored >by the Energy Efficient Building Association (EEBA), a >non-profit educational organization, with the assistance >of CREST, and Howard Associates. >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Bruce Crichton, principal Rainbow Group - Paint & Coatings Consulting e-mail: rainbow1@jax-inter.net http://www.abuildnet.com/users/000176.html >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu Dec 19 16:47:52 1996 X-Sender: squangle@tiac.net (Unverified) Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 16:46:19 -0400 From: squangle@tiac.net (Scheman and Grant) Subject: never running out of anything - ever I need help. I need to know if anyone out there has devised a report that can gop in the end of day queue to print out all the items which fit both the following criteria. 1) Sold that item today. 2) Quantity on hand is now 0, 1, or 2 or less than 0. Seems to me like this request should be easy - Please help. >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri Dec 20 15:16:51 1996 Posted-Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 12:13:37 -0800 Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 12:17:42 +0000 From: "Peter J. Cailotto" Organization: Arrow True Value Hardware Subject: Price Updates/Catalog Problems I've been dealing with a price update problem for about the last 2 months. Since 4.0 we've been able to download A copy, but our price updates haven't been coming through. Our last price update was back in October. We got this catalog tape with a couple of files on it, I deleted the old files and installed the new files. I did a manual update. We download A copy on weds. and then the price updates on friday. It worked at first, but now its not and this $50 tape that we were charged for didn't fix the problem. I ran the tape last week, and did some other stuff that Tracy told me to do, and today (as well as last friday) I ran a 12,1 and a 12,2 and it says there are no price updates needed at this time. This message never came up before this problem started and we've been on the system for over 5 years. I'd like the problem fixed today so I don't get behind on the price updates. Any help to resolve this issue would be appreciated. 8573-8. -- *********************************************************** Peter Cailotto business page: http://www.dedot.com/pkm/Arrow.html personal page: http://www.dedot.com/pkm *********************************************************** >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri Dec 20 07:57:45 1996 From: truevalue@chamber.worcester.ma.us Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 07:58:18 -0500 Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27397 HA>hardlines Digest Fri, 20 Dec 1996 00:03:47 Eastern Standard Time V01 #2 HA>Today's topics: HA> 'never running out of anything - ever' HA>---------------------------------------------------------------------- HA>Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 16:46:19 -0400 HA>From: squangle@tiac.net (Scheman and Grant) HA>Subject: never running out of anything - ever HA>I need help. I need to know if anyone out there has devised a report that HA>can gop in the end of day queue to print out all the items which fit both HA>the following criteria. HA>1) Sold that item today. HA>2) Quantity on hand is now 0, 1, or 2 or less than 0. HA>Seems to me like this request should be easy - Please help. HA>------------------------------ HA>End of hardlines Digest V01 #27397 HA>********************************* It would seem to me that this task would be better handled by the "Min O/P" field. Yes it's a big job to set each one (unless funtion MOP is accurate enough for you) but once set it will take care of things forever. Provided that your QOH numbers are right, and I'll agree with Bill Round on that one. Paul Poirier Park Ave True Value Worcester MA >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri Dec 20 15:25:00 1996 Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 15:24:56 -0500 From: TVPANZELLA@aol.com Subject: "TO MY GROWN-UP SON" John: I came across this old poem, you might want to share it with "hardlines" people. TO MY GROWN-UP SON My hands were busy through the day, I didn't have much time to play, The little games you asked me to. I'd wash the car, and cut the grass, And my, oh my, how time would pass, But when you'd bring your picture book And ask me to share your fun, I'd say: " A little later, son." I'd tuck you in all safe at night, And hear your prayers, turn out the light Then tip toe softly to the door. I wish I'd stayed a minute more. For life is short, the years rush past, A little boy grows up so fast. No longer is he at your side, His precious secrets to confide, The picture books are put away, There are no longer games to play, No good night kiss, no prayers to hear That all belongs to yesteryear, My hands once busy, now are still, The days are long and hard to fill, I wish I could go back and do The little things you asked me to. Best regards, John Panzella >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri Dec 20 15:43:01 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 15:41:07 -0500 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Humourous Interlude Just for fun.... Letterman's Top Ten Signs Your Spouse is Having an Affair on the Computer 10. Lately she sits at the computer naked. 