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Serial Inventory

Getting your inventory into EPASS can be one of the bigger jobs, especially if you have a lot of inventory. If so, then having us build a data conversion definitely helps! That's not always feasible though, because one key reason why many companies switch to EPASS is because their previous software didn't handle inventory very well, so it's time to start fresh. This section will cover several different ways of bringing your serial inventory into EPASS, depending on your situation.

If You're Using Wireless Inventory/Barcoding andYou are Converting Data​

In this situation, you should not have to worry about manually adding any models or serial numbers because those should all be brought into EPASS with the data conversion. That will definitely save you time, but you still have to label all of your inventory. You should also Import Supplier Price Lists so you have all the models you may potentially sell, and not just what was converted. Here are all of the steps:

  1. Run the data conversion. This is usually done by an EPASS representative a day or two before you go live.

  2. Print Labels for all inventory.

  3. Apply labels to all inventory. Take extra care to make sure you match up the model/serial number correctly or you will have inventory issues down the road. At the end of labelling, if you have any labels left over or if you have any product that did not get labelled, these are inventory issues from the previous system, and they need to manually fixed. You may want to do these manual adjustments on one purchase order so you have one place to look if you ever need to review the changes you made. If you did not have a label for something then just receive that piece in on the purchase order, then print a label for it. If you had an extra label then do a negative line on the PO to take it out of inventory.

  4. We do not suggest that you try to do a Physical Count at the same time you are doing the labelling. Usually the labelling process will keep you busy enough, and the labelling process itself is basically a physical count anyway. Once you have adjusted for all the missing/extra labels your inventory should be accurate. However, we do suggest that you do a Physical Count a few weeks after you've gone live, once everyone is getting comfortable with the system.

If You're Using Wireless Inventory/Barcoding and You're Not Converting Data​

This situation involves several steps, and typically requires you to touch all inventory twice. It is highly recommended that you have us create a data conversion for you, but if that is not possible or if you really want to start completely fresh then here are the steps:

  1. Import your Supplier Price Lists. Before you are able to receive anything, you must have all models in the system first. Importing supplier price lists will help you get the majority of them, but if you have an older inventory you may find yourself manually creating some models as you go.
  2. Create purchase orders for all of your inventory. We recommend you create several POs, one for each row or logical section of the warehouse/show floor, as that will help you manage things a little easier. The PO # can be anything you want, so use a number system that will allow you to recognize the area of the warehouse just by looking at the PO #. You can choose any supplier for the PO as this will not effect the Serial Inventory module. As you go through the row/section count every piece of inventory. I.E. you have 4 of MDB4600AWW, 2 of MDB5600AWB, 1 of MDB6600AWW, etc. and then order that quantity on the PO. If a model does not exist (because it was not imported) you will have to manually create it before you can put it on the PO.
  3. Print Labels for the POs that you created.
  4. Apply the labels to the product, then receive it using the scanner. It is best to do them one at a time (apply the label, then scan to receive) so that you don't miss anything.

If this will be your process for bringing your inventory into EPASS then we recommend you do it in teams of two. If you are able to take a laptop throughout the warehouse then you could create the PO while you count, instead of having to write it down first, then enter into EPASS. One person can do the counting while the other enters it into EPASS.

If You're Not Using Wireless Inventory/Barcoding and You're Converting Data​

In this situation, all of your inventory should have been brought over into EPASS. Depending on how accurate your inventory was in your previous system, there may not be much to do in EPASS. Here are a couple things we recommend though:

  1. Import your Supplier Price Lists. We recommend that you import all of your main product lines into EPASS so you don't have to worry about manually creating models as you go.

  2. Do a physical count. If you're sure your inventory was accurate in your previous system then you can skip this step, but if not then run the SN-16 Physical Checklist report and start counting.

If You're Not Using Wireless Inventory/Barcoding and You're Not Converting Data​

In this situation you'll unfortunately need a pencil and paper. Here are the steps involved:

  1. Import your Supplier Price Lists. We recommend that you import all of your main product lines into EPASS so you don't have to worry about manually creating models as you go. Any older models (that are not on the price list) will have to be manually created though.

  2. Do a physical count. This is where the pencil and paper come in, you'll need to count everything and write down the model/serial numbers. If you do have this listing in your previous software then try to get a listing from there.

  3. Receive all inventory in on a purchase order. You may want to create several POs, one for each logical section of the warehouse, to make it easier in case you make a mistake and need to go back to the PO.

Whichever method you are using to get your inventory into EPASS, it's going to take some work. Starting with a clean inventory is very important though, so take your time and make sure you start off on the right foot!