Author Archives: Lewis Kilby

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EMApp Features

Category:Email Marketing App Tags : 
  • CAN-SPAM Act compliant
  • Unlimited users and customers
  • Unlimited email lists and list segments
  • Unlimited lists custom fields, searchable!
  • Unlimited campaigns
  • Unlimited email templates
  • Campaign and email templates testing
  • Embed list forms
  • Single/Double Opt-in/Opt-out for lists
  • 100% customizable forms/pages
  • Use RSS/JSON Feeds in your campaigns
  • Exhaustive settings to tune-up the application
  • Simple delivery processing
  • Template tags management
  • Emergency actions system
  • Delivery via any SMTP server
  • Delivery via Amazon SES / Mandrill / etc
  • Delivery via Sendmail and php’s mail() function
  • Delivery via Directory Pickup
  • Bounce emails processing
  • FBL/ARF emails processing
  • Quota management for delivery servers
  • Quota management for customers, with notifications
  • Advanced subscribers tracking
  • Recursive delivery processing
  • Attachments for your campaigns
  • Article/Article categories creation
  • Deep list segmentation
  • Email blacklist support
  • Remote DNSBL’s check support
  • Custom extensions support
  • Themes support
  • Internationalization and translation support
  • Ip location services
  • Detailed campaign stats
  • Export campaign stats
  • Subscribers activity map for campaigns
  • Parallel delivery processing

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WIP-TRAK: Work In Process Tracking in the Cloud

Category:eChainRF-Asset Mgt,Global Business Manager,RF Asset Management Tags : 

On Monday morning, your customer service line rings and your service agent logs a call about a product failure with your new laser-turbo Diffendoofer. Someone was almost injured! By the end of the day, you receive seven more similar calls. Your QA team immediately suspect a cluster of product failures, and frantically begins researching root cause and potential scope of impact.

Hoverboard FireSometimes root cause analysis is easy. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone and Hoverboard fails can be quickly linked to a lithium ion battery. But wait, is this really accurate? Is it the lithium ion battery, or the charger? Is it a certain brand or manufacturer of battery or charger that is consistent with the product failures, or really something else? If you are like most manufacturing companies, you use multiple vendors for different components, and each manufacturer may deliver slightly different variations of components over time as they evolve their own production processes. Linking specific components and materials to a finished product is nearly impossible.

Quickly understanding and addressing product failure root cause can be the difference between a great public relations turnaround success story or an epic company failure ending in crushing lawsuits and bankruptcy.

eChain WIP-TRAK

Assembly Line WIPeChain Technology has developed WIP-TRAK to address traceability and compliance needs for manufactured and assembled products. WIP-TRAK is a module of the eChain Global Business Manager solution. If your company was using eChain WIP-TRAK, your customer service agent could quickly and easily check the failed products to identify common components, materials, machines, and even specific workers who touched or inspected the product.

eChain WIP-TRAK supports UDI (Unique Device identifier) or Serialized materials and parts used in the manufacture or assembly of a finished product. Using an extremely simple interface (4 fields), workers log each step in a work order process with barcode scanner, or automatically using RFID.

WIP-TRAKAt each station, the worker would:
1) Scan the new component barcode (beep!),
2) Scan the work order barcode (beep!),
3) Scan the employee’s badge/ID (beep!),
4) Scan the location/station (beep!)… Done.

That’s it! In seconds, the new component (or machine or assembly or quality check) and its specific cost is linked to the finished good and time-stamped. As the work order moves from station to station, we generate a transfer transaction and track time-in-station, worker and items physically located at each station at that time.  Reports show how long jobs/items and assemblies are held at each station, and where a specific work order is at any point in time. Monitor the quantity levels of assemblies or materials by station to ensure no disruption or delays. Monitor that each Quality Check has been performed.  Track specific machines that were used on each product or job.

Diffendoofer Defect

Hoverboard AssemblyUsing eChain WIP-TRAK, you can clearly identify that your new laser-turbo Diffendoofer product failures appear to be related to a specific batch of flux capacitor manufactured by Yekko Inc. and your potential impact is 500 products. Because the eChain Global Business Manager manages unique devices, you can further identify the specific customers who purchased the 500 units in question within minutes. In the same day as the product defects first appear, you can identify root cause, common components, and customers who purchased the defective items using eChain Technology.

Real-time COGS

Managers can quickly and accurately track specific Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for each specific finished product, or generate aggregated profit/loss reports.

Many companies do not have quantitative information on product cost and need to better track and manage specific costs associated with the products they manufacture and sell. Using eChain Global Business Manager with WIP-TRAK, companies can review profit/loss reports by item, by category, by location. This real-time information can help companies fine-tune their pricing model to maximize profitability.

Manage Machine Use and Maintenance

eChain WIP-TRAK tracks each specific machine used for every work order or job.  Some machines are used more often than others.  Some machines break down more frequently than others, and some machines are simply better than others.  Use WIP-TRAK to identify specific machine defect rates.  Track how many times specific machines were used, and schedule periodic preventative maintenance based on usage or defects using eChain WIP-TRAK.

