A: Yes and No. We added the ability to change the numbering, but if you like you can still keep exactly the same numbers and numbering system you had before.
Previously all NEW inventory began with "N-1-" or "N-2-", or "N-3-", etc., where the 1, or the 2, or the 3 was the store no. (usually 1).
All inventory that was a forfeited Pawn, buyback, or buy, began with a "P", or a "B" For example "P-1-" or P-2-" or "B-3-" etc., where again, the 1,2,3 was the store no.
If you like things this way you can still keep it this way. But many people think that the numbers are too long, with too many dashes, and it is awkward to type the long numbers in when selling items, checking stock or prices, etc.
So we added the ability to format your own numbers. Go to OFFICE-->CONFIGURATION-->MASTER CONFIGURATION, and click on the SHOP tab. You will see this screen:
In the field called "YOUR SKU PREFIX" you can enter formatting commands that will change how your inventory SKU numbers look.The first thing to know is - whatever you type in there will appear as part of your SKU numbers. So if you type in the word "AARDVAARK" , then this word will be the first word on all your SKU numbers from now on.
The next thing to know is, certain special symbols will be replaced with meaningful information on your label. These symbols are . . .
/STO or [STORENO] will be replaced by your STORE No. (1, or 2, or 3, etc.)
/YRMO or [YEARMO] will be replaced by the current YEAR AND MONTH (example: 0912 for December 2009)
/@ will be replaced by either N or P or B depending on whether the item was NEW or a PAWN (including buybacks) or a BUY.
To keep exactly the same format you previously had, you would use: /@-/STO- (Notice the dashes. If you don't put the dashes in, they won't appear in your SKU numbers)
However you can be creative. For example if your shop is called "Joe's Pawn Shop" you might want the initials JPS as part of every SKU. So you might use JPS-/YRMO-/@-. This would generate SKU numbers something like JPS-0912-P-xxxxx, or JPS-0912-B-xxxxx, etc.
If you want the shortest possible SKU numbers you could just leave it completely blank. If you have multiple shops however this is a bad idea. You should at least use /STO- (the dash is optional, but useful).
Hopefully this new feature will prove helpful to you.
While on the subject, we should mention there have also been changes in how SKU numbers are generated during the FORFEITING (pulling) process. As you know, every pawn and buy is assigned a SKU number when it is pulled. Now, the first part of that number will obey all the rules discussed above. Example: when Joe's Pawn shop (see above) pulls Pawn No. 12345, first item, it will be given SKU no. JPS-0912-P-12345-1.
Another change that has been made to forfeited items concerns the SKU suffix (the last part of the number). As you know, this consists of a dash followed by the item no. But if an item was UN-pulled, the inventory item was not deleted. Instead, it was given the status U, (unpulled) and it remained in inventory for audit-trail purposes. This meant that if the item was RE-pulled, it could no longer have the original SKU number, because that was in use. (Duplicates are not allowed.) So the system would "randomize" the number by putting three random letters on the end. For example, Pawn no. 12345, item 1, -- if pulled twice -- might get the SKU no. P-1-12345-1-GFS, where "GFS" are the three random letters.
We have changed this a little so the number is randomized in a different way. Now, if pulling an item would produce a duplicate SKU number, Dazzle(tm) will simply put ONE letter on the end. That letter will always be the letter "A". If that item is un-pulled and re-pulled again, then the letter will be a "B". If it happens again, it will be a "C", and so on. For example, Pawn No. 12345, item 1, -- if pulled twice -- might receive SKU No. P-1-12345-1A. Next time it would be P-1-12345-1B, and so on. The idea of this is to try and make the numbers shorter and more convenient. Also, by just looking at the last letter (A or B or C, etc.,) you can now have a pretty good idea of how many times the item has been un-pulled or re-pulled.
This suffix part of the numbering method cannot be changed or configured by you.
Lastly, as a refresher, remember you can manually edit any SKU numbers you like in your inventory, as long as you don't try to create duplicates. Also remember that every item has an all-numeric "System no." or "key no." which is functionally identical to the SKU no. insofar as locating that item on the computer is concerned. This sometimes causes confusion on JEWELRY TAGS, which are very small. Often there is not room to print a long SKU number on the small tag, so Dazzle(tm) will print the key no. instead. This makes absolutely no difference to you. Just type the number in to the computer and it will find it. Incidentally, on a jewellery tag, the barcode is always a digital representation of the key no. no matter which number (key or SKU) is printed in plain English beneath it.
We sometimes get panicked phone calls saying "My jewelry labels are all printing the wrong SKU numbers." Well relax. It's the right label for the right item. That number you are seeing is the key no., that's all.
Derek Best.