09. After signing off, he always has a cigarette. 08. The giant rubber inflatable disk drive. 07. In the morning, the computer screen is all fogged up. 06. He's gotten amazingly good at typing with one hand. 05. She makes sarcastic remarks about your 'software.' 04. Lipstick on the mouse. 03. During sex she screams 'A colon backslash enter insert.' 02. The jam in the laser printer is a pair of underpants. 01. The fax file is filled with pictures of some guy's ass. Hope everyone has a happy, healthy and safe holiday season (Good sales figures would be nice as well!). John >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat Dec 21 02:36:38 1996 Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 23:32:11 -0800 From: "Jay, Linda and Will Farr" Subject: Zero QOH today's sales re: squangle@tiac.net (Scheman and Grant)'s request for a report of zero QOH and sales today. It's ugly, but I can't think of a way to do it without spooling an RIS user defined sort in 1. Date of last sale order 2. QOH order. Go into MSP and find Today's date and print out all the 0 QOH items. Not sure what you'll do with it, but that's one way to do it. Jay Farr Farr's True Value jwlfarr@mail.coos.or.us >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Mon Dec 23 15:51:39 1996 From: Brad Vandris Subject: Alternate fro qoh=0 and sold today Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 14:45:26 -0600 In response to (Scheman and Grant) 's request for a report of zero QOH and sales today. One way accomplishing this is the REQ (request) function. Go in to REQ, then choose the RQ function. You may then choose option 1 or 3 then follow the steps as prompted. If you are new to REQ. like me, this could be a little difficult to set up. However, once you set it up you then only have to recall it and run it! If you have any questions, please e-mail me. Merry Christmas Brad Vandris True Value Home Center bwvandris@hotmail.com >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat Dec 28 15:00:19 1996 Comments: Authenticated sender is From: "Mark W. Bates" Date: Thu, 26 Dec 1996 16:23:18 +0000 Subject: Using RQ to capture RDS information Priority: normal Does any one capture information from the RDS daily? I have considered capturing some of the following info: # of customers, sales per hour, average transaction size for cash customers, charge customers, etc. I figured I would design an Request report that I could set up in SEQ to run before the RDS and send it to my PC. I would then load the info into an Excel spreadsheet. I would appreciate any tips from users that are already doing this. If this gets to deep for me, will Triad set this up for me or do I need to find someone I can pay to set this up? A follow up on my trials and tribulations with Triad this fall when I purchased the IST and added additional equipment. Triad eventually got the job done. I won't bore everyone with all the details, but it was one SNAFU after another. When I finally received the IST, it wouldn't work correctly with my PC. After several days of trying to figure out the problem, I finally determined that I had a 3 year old copy of PC Access. I don't understand why I wasn't updated with a newer versions and why someone didn't check the version I had when they send the IST. I also upgraded to a Pentium and if took me a month from the time I received the new processor to get it up and running(granted I wasn't in a hurry, but I about used up my free maintenance before I got to use the new machine). I received a call from Triad last week wanting to know when I was going to pay my past due bill on the IST. I told them they had debit my account for the payment. They finally figured out what happen and credit my account. Needless to say, I enjoyed filing out the customer satisfaction survey this week. What goes around comes around. OH, another thing that happen when I purchased all my new equipment, I went over my maintenance bill with my salesrep from hardgoods. We discovered that I had been paying maintenance on the label program before label works that would never work on my Pentium PC. I have been paying support for two years on a program I couldn't use. Triad made no effort to refund my money. I have several 3100 printers(15 years old) we were using at Point of Sale. We purchased some of the newer printers and our support dropped dramatically.. We are going to keep the 3100 as spares and use Depot on the new printers. Mark W. Bates, President, Bell & Bates, Inc.,13 North Madison St., PO Box 205 Quincy, FL 32353-0205 e-mail:mwbates@gcn.scri.fsu.edu Voice:904-627-6215 Fax: 904-875-1288 URL: http://gcn.scri.fsu.edu/~mwbates/b&bates.html >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri Dec 27 18:54:03 1996 Posted-Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 15:48:08 -0800 X-Sender: pkm@dedot.com (Unverified) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 