About Global Business Manager

eChain Global Business Manager is a low-cost, cloud-based solution that enables your entire organization to quote, sell, purchase, locate, track and manage inventory and assets in facilities and locations across the planet and in local languages. The solution is completely RFID-enabled using the eChain RFID Enterprise Connector and RFID Tech.  Provides enterprise Order-to-Cash capabilities, Unique Device Management/Serialized stock tracking and Work-in-Process (WIP) tracking in an affordable and easy to use package with graphical user interface and rich reporting.  Enables companies to purchase, manage, track, sell and report items globally using fewer employees and systems. Supports inventory, asset and employee tracking, rental, service, manufacturing/assembly and retail applications.

About eChain Technology

eChain Technology specializes in RFID, supply-chain and enterprise solutions that immediately address business cost areas and improve operational performance. We offer innovative applications, system integration, full service consulting, and custom application development.


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PRESS RELEASE: INVENGO ACQUIRES A 10% STAKE IN SML HOLDINGS LTD

Category:eChain News,RF Asset Management,RF Hardware & Tags Tags : 

INVENGO  ACQUIRES A 10% STAKE IN SML HOLDINGS LTD, THE HONGKONG-HEADQUARTERED BRAND IDENTIFICATION SOLUTION PROVIDER FOR THE WORLDWIDE RETAIL & APPAREL INDUSTRY

eChain Technology, a US-based RFID technology and solutions company, is working with Invengo to provide affordable samples and small-quantity options for purchase to sample and test Invengo RFID tags. Check out our shopping cart for our Invengo RFID tag options.

InvengoSingapore, 27 October 2016 – Invengo, the global RFID technology provider, today announced the acquisition of a 10% stake in SML Holdings Ltd., the Hongkong-headquartered total brand identification technology and solution provider for the global retail and apparel industry. With a presence in over 30 countries and manufacturing facilities around the world, SML delivers best-in-class products and solutions built on a great technology and thorough understanding of their customers and the retail market. The extensive SML offerings include product branding and labeling, RAIN RFID tag solutions, retail RFID software solutions and data management services, anti-counterfeit and product packaging design and engineering. SML has an enviable customer list that includes such leading fashion brands and retailers as Levi’s®, American Eagle, American Apparel®, Ann Taylor, GAP, Tesco, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart and Adidas®.

Retailers frequently struggle with inaccurate inventory and that inaccuracy has significant negative impacts to their business such as: lost sales, excess shrink, ineffective omnichannel processes, poor employee productivity and bloated inventories. As retailers work to improve efficiency they are entering a new era of retailing (Retail 3.0) by using RFID technology and solutions which is enabling retailers to achieve over 98% inventory accuracy and thus more efficiently manage their inventory and deliver new levels of customers service. This Retail 3.0 retail world includes: dramatically reducing out of stocks, creating better instore experiences and enabling more effective omnichannel delivery models. And likewise, in supply chains, RFID technology and solutions from SML are being used to improve inventory accuracy through the lifecycle of a product.
Based on the IDTechEx forecast for 2016, the number of tags used in 2017 is expected to reach over 5 billion. SML, as a market leader in traditional clothing labels and packaging, is already serving the needs of the apparel retail industry. As a result of adding RFID technology and solutions to its existing programs, SML is in an excellent position to benefit from the shift towards comprehensive retail inventory management and the Internet of Things.

The aim of the investment is to establish optimal synergy between Invengo and SML in areas such as products, marketing, sales and innovative RFID solutions. Blending the extensive RFID product and solution depth of Invengo with the proven retail technology and global reach of SML will strengthen the global leadership position of both companies in apparel inventory management solutions for the retail sector.

“We have admired SML for years as they built a world-class data management system to support the global expansion of their locally based service bureaus. Coupled with an excellent track record in on time delivery and price efficiency, an experienced and highly-valued management team and in-company know-how, we are in an excellent position to benefit in this fast-moving growth market,” comments, Jiann Hsieh, CEO of Invengo International.


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PRESS RELEASE: INVENGO TECHNOLOGIES MOVES TO NEW FACILITY TO SUPPORT GROWTH

Category:eChain News,RF Hardware & Tags Tags : 

eChain Technology, a US-based RFID technology and solutions company, is working with Invengo to provide affordable samples and small-quantity options for purchase to sample and test Invengo RFID tags. Check out our shopping cart for our Invengo RFID tag options.

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HIPAA-level Security, Reliability, Performance

Category:eChain News,eChain Value Sidebar,eChainRF-Asset Mgt,Global Business Manager Tags : 

At eChain Technology, we provide best in class application and data security, reliability and performance by implementing our 3-tier approach to ensure our systems and client data are as secure as possible. 

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GBM Standard Functionality

Category:Global Business Manager Tags : 

We have added an image of the dashboard with overlay to name the main sections of the page. This sections are same through for each and every page. Only the main content area will be different for pages and will be displaying the view files from your theme folder.

Dashboard

Dashboard

New listing pages comes with new page menu position, select row column and Image column (where applicable). We have added the listing page and overlay page to explain the new sections. You can see the new menu position in top left of main content area. Building icon is to list the location and the tasks icon for other page menus, will work with select row.

Main menus (left side) has been updated to track the active page and breadcrumb has been added on top of the main content area.

Users

Users are the staff members (your employees). You can add any number of users and assign them group (manager groups and permissions in settings), biller and location.

Owner and Admin user groups are with fixed permissions and any other user group added by you, can have custom permissions.

