One tool which Ginesys has had from a long time is import / export utility which works with Excel and CSV files. Just create the required fields in an excel data sheet. Add the data and import. That’s it!
This can allow creation of millions of barcoded items along with stock information in seconds instead of days. There are various other uses for the tool as it works on practically all modules. It also makes data export from Ginesys a breeze.
So if you are wondering if Ginesys will be simple to use and integrate, stop wondering and start using.
Posts in category Tips
Ginesys plays well with Excel
Did you know that you may avail a refund on GS1 barcode fees?
The Government of India provides financial assistance to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE’s) to the extent of 75% reimbursement of:
(i) One time Registration Fees and
(ii) Annual Recurring Fees (For first four years) paid by them to GS1 India for use of barcodes.
The MSE’s which are either registered or have filed Entrepreneur’s Memorandum (EM) Part II with directorate of Industries/ District Industries centers and also registered with GS1 India for use of barcodes, are eligible for availing the financial assistance.
GS1 barcode standards provide a way to seamlessly share product information throughout your supply chain. It is becoming essential for manufacturers. Interoperability between trading partners, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers results in reduction of costs to businesses and consumers.
The details of the scheme are also available on the website of the Ministry www.dcmsme.gov.in
Custom-made software: handle with care
Many large companies think about customized enterprise software hoping to realize some special benefit. This is, in my opinion, the eighties style of buying software. There are naturally advantages to this approach if the problem that you are trying to solve has not been solved before.
But if there is even a partial solution available, we would suggest that you think about buying the license rather than embarking on custom development.
The reasons are below:
1. Difficult and time-consuming to develop: Requires scarce resources of talented developers and business analysts and your own company people should be able to provide the relevant inputs.These resources are generally not available aplenty leading to project failures or at best, project delays.
2. Difficult to champion: Who do you point to as a successful case study? As the software that you are buying is specific to you, you cannot cite prior success. Hence you could face resistance from other people in management.
3. Difficult to maintain: Needs change with time. You need vendors who keep updating themselves to keep up with the market, rather than a vendor who depends on your income to update your software.
4. Difficult to support: Once custom software is in place people need to be hired, trained and retained specifically to retain it
5. Overly expensive: Once you get in development and maintenance mode, your costs sky-rocket as the days tick by.
6. Vendor lock-in: You are now locked in to the vendor and technology and his/her capabilities.
Packaged products solve all the above issues. Most importantly you can get a sense of exactly what you are buying.
If you think an off-the-shelf product only solves half your problem choose one which integrates with another rather than trying to start from scratch.
Never lose an opportunity with the new custom order feature
Ginesys now offers the feature of creating a custom order at the Point of Sale (POS) or till. This allows you to satisfy and track orders of customers who walk in to the store and require something which is not in stock or not available off-the-shelf. This is naturally a hugely relevant feature for furniture makers, jewellery designers and shops, fashion designers.
A salesperson can also create a service order the same way as he would in the past for service requests. For this type of order a service bill is generated.
You can check pending orders and see orders by date. When the product gets ready and sold a cash memo is generated, items on the cash memo can be matched to the order and it can be seen when the order is completed.
You can also accommodate home delivery of the goods and thus make it unnecessary for the customer to come to the store to collect. Thus this enables possibilities for grocery and FMCG stores. An advance can be paid against the order (layaway system) and full amount can be paid when cash memo is generated or on delivery. In our naming system , this feature is called POS order and it is available in version 10.29.5. If you found this feature useful let us know on our Facebook page.
A few pitfalls of buying enterprise software
The easiest trap a software buyer (in our case retailers) can fall into is listening to pricey consultants, hardware vendors and sometimes even software salespersons. The first hardly know their right from their left and will go with the priciest solutions. The second category of vendors just recommend their partners. The third have a tendency to over-promise.
We wish we could do without the hassle of trying to sell our product. We want to make products that sell themselves, hence we work hard to build and support our software and actively ask our prospects to speak to customers (a list of customers is always on our site). So (i) don’t buy without calling up the referees and (ii) find out how the support works and if it right for your anticipated usage.
The second problem is looking for the perfect technology. There is no perfect solution rather there is an optimum solution for every budget. Every software has some rough edges. The important question is whether it is meeting your core needs without overwhelming you or your budget.
The best judge of a technology is you and your staff who are going to use and maintain the software.
So go ahead, ignore our sales talk and listen to our customers and your people.