15:55:08 -0800 From: Peter Cailotto Subject: Joe, I think I figured out whats going on with the catalog. The item in question was 290-414 20 boys bicycle. We ordered it from member dial in because we couldn't find a 20 inch boys bike in stock out of our warehouse. We looked up the item in the paper catalog, and it indicated that the item was a new item, and that the picture was not yet printed in the catalog. Apparently, new items that don't yet have a picture in the catalog don't show up in the catalog data base in True Trac. :(((( Thanks for reindexing the item file. The error message didn't occur this time and everything functioned smoothly. Pete Arrow True Value Hardware Peter J. Cailotto Jr. -Manager E-Mail pkm@dedot.com Homepage http://www.dedot.com/pkm/Arrow.html >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat Dec 28 09:42:32 1996 Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 09:42:29 -0500 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Ouch! Hi: Has anybody took the effort to tabulized all the ADVERTISING Bills in the Statement for each year? Just did one for 1996 -- found misbillings, questionable billings and how Advertising is sneaking other billings in on us. What happen to the simple billing days -->now there may be up to 6 Charges on one flyer plus the monthly charges and other charges that I am waiting for explainations. On another note, Cotter Connection --> becoming a great tool for us. The new Relay A copies gives us an idea on how much receiving room needed. Also, there is new a key stroke in the Inventory lookup that will show stock status in all the RDC --> great for closeouts.......... Now if they can speed up response key stroke time -->still faster (sometimes) then calling Chicagoland or even the RDC. Last note, has anybody received confirmation on the Orlando from the TRIAD organization??????????????????????????????????????/ Have a Great Day Happy New Year Happy Whatever Rick Schwartz Schwartz True Value >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat Dec 28 13:26:34 1996 Posted-Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 10:26:33 -0800 X-Sender: pkm@dedot.com (Unverified) Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 10:34:13 -0800 From: Peter Cailotto Subject: UPC LIMBO Attn Tru Trac Users... Just found a bug in the system with regards to multiple UPC codes. We were ordering 862-128 OO flat washers. That item has been discontinued, and the new item is 789-104. We had 2 other UPC's under the old number 862-128. We went into (05)(01)(05) replace an item. THIS IS WRONG. The old UPC's remain with the old item number. They will show up as not found at the POS, but when you go to update them they still go to the old number. It appears as though it is going to the number that you specify when you scan it, but it doesn't. You scan the item again and it will show up as item not found. I know that it is still going to the old item because I readded the old item : 05,01,01, and then checked the alternate upc's 05,04. Here's what you need to do until they get this fixed. Go into 05.04 and DELETE THE ALTERNATE UPC'S. Then, go to 05,01,05 and replace that item. Then go back to 05,04 and add the alternate UPC codes, or update the alternate UPC codes at the POS. Having the system allow multiple UPC codes is both a great advancement and a great DANGER (my biggest fear next to pilferage). Remember its YOUR (store manager/owner/employee) responsibility to maintain the integrity of the UPC codes that are entered into your system and NOT Cotters! Have Fun and a Happy New Year! Arrow True Value Hardware Peter J. Cailotto Jr. -Manager E-Mail pkm@dedot.com Homepage http://www.dedot.com/pkm/Arrow.html >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat Dec 28 15:21:46 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 15:19:23 -0500 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Re: Using RQ to capture RDS information At 04:23 PM 12/26/96 +0000, Mark Bates wrote: >Does any one capture information from the RDS daily? I have considered >capturing some of the following info: # of customers, sales per hour, >average transaction size for cash customers, charge customers, etc. I >figured I would design an Request report that I could set up in SEQ to >run before the RDS and send it to my PC. I would then load the info >into an Excel spreadsheet. I would appreciate any tips from users >that are already doing this. If this gets to deep for me, will Triad >set this up for me or do I need to find someone I can pay to set this >up? > Mark, The RDS data is very tough to pull out of RQ... what I do is use QuickRecall data and compile that instead. It's a little cleaner to work with due to the differences between the daily sales file and the QuickRecall file. I had several different QuickRecall RQ procedures that worked pretty well. One quick example is running an analysis of the average total sale when a customer purchases wallboard compound. We had lowered our retail on wallboard compound and my dad was concerned that folks were only buying compound. We ran an RQ that