Please check the edit user page for some user related permission such as view/edit rights and discounts.

If you don’t assign any biller and/or location, the user will be able to add sales for all of them as admins.

The users added in customer/supplier modules will be saved in this table too but you need to edit/manage them from their modules.

Timeout feature has been enabled. The user will be timed out after 3 unsuccessful login attempts for 10 minutes.

Billers

Billers are the selling companies (you or your companies/organizations), you can sell/quote/invoice your customers with any Biller, means you can have multiple companies/organizations and can assign any of these to your staff so that all of their sale will be under assigned billing company.

Only users with owner group rights can add Billers. Logo, Company, Name (Contact Person), Email, Phone, Address and City input fields are required.

This module is simple to use and manage the Biller. The interface is quite easy to understand. The logos can be uploaded by visiting the change logo under settings and once uploaded you need to edit the Biller to set the new logo.

Customers

Customers are the clients of your companies/organizations. They purchase the items that you/your companies/organizations sell. This module has been updated and now you can add customer groups in settings i.e, Normal Customer, Regular Customer, Resellers, Distributors etc and assign percentage decrement/increment to the price depending on their group.

Company, Name (Contact Person), Email, Phone, Address and City input fields are required. You can add extra information about the customer as there are 6 custom fields and the select box in front of each custom field is to display this information on invoices/quotations.

If the customer is not company, you can skip the company file with dash symbol (-) so that system will consider it as person.

The inputs for customer in other modules are no more select/drop down but ajax calls, you can type in search filed to get the suggestions and select any suggestion available in database for customers. You can add customer by clicking the Add Customer menu under People from any page. The interface is quite easy to understand.

Customer Groups: The percentage in the customer groups are the addition/subtraction in the product price for that group. If you have set 10 percentage for customer group, then each customer of the group will have (10%) higher price automatically calculated on sales. If you set it to -10 percent, then the products price will be (10%) lower than normal price.

Price Groups: The price group can be assigned to customer and then all the sales will use that price group for the customer. This feature will help you set the different prices for customers. Please be informed that the customer group percentage will be applied to the prices from price group too. Means that whatever customer price is the customer group percentage will be applied at the end.

Suppliers

Suppliers are the vendors/supplying companies, the companies you buy your stock/items from.

Company, Name (Contact Person), Email, Phone, Address and City input fields are required. You can add extra information about the customer as there are 6 custom fields and the select box in front of each custom field is to display this information on purchases.

If the supplier is not company, you can skip the company file with dash symbol (-) so that system will consider it as person.

The inputs for supplier in other modules (purchases and products) are no more select/drop down but ajax calls, you can type in search filed to get the suggestions and select any suggestion available in database for supplier. You can add supplier by clicking the Add Supplier menu under People from any page. The interface is almost same as Billers and customers, easy to use.

Products

Products are the items that you sell to your customer. This module has been updated and has many new options/features. There are new menus for each product on List Products page. The icon menus have been replaced with the drop down menus.

  1. Product Details: A new page has been added to display the products details.
  2. Duplicate Product: To duplicate the product, all the field on add product will be updated with selected product details. You will need to change the code and name.
  3. Edit Product: To edit product details.
  4. Set Rack: To set/change product rack (only available if location selected).
  5. View Image: View the main product images, this is already shown in the image column.
  6. Print Barcode/Label: To print the product barcodes/label, this will bring you to the print barcode/label page with the item.
  7. Delete Product: To delete the product.

There are 4 types to choose for the product:

  1. Standard: These are the standard product like phone, ram, speakers etc.
  2. Combo: These are products that consist of more than 1 product in your stock like computer with Casing, RAM and Speakers as combo items.
  3. Digital: These are the digital products that can be downloaded only like software, movies, pdf tutorials etc.
  4. Service: This are service as checking/repairing fee for the computer

Now you can assign the barcode symbology, product tax, tax method and supplier (up to 5 with their price) to each product. You can select the main product images and multiple product gallery images. You even can add the current stock for each location.

The product details will be displayed on view product page and the product details for invoice will be displayed on the invoice under this items.

Product variants: This module have new option for product variants. You can add any number product variants/attributes and these will be tracked automatically on purchase/sale. There print barcode/label page for each product will show the new barcode image if there are variants available for the product. This will help you to manage the products well specially for those who need to track the products attribute i.e, sizes and color etc.

If your product has nested variants, then you can add the as Red Size 5, Yellow size 6 etc. You need to add these only once for each product.

Print Barcodes and Labels: This page has been added so that you can select any products to print barcode/label as desired. You can choose any page styles and print with any desktop printer.

Quantity Adjustments: This feature will help you to manage the damage and other issues with your stock.

Stock Counts: The stock count is the physical verification of the quantities and condition of items held in an inventory or location. Stock count may be performed as an intensive annual end of year procedure or may be done continuously by means of a cycle count. An annual end of year stock count is typically done for use in a company’s financial statements.

Once count has been completed, you can add adjustment to update your current stock.

Product Units: You can add product measuring units in system settings and then select the base unit while adding/editing the products. This feature will help you to manage the quantity well, while purchasing and selling in different units. For example, you purchase coke as a box of 12 bottles and you sell them as bottle. You can add base unit of box/bottle and then add other with conversion. Add the products and select new base unit. You even can select the default purchase and sale units on add/edit product page.

