gtriever
Member
I've searched the forums and don't find anything recent. Before I reinvent the wheel, is there an up-to-date software package that will let me track the pens that I make?
Inventory Software?
- Thread starter gtriever
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gimpy
Member
Mortalis
Member
What is it you want the software to do?. Just keep inventory? Keep inventory and costs?
Microsoft access has some prebuilt templates. For $99 you can get office 365 with Access.
Have you checked source forge?
https://sourceforge.net/directory/?q=Inventory
Microsoft access has some prebuilt templates. For $99 you can get office 365 with Access.
Have you checked source forge?
https://sourceforge.net/directory/?q=Inventory
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gtriever
Member
I have a full blown copy of Access (as well as Excel), but like I said, no sense in reinventing the wheel if something is already available. Penventory would be promising if it wasn't limited to online use; the My Pen Box site apparently hasn't been updated in 3 years.
Jim15
Member
I don't know if it's still available but in the past I have used a program called Penventory. It was by a person who used to be a member here. Very nice program.
dogcatcher
Member
My "software" are clear plastic shoeboxes. one box for each type of pen kit. I can look at the box and know if I need to order. The box contains the kits, the bushings, instructions and anything I special I think I might need.
Mr Vic
Member
I use Excel to track inventory. I has a page to calculate price based on kit cost, blank cost and labor. It also calculates the markup. I have work sheets to enter sales which calculate the taxes where I'm selling and others to track expense and total annual sales. If you use access regularly you could probably build a similar solution quickly. My last exposure was programing FoxBase+/DbaseIII. Been using Excel from Lotus 123 was popular. I can send some examples if interested...
Mortalis
Member
It is difficult to recommend what you dont know what the needs are. If it just an inventory, that can be with paper and pen/pencil probably easier than learning a new piece of software. If it is inventory and receipt maker then Excel might be easier using lookups. A full blown kit, finished goods and MRO expendables might be an Access/database thing. Oh an by the way, Access is just Excel on steroids for all intents and purposes.
It looks as though Penventory is still up and running.
I read a thread that some are using Evernote. You could use Onenote also since they basically the same. The both have cloud services that are accessible from anywhere.
It looks as though Penventory is still up and running.
I read a thread that some are using Evernote. You could use Onenote also since they basically the same. The both have cloud services that are accessible from anywhere.
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beck3906
Member
Maybe I misunderstand what the OP was asking, but I believe the OP knew what was being sought by the question "...is there an up-to-date software package that will let me track the pens that I make?"
Or, in other words, is there a package he could buy that offered the ability to track inventory. Once he could review the offerings, he could see if it offered a feature set he could use.
Basically wanted to review what was out there before attempting to build his own.
The idea of offering the basic templates within Access and other systems could be useful but they are not targeted to pens with the various concepts possible for tracking pens.
Or, in other words, is there a package he could buy that offered the ability to track inventory. Once he could review the offerings, he could see if it offered a feature set he could use.
Basically wanted to review what was out there before attempting to build his own.
The idea of offering the basic templates within Access and other systems could be useful but they are not targeted to pens with the various concepts possible for tracking pens.
gtriever
Member
You're right. Without sitting down and outlining all the elements yet, my basic "want list" is the following:
Control Tracking Number, kit used, blank used, vendors for both, photo of finished pen, price, and the client info that I sold/gave it to.
beck3906
Member
Maybe I have a different opinion about inventory, but tracking inventory as to the number of kits from a particular vendor gets to be difficult.
Let's look at just chrome sierras for example.
You can buy the basic chrome sierra from probably 10 different vendors under the description "chrome Sierra". Them Woodcraft sells the same kit as another name with other vendors using their own name. Then, you get into the variants such as Gatsby, etc.
Way too many options to track kits bought from a particular vendor.
Then you have the idea of cost. Tracking 5 kits in inventory at $8.00 each and then another 4 in inventory at $8.25 each because you bought them at different times adds another level of complexity. Most inventory systems use a "weighted average cost" method of tracking the value of inventory. For example if I bought 10 at $5 and another 10 at $6, I have 20 kits with the average cost of $5.50 each.
Considering the idea of tracking Sierras by plating, besides chrome, there are maybe a dozen variations of plating. So now I may have one vendor offering 8 different platings. If 5 different vendors offer 8 platings, I now have 40 different inventories to keep up with. And if you track it by cost, the number of inventories expands.
And this is just for sierras.
Maybe you just need to know that the chrome Sierra is available from the different vendors or you bought the chrome Sierra from a particular vendor. Don't know, but be prepared for a mind-blowing trip when looking at how to build this inventory process. I've redone mine probably 5 times over the last 8-9 years.
I have Quickbooks setup to track total kits at an average cost but I do not care where I bought them from. The only care about where I bought them from is to know what I bought, how much I spent, and how the bill gets paid.
I tried to keep Quickbooks tracking kits by plating but found the logistics was too much. I had over 500 items being tracked by style and plating with a similar number of finished products. Way too complicated for tracking purposes.
I simplified the accounting by saying I have all sierra kits in one tracking number with three finished products...Sierras, premium sierras, and select sierras. Each of these three is based on the level of the blank and plating cost but each of the three still has a weighted average cost applied to the sale.
If I need to know how many chrome sierras I have, I look in my storage box. If I don't have enough, I order more. But, my inventory system should say how many total kits I have in the box of any type plating.
Let's look at just chrome sierras for example.
