[RetailEdge Moderator]

To use the RetailEdge PICS©, choose PICs from the Inventory menu item and then choose Edit. Press the Add button. This will display Edit PICS Item screen. You then have the option to enter information in one of the following three (3) ways: A remote scanning device and importing the data into RetailEdge A Physically Attached Scanner, or Manually. A remote scanning device and importing the data into RetailEdge. Scan the items into your remote scanning device and then download the scanned item file to your computer. You should check the scanner's documentation about how to do this. RetailEdge has designed the program to accept scanner data from one of two scanners (Percon's PT2000 Top Gun and Symbols SPT1500 with add-on inventory management software data). RetailEdge will also accept data in CSV and Tab Delimited formats. The PICS© file requires at a Stock Number (SKU) and a quantity for the import but will also accept description information about the items if you choose to include it in the file. Once you have the scanner's import file on your computer you can then import the data into the RetailEdge PICS© file. Press Import button on the Edit PICS Item screen. Then type the file name or find the file you want to import and press the Import button again. RetailEdge will import the file, report the total number of records imported and return you to the PICS list where you can view the items imported. If nothing happens or no records are imported, this means that the file you have imported is not in the Import File Type you specified. You should check the import file through another program (like Microsoft's Notepad) to make sure it is in the proper format and then try the import again. A Physically Attached Scanner. Although the PICS© system is primarily designed for a portable collection system device, you can also use an attached bar-code scanner to enter items into the PICS file. To enter items with a scanner, just open the Edit PICS Item screen and scan in the items using the bar code scanner. Scanners will typically place a carriage return (press the enter key) after the number is scanned. If your scanner does not automatically work this way, you might want to program it so that it does. To help you with this process you might want to purchase an extension cable for your scanner. Wireless scanners are also available that will scan items within 30 feet of the terminal. Manually. To enter items manually, just enter the stock number or item number into the first field on the Edit PICS Item screen and then press the Enter key or click the Record button. This will place the item with a quantity of one into the PICS file. RetailEdge will default to a quantity of one. If you want to place more than a quantity of one into the PICS file, you can either repeat the procedure multiple times or place a different quantity in the Quantity field. Once you have put the information into the PICS file, you should print PICS reports. RetailEdge can print reports that show inventory shrinkage, differences between the PICs file (what was scanned) and your inventory, items that are in your PICS file but not in the inventory, and a list of items in the PICS file. To print reports choose PICS from the Reports|Inventory menu item and then choose the appropriate report to print. Once you have put the information into the PICS file, reviewed the file to ensure the data is correct and printed the appropriate reports, you are ready to update. To update, close the PICS file and then choose Update from the Inventory PICS menu item. RetailEdge will then ask you to choose a target table for the PICS Update. This can be a purchase order, receiving or inventory. The update process will also ask you what type of update action you want. You can either Overwrite (replace) quantities or Append (add) them depending on what type of operation you are performing. RetailEdge will also allow you to zero out your inventory quantities prior to updating your inventory from the PICs file. Zeroing out inventory quantities can be useful when doing inventory adjustments. If you have lost an item due to shrinkage, and don't have any in your inventory, the item will not be scanned and won't be adjusted when you update. You should be VERY CAREFUL when zeroing out you inventory quantities. To zero out inventory quantities, choose Zero Inventory from the Inventory PICs menu item. RetailEdge will then ask you to filter (by vendor, department, etc.) the items you want to zero. Pressing OK, will then zero out the quantities for the items selected.