Import product and update price with csv file: The instructions are available on the pages. The option to add (product and variants) quantity to the location is available on add product page but we recommend you to not use this. Instead you can add all products and their variants with 0 quantity then add purchase to update the stock for (products and their variants) to the location.

Sales

Sales (Invoices) to manage the sales and payments received. Add sale will automatically decrease the product quantity from the selected location. If your product has variants that will be synchronized too. List sales page have these drop down menus in the actions column for each sale.

  1. Sale Details: To view the sale details.
  2. View Payments: To view the payments for the sale.
  3. Add Payment: To record the payment for the sale. If you have enabled the paypal and skrill button in settings, the payment will automatically have recorded upon successful payment by customer.
  4. Add Delivery: To add the delivery of the sale items.
  5. Edit Sale: To edit the sale. 6. Download as PDF: To download the sale as pdf.
  6. Email Sale: To email the sale to the customer.
  7. Return Sale: To record return sale.
  8. Delete Sale: To delete the sale.

Add Sale page has been redesigned to and are similar to add purchase. There is only single input field to add the products to order list. You can type the product name or code to get the suggestion and the select the suggestion or just scan the barcode with your barcode scanner to add product to the order list. If there is only 1 suggestion for your typed characters, then it will automatically have added to the order list. If you have scanned the barcode with option, the order item option will automatically set to the scanned barcode option.

Add product to order list and the totals will be automatically stick top and bottom once the order list reached the number that you have in settings for Product counts to fix for barcode input.

Payment terms are the number of days before this sale marked as due. This value should be an integer 14 for 14 days’ payment term and 30 for 1 month etc.

There are 2 sale status:

  1. Pending: The sale is added but the items has not been handed-over/delivered to the customer.
  2. Completed: The sale us added and the products has been sent/handed-over/proceed for delivery.

You can have partial payments for sales. There are 4 payment status

  1. Pending: The payment has not yet received.
  2. Due: The payment term had been reached but the payment has not yet received.
  3. Partial: Customer has made the partial payment and there is balance that still need to pay by customer.
  4. Paid: The payment for the sale has been completely paid.

There are 2 icon links at the end of add product to order list input.

  1. Plus icon: To add the product to the order list manually, this won’t be added to the database but only to the sale.
  2. Card icon: To add the Warranty/Gift card to database and sell by adding to the order list.

To edit or delete any payment, please click the view payments link in actions on sales list or in page menu on sale view page.

If any of the product in order list is red that means the product or selected variant is out of stock or location quantity is lesser then ordered quantity (you can change the product variant or reduce the quantity). If over-selling is disabled, it will produce error on submit.

Why sale price is higher than the price on list product page?

Please check the customer groups for that customer. The customer groups allow you to set the percentage (%) addition/deduction to the product price for that group of customers.

Quotations

Quotations modules is almost same as in v2.3. The only change is add quotation page redesign that is similar to the add sale page with the following status

  1. Pending: The quotation has been generated but not yet sent to customer.
  2. Sent: The quotation had been generated and sent to the customer. Emailing the quotation will automatically change the status to sent.
  3. Completed: The sale had been generated for this quotation. Add invoice link on the quotation menu will automatically change the status to complete once the sale generated.

Purchases

Purchases (Inventories) to update the stock of your products. Adding purchase will automatically increase the product quantity in the selected location. List purchases page have these drop down menus in the actions column.

  1. Purchase Details: To view the details of the purchase.
  2. View Payments: To view the payments made to the purchase.
  3. Add Payment: To add new payment record for the purchase.
  4. Edit Purchase: To edit the purchase.
  5. Download as PDF: To download the purchase as pdf.
  6. Email Purchase: To email this to supplier.
  7. Delete Purchase: To delete the purchase.

Add Purchase page has been redesigned. There is only single input field to add the products to order list. You can type the product name or code to get the suggestion and the select the suggestion or just scan the barcode with your barcode scanner to add product to the order list. If there is only 1 suggestion for your typed characters, then it will automatically have added to the order list.

Add product to order list and the totals will be automatically stick top and bottom once the order list reached the number that you have in settings for Product counts to fix for barcode input.

Please select more options to add the order tax, discount and shipping. You even can add purchase by csv files by visiting the Add Purchase by CSV in main menus under Purchases.

You even can add standard product to your database by clicking the + icon at the end of add product to order list input.

Transfers

If you have multiple locations/stores, you might need to transfer/move item from one to another. This module will help to manage these tasks. You can add transfer to record the transfer details.

There are 3 transfer status:

  1. Pending: The transfer is added but the products are not yet sent so no inventory action will be performed.
  2. Sent: The transfer is added and products has been sent but not yet reached the destination so the items have been checked from the sending location but not yet add/updated to the destination location.
  3. Completed: The transfer is added and products has been sent by from location and received in to location so the item will be subtracted from sending rehouse and added/updated in the destination location.

Settings

Please setup cron job as mention on the page. The cron job can be run from the local installation by the settings page but send the email depends on your local setup.

Please add your default currency and save your settings first. You need to set default currency and accounting method before using this system.

The default currency is very important to set before any sale as this this would destroy the costing if you set if after sales.