selected when a sale contained the wallboard compound and then calculated average sale (QuickRecall is set up to store about 4 months of sales on my system). Average sale was about $25, which was above average for storewide. As far as RDS, have you set up RDS to save the data daily? We run our daily RDS with no options (i.e. no option F) so the data is saved. We can bring up any days sales for the past two years right at DCD. Although there is no quick and easy way to run an analysis on this data, I'm hoping that there will be an enhancement at some point either to RDS or to another report on the system. So, if you're running option "F" in RDS, change it. The data doesn't take up a lot of space (unlike QuickRecall). John >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Mon Dec 30 17:26:31 1996 From: "Wade Doss" Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27398 Date: Mon, 30 Dec 1996 17:26:42 -0500 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal >Mark Bates had asked for a method of exporting RDS information using RQ. I use RQ for this process and export it out in Lotus file format. I export out daily net sales, # of transactions, # of charges, sales and number of transactions by the hour. I use the Point of Sale main heading then Daily Sales Information Subheading to locate the data fields that are needed. This process can be started up manually and use todays date or specify the date that you wish to download the information. Though as John has stated since you no longer have to run RDS "F" you can store daily sales information for as long as you like. SEARCH FOR DT = TODAYS-DATE. SUBTRACT CHARGE-SLS MINUS CHARGE-RFNDS GIVING NET-CHARGES. COLUMNAR TOTAL NET-SALES TOTAL NO-TOTAL-SLS TOTAL NET-CHARGES TOTAL NO-CHARGE-SLS TOTAL DOLLARS-8-9A TOTAL TR-8-9A TOTAL DOLLARS-9-10A TOTAL TR-9-10A TOTAL DOLLARS-10-11A TOTAL TR-10-11A TOTAL DOLLARS-11-12A TOTAL TR-11-12A TOTAL DOLLARS-12-1P TOTAL TR-12-1P TOTAL DOLLARS-1-2P TOTAL TR-1-2P TOTAL DOLLARS-2-3P TOTAL TR-2-3P TOTAL DOLLARS-3-4P TOTAL TR-3-4P TOTAL DOLLARS-4-5P TOTAL TR-4-5P TOTAL DOLLARS-5-6P TOTAL TR-5-6P TOTAL DOLLARS-6-7P TOTAL TR-6-7P TOTAL DOLLARS-7-8P TOTAL TR-7-8P. FORMAT = FILE LOTUS_123_1A. Wade Doss WDoss@msn.com batesace@acehardware.com >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Tue Dec 31 16:38:45 1996 From: "True Value" Subject: Saving RDS info on Triad Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 15:37:43 -0600 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal John (or whoever can answer): The Triad manual on RDS does not talk about saving RDS info while getting correct daily reports. The manual aludes that if I leave the date field blank and do not use option F, I'll get all the days stored in the system in a big lump sum. How do you set up the prepage? Thanks! David Casaletto True Value Home Center P.S. Happy New Year to everyone!!!!!!! :) >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Tue Dec 31 17:06:07 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 17:03:37 -0500 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Re: Saving RDS info on Triad At 03:37 PM 12/31/96 -0600, David Casaletto wrote: > >The Triad manual on RDS does not talk about saving RDS info while getting >correct daily reports. >The manual aludes that if I leave the date field blank and do not use >option F, I'll get all the days stored in the system in a big lump sum. > >How do you set up the prepage? > You load RDS with no options, and put 99/99/99 in the date field from and to when adding it to the end of day queue. With a date of 99/99/99 the system will only print the current day's sales info (Triad might need to change this before 1/1/99). By leaving off the option "F", the system will never delete the old daily sales data. If you run an RDS option T and leave the date field range blank, you get a total of sales since you stopped using option "F" (very big numbers on my system). It's really cool to be able to put 12/24/95 in DCD and press to see last year's Xmas eve sales (better than this years... grumble). We've got back to about mid-April 1995 in our DS file. Hope this helps. Have a safe New Years everyone! John PS - Great RQ procedure from Wade... thanks! >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed Jan 01 01:19:09 1997 Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 22:08:50 -0800 From: "Jay, Linda and Will Farr" Subject: Happy New Year Family and Friends, We're sitting in our living room with the lights flickering off and on, the wind howling, and the rain beating at the window. The only one unaffected is the cat, so we'll make this short so the computer doesn't quit. You may have heard or experienced the Northwest's weather problems, but Coos Bay has been blessed? with warm weather and lots of rain. None of the frozen rain or snow. Surrounding areas might be flooded, but at least our rivers don't originate in snow-capped peaks. Grandpa Farr called from Mexico with concerns, but I assured him that we weren't being washed or blown or frozen away. Hope you're the same and have a Happy New Year! Jay, Linda and Will Farr