Tag: Barcodes

Find out more about Barcodes with the LilyPad for Fishbowl Blog!

Maximizing Your Fishbowl Investment with LilyPad and Janam

Fishbowl Inventory gives you the power to control your inventory.  LilyPad takes that inventory control to the next level by giving you mobile access to your Fishbowl data.  Coupled with leading-edge mobile technology from Janam, the power to control your inventory is now in the palm of your hand.

Integrating barcodes and barcode scanners can ramp up your Fishbowl effectiveness
Integrating barcodes and barcode scanners can ramp up your Fishbowl effectiveness

Rewriting the Rules

Initiating a new inventory management solution can be a daunting task.  Janam and Sharpe Concepts make it easier by teaming up to provide a complete solution.  Gone are the days when you need to search for multiple vendors to complete a single project.  Our collaborative efforts enable you to get the software and hardware you need to implement your solution as quickly and as easily as possible.

Janam Rugged Mobile Computers with LilyPad

LilyPad for Fishbowl enables small- and medium-sized inventory-based businesses to work smarter.  Providing the greatest flexibility and functionality to maximize and enhance your Fishbowl investment, LilyPad utilizes barcode scanning technology to perform a variety of inventory management activities.  Coupled with Janam’s industry-leading XG3 and XT2 rugged mobile computers, LilyPad provides a more accurate and efficient way to control your inventory.

Sharpe Concepts Adding Value

Sharpe Concepts has implementation options for every budget.  The simplest plans include Remote Assistance and Coaching options, where we build your system, deploy the software, and train your staff remotely on your schedule.  On the other end of the spectrum are full onsite engagements where we will be at your business to ensure the hardware and software meet and exceed expectations.  We can design a project that meets any budget and delivers real results.

Janam Mobile Devices

XT2 Highlights

  • Lightest and most rugged device in its class
  • Android OS
  • 5-inch touch screen with Gorilla Glass 3
  • Dual-band Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity
  • Integrated 1D/2D barcode scanning; Optional trigger handle for scan-intensive environments

XG3 Highlights

  • Lightest Industrial-grade mobile computer in its class
  • Android OS
  • Largest standard battery capacity in the industry
  • UL-certified for hazardous environments
  • Optional extended-range barcode scanning, from 5 inches to 50 feet 

    LilyPad for Fishbowl – Premier Fishbowl Consultant and Marketplace Solution

    If you’ve had trouble in the past with Fishbowl Go, or if you’re looking for a better alternative software to integrate your Fishbowl inventory services, your search is finally over. LilyPad for Fishbowl offers a wide variety of up-to-date, easy-to-use software add-ons to help make your Fishbowl experience the best possible. LilyPad also offers on-site trainings, consultations, and other premier Fishbowl services.

    Get Started Today with LilyPad for Fishbowl!

 

Transferring Like a Pro in Fishbowl Inventory

transfer inventory at any scale with confidence
transfer inventory at any scale with confidence

When it comes to transferring your inventory in Fishbowl, you have multiple options, each with their own benefits.  Let’s explore!

Transfer Orders in Fishbowl Inventory

In the Transfer Order module, you have the option to choose what type of Transfer Order you want to create.  By default, your Transfer Orders will come up as “Ship”, but you can use the drop-down list to choose one of the other two types when you are first creating your order.  Here is a description of each of the types of Transfer Orders, and how they are most commonly used:

  1. Ship-type Transfer Orders.  A Ship-type Transfer Order will allow you to ship inventory from one Location or Location Group to another Location or Location Group.  Most commonly, these types of Transfer Orders are use to ship inventory from one of your warehouses to another.

When processing a Ship-type Transfer Order, you will go through the Picking, Shipping, and Receiving steps to pull your inventory from your shelves, ship it, and then receive it into the correct location at the destination.  This type of Transfer Order requires the most steps to complete, but it also provides you with the most documentation when all is said and done.

  1. Move-type Transfer Orders.  A Move-type Transfer Order is similar to the Ship-type, but instead of going through the shipping and receiving steps, you will complete the order in the Pick Module.

This type of Transfer Order is usually performed when you are moving inventory from one bin/shelf/area of your warehouse to another bin/shelf/area within the same warehouse.  Just be careful in the Picking Module, because once you finish the pick, the Transfer Order will be fulfilled…and there’s no turning back.

  1. Putaway-type Transfer Orders.  This is probably the least-used type of Transfer Order.  However, it can be one of the most useful, if used properly.  To complete a Putaway-type Transfer Order, you must have default locations set up for your parts.  Then, if your inventory has been received into a different location, you can use the Putaway Transfer Order to easily put your inventory into the default locations.

A Putaway Transfer Order works just like the Move-type Transfer Order, in that it does not have to go through the shipping and receiving steps to be completed.  Instead, the order will be completed as soon as you finish the Pick.