Let me explain the system settings page. In main content area, there are Skill and Paypal settings links in the end of the box heading System Settings (page menu).

1. Site Configuration

  • Site Name: Input for the site name (whatever you want to call this system).
  • Language: Option to select system default language.
  • Default Currency: Option to select system default currency (THIS SHOULD BE SAVED BEFORE ADDING ANY DATA).
  • Accounting Method: There are 3 methods available
    • FIFO (First In First Out): FIFO inventory costing method will not work with over selling.
    • LIFO (Last In First Out): LIFO inventory costing method will not work with over selling too.
    • AVCO (Average Cost Method): AVCO is the only method that you can use with over selling enabled.
  • Default Email: Input for system default email, all email will be sent from this email address.
  • Default Customer Group: Option to select default customer group (useful for adding customer).
  • Default Price Group: Option to select default price group (useful for adding customer).
  • Maintenance Mode: Option to enable or disable offline mode.
  • Theme: Option to select theme.
  • RTL Support: Option to enable right to left languages.
  • Login Captcha: Option to enable login captcha.
  • Number of days to disable editing: You can set the number of days to disable the edit sales
  • Rows per page: Option to show the no of record in table on each listing page.
  • Date Format: Option to select date format.
  • Timezone: Option to choose your timezone. This is AC input just type your continent/city and choose it from suggestion.
  • Calendar: Option to choose calendar privacy, Shared or Private.
  • Default location: Option to select the default location, this will be auto selected for owner on add sale/purchase/quotation/transfer page.
  • Default Biller: Option to select the default biller, this will be auto selected on add sale/quotation page.

2. Products

  • Product Tax: Option to enable/disable product level tax.
  • Racks: Option to enable/disable product rack feature.
  • Product Variants: Option to enable/disable product variants (attributes) feature.
  • Product Expiry: Option to enable/disable product expiry date feature.
  • Remove expired products from stock: Should system automatically remove the expired products from stock with cron job?
  • Image Size: Option to set image sizes that can be uploaded
  • Thumbnail Size: Option to set thumbnail size (50-80).
  • Watermark: Option to enable/disable watermark on product images, water mark text will be your site name.
  • Display location products: Should system display products with 0 quantity in location?
  • Barcode separator: Please select any option for separating the products code with variant id (useful for auto select the variant on sale with barcodes).
  • Barcode Renderer: Render barcode as images or as svg.
  • Update cost with purchase: Should system update product cost with new cost while adding purchase.

3. Sales

  • Over Selling: Option to enable over selling, this option only can work with AVCO accounting method, enabling this will automatically change the account method to AVCO (if it was FIFO or LIFO).
  • Reference Format: Option to select the reference format.
  • Order Tax: Option to enable/disable order level tax.
  • Product Level Discount: Option to enable/disable product level discount.
  • Product Serial: Option to enable product serial input on sale.
  • Auto Detect Barcode: Option to enable/disable auto detection for barcode.
  • Product count to fix barcode input: No of the row on add sale/quotation/purchase/transfer page to fix the product input and totals to top and bottom.
  • Cart Item Addition Method: Option to select the method to add items to order list, you must select Add New Item to Cart if your products have variants.
  • Default Order Page Focus: After adding the product to order list, should the focus set on the add item input or the quantity input fir newly added product?
  • Invoice View: You can switch the invoice layout to Standard or Tax Invoice.

4. Prefix

  • Sales Reference Prefix: Option to set sale reference prefix.
  • Return Reference Prefix: Option to set return sale reference prefix.
  • Payment Reference Prefix: Option to set sales payment reference prefix.
  • Purchase Payment Reference Prefix: Option to set purchase payment reference prefix.
  • Delivery Reference Prefix: Option to set delivery reference prefix.
  • Quotation Reference Prefix: Option to quotation sale reference prefix.
  • Purchase Reference Prefix: Option to set purchase reference prefix.
  • Return Purchase Reference Prefix: Option to set return purchase reference prefix.
  • Transfer Reference Prefix: Option to set transfer reference prefix.
  • Expense Reference Prefix: Option to set expense reference prefix.
  • Quantity Adjustment Reference Prefix: Option to set quantity adjustment reference prefix.

5. Money and Number Format

  • Decimals: Option to set number of decimals for amounts.
  • Quantity Decimals: Option to set number of decimals for quantity.
  • South Asian Countries Currency Format: If you are from India, Nepal or Pakistan etc?
  • Decimals Separator: Option to set decimals separator.
  • Thousand Separator: Option to set the thousands separator.
  • Display Currency Symbol: If you want to display currency symbol before amounts
  • Currency Symbol: Set your currency symbol as $ or local symbol

6. Email

  • Email Protocol: Option to select email sending protocol.
  • PHP Mail Function: Send email using default php mail function.
  • Send Mail: Send email using sendmail and the default mailpath is /usr/sbin/sendmail
  • SMTP: Requires extra information and the default time out is 5 seconds.
  • SMTP Host: SMTP Server Address
  • SMTP User: SMTP Username
  • SMTP Password: SMTP Password
  • SMTP Port: SMTP Port

7. Award Points

  • Customer Award Points: Each X spent is equal to X award points
  • Staff Award Points: Each X in sales is equal to X award points

You can manage currencies, categories, sub-categories, taxes, locations, customer groups, email templates, user groups and permissions. In the admin area all the prices are in default currency and this multiple currency feature is just for front end that will be added later.