You can buy the basic chrome sierra from probably 10 different vendors under the description "chrome Sierra". Them Woodcraft sells the same kit as another name with other vendors using their own name. Then, you get into the variants such as Gatsby, etc.
Way too many options to track kits bought from a particular vendor.
Then you have the idea of cost. Tracking 5 kits in inventory at $8.00 each and then another 4 in inventory at $8.25 each because you bought them at different times adds another level of complexity. Most inventory systems use a "weighted average cost" method of tracking the value of inventory. For example if I bought 10 at $5 and another 10 at $6, I have 20 kits with the average cost of $5.50 each.
Considering the idea of tracking Sierras by plating, besides chrome, there are maybe a dozen variations of plating. So now I may have one vendor offering 8 different platings. If 5 different vendors offer 8 platings, I now have 40 different inventories to keep up with. And if you track it by cost, the number of inventories expands.
And this is just for sierras.
Maybe you just need to know that the chrome Sierra is available from the different vendors or you bought the chrome Sierra from a particular vendor. Don't know, but be prepared for a mind-blowing trip when looking at how to build this inventory process. I've redone mine probably 5 times over the last 8-9 years.
I have Quickbooks setup to track total kits at an average cost but I do not care where I bought them from. The only care about where I bought them from is to know what I bought, how much I spent, and how the bill gets paid.
I tried to keep Quickbooks tracking kits by plating but found the logistics was too much. I had over 500 items being tracked by style and plating with a similar number of finished products. Way too complicated for tracking purposes.
I simplified the accounting by saying I have all sierra kits in one tracking number with three finished products...Sierras, premium sierras, and select sierras. Each of these three is based on the level of the blank and plating cost but each of the three still has a weighted average cost applied to the sale.
If I need to know how many chrome sierras I have, I look in my storage box. If I don't have enough, I order more. But, my inventory system should say how many total kits I have in the box of any type plating.
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gtriever
Member
Thanks, Rick. Let's go back to my original post, and rephrase a little bit:
Strike the word "Inventory" and retitle the thread Tracking Software. My bad.
I'm not concerned about the number of kits/blanks I have on hand (and what the cost was), since I'm not running this hobby as a business. I'd use QuickBooks for that like I used to do when I did run a business. I want to keep track of the finished pen and its components, since my memory isn't what it used to be. For example: Client 'B' wants to know if I can make them a pen like the one I did for Client 'A'. I want to be able to pull that pen info up and see at a minimum what kit, what finish, what blank, and the vendor I purchased the materials from.
Strike the word "Inventory" and retitle the thread Tracking Software. My bad.
I'm not concerned about the number of kits/blanks I have on hand (and what the cost was), since I'm not running this hobby as a business. I'd use QuickBooks for that like I used to do when I did run a business. I want to keep track of the finished pen and its components, since my memory isn't what it used to be. For example: Client 'B' wants to know if I can make them a pen like the one I did for Client 'A'. I want to be able to pull that pen info up and see at a minimum what kit, what finish, what blank, and the vendor I purchased the materials from.
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beck3906
Member
For additional clarification...
When you buy a blank, do you write the name of the blank, such as Sea Mist or Autumn Moon acrylic, along with the vendor, onto the blank? Also enter the price onto the blank when you purchase it?
Do you label the kit with the vendor name and purchase price when you purchase it?
Maybe more thoughts after this.
When you buy a blank, do you write the name of the blank, such as Sea Mist or Autumn Moon acrylic, along with the vendor, onto the blank? Also enter the price onto the blank when you purchase it?
Do you label the kit with the vendor name and purchase price when you purchase it?
Maybe more thoughts after this.
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gtriever
Member
I keep the invoices (a holdover from my business days). In the rare instances where the name of the item is not already on the package, I do label them. Since I deal in such small quantities I can have the prices fresh in my head when I price the finished item. It's the "several months from now" when I can't pull that out of my memory.
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beck3906
Member
How do you keep up with the name and vendor of the acrylic blank? Many aren't labeled so remembering them is tough.
gtriever
Member
Hmmm. I've had very few blanks come in that weren't labeled. I always unpack and check against the invoice when I receive an order ; if something isn't labeled I do it then.
Woodchipper
Member
Xcel spreadsheet?
gtriever
Member
Problem may be solved. I've downloaded a trial copy of Recollector, which is a customizable flat-file database. After playing with it for about 30 minutes, it appears that it's going to work fine for what I want it to do. It even lets me link to my image folder... yippee!
BCnabe
Member
I researched and could not find anything so I ended up doing my own in Access. It has a place for all pen kit info (cost, supplier, etc), pen blank info (cost, supplier, etc.), when it was made, type of finish used, customer info. It will then calculate profitability on each project. I use it to track all projects - pens, bottle stoppers, pizza cutters, ice cream scoops, etc.
Besides the sales information it will also track inventory.
I'm not a professional when it comes to database creation and there are some quirks / bugs that I need to work through yet but so far it works for what I want. If a professional looked at it they would probably die of laughter.
Here's a screenshot:
Besides the sales information it will also track inventory.
I'm not a professional when it comes to database creation and there are some quirks / bugs that I need to work through yet but so far it works for what I want. If a professional looked at it they would probably die of laughter.
Here's a screenshot:
Woodchipper
Member
I had a great database for my first computer in the early 90s. My father and I had a sales rep business and used it to keep track of commissions.
Good setup. I didn't see anywhere to add any shipping and handling costs.
Good setup. I didn't see anywhere to add any shipping and handling costs.