Looking for advice on inventory management & theft/security

[cgray25]

Hi all,

I've recently opened a gift shop and am new to retail. I installed an EPOS system and generate my own barcoded labels for everything with the hope that all the stock could be tracked/accounted for.
However, the inventory management is just so time-consuming with my Epos software, at the moment for every delivery I need to:

1) copy&paste the delivery's details into a spreadsheet
2) Need to manually identify (eyeball) what is an existing stock item
3) Need to update those existing item quantities individually/manually via the EPOS's product search
4) I then have to print barcodes for any existing stock items from a master stocklist spreadsheet
5) Then need to add the new stock items to masterlist (as they will need new barcodes which run in sequence)
6) Then print those labels for new stock items
7) Then I need to copy the new items into the separate csv template and import that into the EPOS

In short, it's a nightmare! We had 3 deliveries last week (only maybe a dozen different items in each) and it took me the best part of a day just getting them into the system!

I'd also like to know if there's any way to ensure that staff aren't pocketing any cash by failing to put a transaction through the till (I'm guessing monitoring is the only way?).

 

[Mr D]

Before someone sold you that EPOS system what solution were they offering?

Or would a better system suit you with faster workflow?

May be somewhat confused, why are you needing to have new stock items having new barcodes run in sequence?

The 'transaction not through the till' idea has multiple variations and methods.
You take care that your monitoring isn't bypassed?

 

[cgray25]

Mr D - It's a subscription software based solution (Air-pos) that I run via tablet.
I'm having other issues with it, so I'm open to other solutions.

We stock many non-barcoded items from independent makers (as well as some items we produce ourselves), so I created unique numbers for the barcodes (I used a barcode format where each supplier had a number within the code and then the item number e.g. 00050001, where 5 is the supplier's code and 1 is the incremental item number). I suppose this overly complicates matters in terms of adding new items though, so I could abandon that, I'm not sure it'd speed things up that much though.

On a related note, I need to use separate barcode software, I was using a trial of a program called Bartender which was good but costs £300, having a system with the utility built in would be handy - or if anyone knows of alternatives, please let me know.

Regarding monitoring, are there any standard procedures? There are cameras as a deterrent but I'm not manning the shop myself. I'd hoped this EPOS system might keep track of override drawer opens but I don't think it does.