Reports

The following reports are available

  1. Overview Chart: Main reports page with links to all other reports and the overview chart.
  2. Location Stock Chart: Location stock report, you can choose the location in page menus.
  3. Best Sellers: Overview of bestselling products.
  4. Product Quantity Alerts: The list of products that are reached the alert quantity and need to be purchased.
  5. Register Report: All record of register/counters for POS module.
  6. Product Quantity Alerts: The items that have reached the low stock (alert quantity).
  7. Product Expiry Alerts: The list of products that are about to expire in less than 90 days.
  8. Product Reports: For customized product report, you can click the icon at page menu for customize the report.
  9. Adjustment Report: Quantity adjustments report can be customized as others.
  10. Categories Report: Overview of the categories’ sales.
  11. Brands Report: Overview of the brands’ sales.
  12. Daily Sales: Calendar with daily sales.
  13. Monthly Sales: Calendar with monthly sales.
  14. Sales Report: For customized sales report, you can click the icon at the page menu for customize the report.
  15. Payment Report: For payment report, you can click the icon at the page menu for customize the report.
  16. Profit and/or Loss: Profit and/or Loss report for the selected time frame (date range).
  17. Daily Purchases: Calendar with daily purchases.
  18. Monthly Purchases: Calendar with monthly purchases.
  19. Purchase Report: For customized purchase report, you can click the icon at the page menu for customize the report.
  20. Expenses Report: Expense list and can be customized as other reports.
  21. Customer Report: For customer report, you can click the icon at the page menu for customize the report.
  22. Supplier Report: For supplier report, you can click the icon at the page menu for customize the report.
  23. Staff Report: For staff report, you can click the icon at the page menu for customize the report.

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Hardware & RFID Tech

Category:Global Business Manager Tags : 

Hardware that has been tested and certified to work with Global Business Mangement.  Other hardware may work also.  Feel free to try your receipt and label printer.

1. Receipt Printers:

We have tested the update RC3 with Bixolon SRP-350II (USB) with Web Browser Printing and Java Applet by adding qz print plugin that will support these printers

  • Samsung Bixolon SRP350plus, Bixolon SRP-350II and Bixolon SRP-270.
  • Telly Dascom 1125 (USB)
  • Epson Thermal Printer (COM)
  • Eltron P310i
  • Zebra GK420, Zebra P310, Zebra LP 2844 and Zebra TLP2844
  • Citizen CT-S2000 (USB)
  • DOS/LPT1 Printing
  • Print directly to file: i.e. \serverprinter
  • Nippon Primex
  • Essae PR-85j
  • Bematech MP200

Bixolon printers will work fine however you might need to change some commands for other printers. Please be informed that we can’t provide support regarding any issues with plug-in. You will need to manage it by yourself.

2. Barcode Scanners/Readers:

Any of the barcode scanners/readers will work fine as long as it can read accurately.  As this solution uses 2D and QR Codes, look for barcode scanners that support 2D and QR Codes.  However, for standard product barcode scanning, a traditional 1D (standard barcode) reader will be sufficient.

3. Magnetic Card Readers:

Most of the Magnetic Card Readers will work fine. We have tested this with Uniform MSR213 Magnetic Stripe Card Reader (USB – 3 Track Reader).

For tablet/mobile card readers: No such feature and recommendation yet.

4. Cash Drawers:

You should buy the cash drawers that can be connected to POS printer. To use cash drawers, your printer should have the port to connect cash drawer as Bixolon SRP350II.

For Browser Print, you might need to set your printer to open cash drawer before printing.

For Java QZ Print, it will be fine as cash drawer will be opened with printing and can be opened without printing.

5. For barcode and label printing:

Our solution formats and prints barcodes and labels in sheet format (for desktop inkjet/laser printing). Any desktop laser printer will work.  You can also configure labels to print in continuous feed for use in most direct thermal or thermal transfer label printers.


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System Integration provides the largest return for the investment

Category:eChain News,RF ROI Tags : 

Even the best companies are challenged by systems and processes that don’t work together.  eChain Technology has focused on connecting businesses, systems and processes for over 15 years.  

Who hasn’t been to the doctor and find you are required to fill out 7 forms – and 90% of the information is the same on each form?  You have to enter the same information again and again.  Come back a year later and fill out the same forms again!  Insanity, right?

Frustration

Now imagine this is the frustration that you sales person has when entering lead information from lead system into the CRM system.  Or your accountant’s frustration at having to enter that information again into the accounting system once the sale is closed.  Then the manufacturing manager enters the sale information into the manufacturing execution system from a printed form (or email).  Then the shipping manager enters the shipping information into the FedEx terminal from another printed form.  You hope the shipment is delivered on time and without problem, because you don’t check again until the customer calls to complain.

Collaborative Planning (CPFR)

Would you like to know the stock levels available from your suppliers in real time?  What about their capacity to deliver critical products you suddenly need for that huge order?  How about amount of stock available in each distribution center in your sales channel – even though some of those DC’s are not owned by you and run on completely different systems. How about mobile alerts to your key team members when something goes wrong (or right?).  Would you like to know what items in your warehouse are expired (or expiring) in enough time to sell them at a discount?

