Need Help with setting up a simple Inventory network

[nas7]

Hi guys, quick question for the pros. Whats the best/simplest way to set up an inventory system between 4 computers, this is for a store. Main feature that has to work is that once somethins enters or leaves the database on one PC the rest have to reflect the same. I was thinking Quickbooks can do this, any input in very helpfull.

 

[wkinney]

First off what kind of database is this, what data are you entering and are you doing using some proprietary program, or has that yet to be established?
I really don't see why you would havnt a database on one of the computers, or even a seperate server, and have them all access that single DB...

 

[blemoine]

Quickbooks will do this but it all depends on how many items you are looking to inventory. The larger the quickbooks file is the slower things will run. If you are going to have more than a thousand items or plan to grow to more than a thousand items i would not get quickbooks. The best advice i can possibly give you is to contact a company that specializes in POS systems. I had a customer who used quickbooks and it worked fine at first and then they started to grow fairly quickly and they got really unhappy really quickly because it would take 10 minutes or longer to do a transaction. you may pay a little more for the POS specialist but you will be happier in the long run.

 

[nas7]

Well if i was to do this in Quickbooks, what server software and hardware would be required? Can anyone point me to some sort of a tutorial for this sort of thing. I am a software/web developer and just got stuck with this project since we have no networking people.

 

[nas7]

Hey wkinney, i am looking for the simplest way here, i doubt the DB will go over 1000 items. So with Quickbooks i dont even need a server i can just share a DB from one of the computers via a basic router network?

 

[amdskip]

Yeah but you need to back that DB up probably with some sort of raid array.

 

[nas7]

bump

 

[TXJustin]

I'm not sure how quickbooks works, but with Access all you have to do is have one database on one computer and have all the others connect to it -- basic file sharing.

 

[ScottMac]

First off, you should use a server; a machine that does nothing but handle the database, core application, and system utility and authentication / authorization functions.

When you put the core system on one of the work machines, you crank up the risk significantly that something will eat your database. The POS machines are exposed to the public, which also increases the risk.

Put the server in a secure location ("Physical security").

Database apps, even relatively simple ones, require a lot of resources (ram, disk, and processor).

What sort of backup are you planning to use? Have you figured out the cost of having a down system versus spending a little more up-front to get a better, more reliable system?

If you assume responsibility for design and implementation, you also assume the liability. Do you have insurance to cover the possibillity that something will not work as planned and maybe ending up in court?

POS systems, in general, are fairly complex systems. The advice to bring in a POS consultant is solid advice. Any decent consulting service will be bonded and insured. The extra money you put into using a consultant is usually money saved in the long run (i.e., they have already bled, and can often avoid the less-obvious potholes of implementation and design).

Good Luck

Scott

 

[nas7]

bump

 

[Nnyan]

I'm going to guess that you are looking for free software (open source). I would recommend the following:

http://www.inventory-management.org
http://tinyerp.com
http://phpinv.sourceforge.net/