  1. Auto Putaway.  The Auto Putaway function allows you to move all inventory from a staging location into the default locations of each part.  That means that a default location must be assigned before this function will work.

To accomplish an Auto Putaway, you will choose a location where you have inventory stored, and then choose which Location Group you want to put your inventory into.  As you complete the Auto Putaway, each of the parts that were in the original location will be moved to their default locations.

  1. Auto Replenish.  This type of transfer is based on Reorder Levels.  If you have set up Reorder Levels for your parts, and you have done so for each of your Location Groups, you can create an Auto Replenish Transfer Order to move inventory from one of your Location Groups to replenish the inventory of a second Location Group.

This is especially helpful if you have a distribution warehouse that stocks storefronts or other locations.  You can keep your inventory located in the central distribution warehouse, and then create a simple Auto Replenish Transfer Order to restock the outlying locations.

Mobile Barcode Scanning in LilyPad Mobile Warehouse

Transferring with Mobile Scanners
Transferring with Mobile Scanners

If you are looking for a barcoding solution to help control your inventory, check out LilyPad Mobile Warehouse.

LilyPad is a Fishbowl add-on that allows you to scan do simple moves of your inventory by scanning the Part Number, the original Location of the inventory, and then the destination Location.  You can easily move the needed inventory into a new location with a few quick scans.  This can all be done on your phone, tablet, or all-in-one scanners.

If you like the traceability of Transfer Orders in Fishbowl, you can use LilyPad Mobile Warehouse to create Transfer Orders, which will then be entered automatically into Fishbowl.  This, too, is accomplished with a few easy barcode scans, which helps you streamline your transferring process, and move on to other important activities.

LilyPad for Fishbowl – Premier Fishbowl Consultant and Marketplace Solution

If you’ve had trouble in the past with Fishbowl Go, or if you’re looking for a better alternative software to integrate your Fishbowl inventory services, your search is finally over. LilyPad for Fishbowl offers a wide variety of up-to-date, easy-to-use software add-ons to help make your Fishbowl experience the best possible. LilyPad also offers on-site trainings, consultations, and other premier Fishbowl services.

Get Started Today with LilyPad for Fishbowl!

 

Scan 2D Barcodes with the New LilyPad Add-on to Fishbowl

With the help of LilyPad Applications’ new Mobile Warehouse product, Fishbowl customers can now scan 2D barcodes rather than just 1D barcodes. This is a big deal because it lets you do much more with your barcode scanners in a shorter amount of time. You can scan a single barcode and populate dozens of fields in Fishbowl at the same time.

To understand how this works, let’s first talk about the difference between 1D and 2D barcodes.
barcode-xt2

1D vs. 2D Barcodes

Fishbowl has traditionally allowed companies to scan UPCs and other linear or 1D barcodes to:

  • Access detailed part information
  • Cycle count inventory
  • Update inventory quantities
  • Reorder products
  • And more

Each 1D barcode is connected to a specific file in Fishbowl’s database, and scanning it allows you to gain access to the data in that file. UPCs and other similar barcodes are generally rectangular in shape and made up of a number of white and black lines along with various numbers and/or letters on the top or bottom.

2D barcodes, on the other hand, are often smaller and contain all sorts of nonlinear designs, such as pixels, dots, and squares. Think of QR codes. Those are 2D barcodes, and they are scanned not just horizontally but vertically, as well. Thus, they can contain geometrically more information than standard 1D barcodes.

1D barcodes can be scanned with a laser scanner while 2D barcodes can only be read by using a device that takes a picture of them and treats them as an image, not just a string of code. Luckily, most smartphones and tablets work well in this capacity.

receive, move, pick, and go to save time and stay accurate
receive, move, pick, and go to save time and stay accurate

LilyPad Mobile Warehouse

Let’s return to LilyPad Mobile Warehouse. As noted earlier, this solution gives Fishbowl customers the ability to create, map, and scan 2D barcodes.

“Now, an electronics distributor can pull in 100 serial numbers off a case of product, or a food packager can pull part number, price, lot number, and expiration date, all from a single scan,” said Sal Cucinella, CEO of LilyPad Applications.

This is particularly useful for companies in the following industries:

  • Electronics
  • Food
  • Medical
  • Pharmaceutical

LilyPad for Fishbowl – Premier Fishbowl Consultant and Marketplace Solution

If you’ve had trouble in the past with Fishbowl Go, or if you’re looking for a better alternative software to integrate your Fishbowl inventory services, your search is finally over. LilyPad for Fishbowl offers a wide variety of up-to-date, easy-to-use software add-ons to help make your Fishbowl experience the best possible. LilyPad also offers on-site trainings, consultations, and other premier Fishbowl services.

Get Started Today with LilyPad for Fishbowl!