These are just some of the problems that System Integration solves for many companies.

System Integration is the highest impact business investment

This is worth saying again.  System Integration provides the largest return for the investment.  In 20 years of consulting, I have had the pleasure of working with many companies on even many more challenges.  In most cases, companies already own the applications and solutions they need to solve their problems – no need to invest millions in new systems.  They just need to make the systems they already own work better.  In some cases, this simply requires enabling currently unused features.  However, in many cases, connecting existing systems to better support workflow solves the problems.

The amazing thing is, I have seen small companies hire 2-3 extra resources to perform the manual data entry and manual reporting/oversight that could have been fixed with less than $5,000 in integration work.  Large companies engage the entire accounting department for a month to accumulate financials across all locations and divisions when these numbers should be available the next day.  Companies lose 5-10% sales because they sell items they aren’t sure they actually have in stock.

These business challenges can be solved easily, quickly and with minimal risk with low cost. System Integration initiatives save companies millions, reduce employee frustration and redundancy, and better service their customers. Whether large or small, companies can achieve huge benefits from integration.

System Integration Examples

At eChain, we are experienced integrating many kinds of systems using many technologies.  Maybe these examples can help you understand what is possible.

  • Sales Leads to mobile contact lists.
  • Sales CRM integration to Google Tasks using Google API – Tasks and Lead Follow-ups become tasks on mobile devices
  • Sales Email Marketing to CRM – provides real-time sync of live leads (or blacklist contacts)
  • Sales Quote to Parcel or Freight Cost (Shipping API’s) to provide total order cost
  • Shipping rated against multiple carriers for every order to achieve lowest possible freight charges
  • Shipping status updates to a central order management system (from EDI or API)
  • RFID messages updated to inventory management system for real-time inventory updates
  • RFID messages translated to EDI
  • RFID messages into email or text alerts
  • Inventory sync across multiple DC’s
  • Asset inventory update using mobile device
  • Reporting Operational Metrics
  • Reporting Financial Metrics
  • Reporting Predictive Analytics

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Connect Things to the Internet of Things

Category:eChain News,eChainRF-Asset Mgt,RF Hardware & Tags,RF ROI Tags : 

It is hard to deny that the Internet of Things (IoT) has reached a critical mass of sorts and is now feeding and growing on its own momentum. Every day there is news from all over the world of companies adopting and utilizing IoT technologies in very interesting ways that improve their business, reduce problems and risks, and provide automatic accountability in a world of global availability. And IoT is finding its way into the consumer market as well, providing home safety and automation, secure access and accountability for school children, and the capability to locate indispensable items like bikes and car keys.

Every technology used in IoT is different. Primary technologies in IoT include RFID, Bluetooth and Wifi. These technologies have extremely different capabilities, strengths and weakness that ensure the best technology is available for specific scenarios. For example, do you want to track many things (clothing in a department store) or a few things (car keys)? Do you need extremely short range (contact-based access control, contactless secure payment system with read distance of a few millimeters). Medium-range (retail checkout scan of a few inches), or long-range (employee/patient tracking, long-range stock tracking at 30-50ft). Or do you need extremely long range sensors that indicate a mechanical failure or issue (lead level in water supply, miner experiencing oxygen issues in a mine shaft) at a distance of a quarter mile or more?

RFID Tag Serial Output

RFID Tag Serial Output

Each technology communicates using different comm protocols, timings, ranges, security levels, etc., and each technology requires a unique system to interpret and process the data to ensure relevant information is immediately communicated, while non-relevant information (redundant status updates) are filtered out.

00:16:25:11:22:C3 4 0C210501607131472202319F 1434760116623735 61

Unlike EDI or XML, each IoT technology communicates differently with no existing standard. Here is a great article by Sanjay Sarma of MIT Technology Review titled The Internet of Things: Roadmap to a Connected World.  Data from IoT sensors typically includes a sensor/tag identifier (in Hexadecimal) and sometimes a sensor data element (on/off or sensor reading like 121 degrees). Some IoT items communicate directly with the internet (onboard Wifi or Bluetooth). Others need a device to read the signal from the sensor/tag (Reader) and relay the signal to the internet (or server application). The Reader will add additional metadata to the tag/sensor data (reader identifier, timestamp, signal strength, etc.), translate the tag signal and transmit the enhanced signal data to a local application or to the internet.

The resulting data string might look something like this: “00:16:25:11:22:C3 4 0C210501607131472202319F 1434760116623735 61”

Professor Plumb in the Library with the Candlestick Holder

Professor Plum

Professor Plum

In the end, all you really want from your IoT device is the WHAT (Professor Plumb), the WHERE (Library), the WHEN (9:36PM) and possibly a sensor reading (Alive/Dead?). You expect your IoT application to monitor other tracked items in the vicinity (Candlestick Holder) and the relationship of items that would make the game of Clue extremely short if played using IoT technology. Of course, we would also know that Mrs. Peacock “expired” at 9:36PM in the Library… This status would trigger an alert to the designated authorities with the relevant information.

Big Picture

Sensors and machine-to-machine interaction is just the beginning of the IoT revolution. The real value lies in integrating these disparate data feeds into your day-to-day operations. Ask yourself – do I want to maintain a bunch of new applications and interfaces?

eChain Technology Advanced Solutions that Automate Global Commerce

eChain Technology Advanced Solutions that Automate Global Commerce

Do I want to deploy and maintain internet and “Edge” servers to reduce thousands of data records continuously generated (per minute) to extract the one relevant record (item x has stopped)? Do I want to spend the next 2 years experimenting with IoT and RFID technology to find out what works for me and my specific business scenario? How do I leapfrog existing legacy systems to take advantage of emerging IoT technologies and other related technology?

Ask yourself, would it be valuable for me to have multiple systems working together to provide a single view of the entire history of an item – including assembly steps and components, warehouse locations and movements, shipping updates from multiple carriers, quality inspections, service records, and record of employees who touched the item? In the case of catastrophic item failure (airliner crash, food poisoning) knowing where each component has ever been will be extremely important.

About eChain Technology

eChain Technology was founded in 2001 to design, develop and deliver innovative supply-chain solutions and enterprise project execution that improves efficiency and maximizes operational performance. We have a 100% success rate delivering more than $150 million in net income and value to Fortune-500, multi-national companies and government agencies. eChain Technology specializes in RFID, supply-chain and enterprise solutions that immediately address business cost areas and improve operational performance. We provide full service consulting, system integration and application development.


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Atlanta IoT Showcase May 4

Category:eChain News Tags : 

eChain Technology had a great showing in the first annual Atlanta IoT Showcase held at Tech Square Labs.  This turned out to be an incredible event that sold out three times!  Attending were representatives from some major companies and influencers like Coca-Cola, Intel, AT&T, Georgia Tech and more!  Attendees were able to see next-generation technology being developed by many of Atlanta’s leading technology startups.  For several participants, this was the first public demonstration of their solutions.

eChain at ATL IoT Showcase

eChain at ATL IoT Showcase

ATL IoT Showcase Crowd

ATL IoT Showcase Crowd

Special thanks to our Sponsors, participants and attendees who took time from their busy day to make this first Internet of Things Showcase such a success!  Stay tuned – we will be putting on another showcase in around 6 months.  Can’t wait to see how things evolve between now and then.

About the Showcase

ATL IoT Showcase

ATL IoT Showcase

If you are in Atlanta on May 4th, please make time to see our demo at the Atlanta Internet of Things Showcase.  Enjoy complimentary brews and snacks and spend a couple hours seeing and learning what’s happening in Atlanta with the Internet of Things. IoT speakers, demos from IoT companies and networking with members of the IoT community.  Sponsored by: AIG, Tech Square Labs, Invest Atlanta, ATDC. Wednesday, May 4 at 4:00pm.  Download Flyer

eChain Technology will be demonstrating our low-cost RFID technology capabilities … physical item movements trigger automatic updates to our cloud inventory management application providing unique item traceability and real-time visibility.  We will also have hands-on display of various RFID technologies used for different tracking scenarios.

Tickets (free)

ATL IoT Showcase Tickets, Wed, May 4, 2016 at 4:00 PM | Eventbritehttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/atl-iot-sowcase-tickets-24564669588?aff=es2

Lectures (interesting)

“What the Heck is IoT? 

Bill Eason and Russ Clark  (Research Scientists at Georgia Tech)

Whether you’re 15 or 75, your life is increasingly affected by “smart” devices that we use to understand and control what’s going on around us. Come learn about the “sensorification” of our world and the impact that the interconnection of these devices will have on every person, building, city, industry, and company.

The Emerging Risks and Benefits of IoT

Forrest Pace, AIG

Sensors will transform how businesses make data-driven decisions. What factors should companies consider when deploying sensors in the workplace? Can a worker be punished because of data collected from an IoT object? We’ll examine these questions and much more.

Showcase (edgy)

Pure Integration 

A product and systems integration company serving leading-edge clients in the communications, technology, and federal industries.

Demo: Wireless security penetration testing and the tools utilized in the 2.4 MHz range, a multi-radio concept, and voice control of multiple retail IOT products and integration to other platforms.

Polyglot Programming 

A boutique consultancy specializing in mobile and wearable solutions.

Demo: Smartphone controlled, low power, sensor based wearable solutions ranging from a Twitter controlled smart shirt to a custom heart rate sensor.

eChain Technology 

Advanced RFID solutions that automate inventory and asset management and provide real-time asset visibility worldwide.

Demo: Low-cost RFID technology capabilities. Physical item movements trigger automatic updates to our cloud inventory management application, providing unique item traceability and real-time visibility.

EngeniusMicro 

Delivering connected sensor solutions to industrial and automotive customers.

Demo: A special collaboration with Movinture to demonstrate a visualized transportation solution that includes inputs from discrete and connected sensors.

Movinture

IoT-enabled, cloud-based work ow business applications. Developed iMtrack – a cloud-based visualization & informatics application delivering insights into instrumented real time data for vehicles, equipment, assets, and resources

Cytilife 

A sensory network using xed and mobile sensors across college campuses to offer a suite of “every day” services that are hyper-personalized and hyper- localized using our advanced analytics platform.

Demo: GTlyfe Application that is being rolled out at Georgia Tech. Additionally, a broader prototype that simulates services based on data received from xed and mobile sensor