EPOS with Business 8

[mpwildeman]

Hi,

I've been using Business 8 for my online shop for a while now.
I'm now opening a retail outlet and require an EPOS solution. It makes perfect sense to me to go with Actinic if the two systems are compatible.

I want to be able to run my EPOS till with full stock control, but with a link into Business 8 so I can update my online store as to the current stock situation. Is that possible?

Also I note that EPOS should not be install on a PC with Access. Why? I have MS access (which I use) on my PC, the one I run Business on, and the one I want to put EPOS on. Can you advise.

Mat

[Krithika]

Hi Matthew

The EPOS to EC link is yet in the pipeline, no definite date on it though. The issue with MS Access is however now resolved and should not be a problem anymore.

[mpwildeman]

Thanks

i got the same info in Actinic 8 forum.

mat

[mpwildeman]

Given the previuos answer (no link yet) if I decide to buy EPOS from Actinic how can I get my already large product list into EPOS.

Please dont tell me I have to input the whole lot again manually? There must be a way of importing via a csv or something?

Cheers

Matt

[Krithika]

Morning Matthew

Please mail me your contact details and the best time to reach you and I can have someone handling EPOS support get back to you with more details. You can send the details to krcsupport[@]actinic.co.uk

[I-CC]

Given the previuos answer (no link yet) if I decide to buy EPOS from Actinic how can I get my already large product list into EPOS.

A conversion of your Actinic ecommerce database to EPOS Data.mdb is achievable, which then gives you product name, ref/bar code, price, which you can then expand upon.

[mpwildeman]

Thanks for that.

That will do for now - as long as I know if is basically achieveable the exact details arent required just yet.

Thanks

Matt

[kessock]

Hi,
Is there any news of a date for the Actinic Epos/Business program that was "in the pipeline".
Thanks.
Mark

[cdicken]

Yep - it's being built and tested at the moment. One of jobs this week is to write the help for it so I'll get to see it for the first time :)

So it will be available soon, but really you need to talk to Actinic Sales for more information about release arrangements.

[mpwildeman]

Hi,

what the current situation re EPOS and linking into Actinic Business V8.x?
Is it fully compatible?
What known issues are there?
Does the stock level monitoring now work within v8.x? ie. the issue where an online order can order more than you have in stock?

Anyone using the intregreated systems? Would love to hear your comments

Cheers

Matt

[Simon Bridges]

Hi Matthew, we have been using EPOS and Bus V8 for two months now and I have to say it really is very close to being a good setup for linking online and retail sales, but there are a couple of major flaws currently. I have been promised by Actinic that these will be resolved in the next release but they are worth pointing out.
Firstly, when having the 'Stock Monitored in EPOS' option globally enabled in BusV8, the website will accuratley adjust it's stock levels based on EPOS, as it should. The problem occurs when you want the 'Stock Monitered' option for individual products enabled, effectively preventing website ordering once a products' stock falls below a certain level. The two variations just work against each other. To sum up, if Manage stock in EPOS is enabled there is no automatic way of stopping orders from the website. Each morning I have to go into BusV8 click the Operations/Stock Levels and enable stock monitoring on any products that have fallen to 0. This stops orders on the web and produces an OUT OF STOCK message on the webpage. When a product comes back into stock I have to do the reverse.
With over 1500 products online and in the retail shop this is becoming a real pain in the **** It shouldn't be too much to ask BusV8 to suspend the ordering of products once the EPOS stock has reached 0 should it?
As I said Actinic are aware of the problem and it will be fixed with the next release I am told? It really will make the software a comprehensive package once this is solved.
Best regards
Simon

[mpwildeman]

Hi Simon,

thanks for the heads up.

Obvious Q then is when is this going to be fixed? I like yout have too many products and run quite low stock levels to mess about changing the stock monitoring every AM.

So any Actinic bods please can you tell me when this is going to be sorted. A patch to fix this is surely a must.

Matt

[Bruce]

The stock issue should be fixed with the next release. I do not have a date for this as yet, but will post back when there is one.

Kind regards,

[Simon Bridges]

Good news Bruce. James M tells me that new update is bieng tested right now. Can we expect this in time for the xmas rush with starts mid-november for us?
Thanks again
Simon

[mpwildeman]

Thanks,

that would be ideal.

Mat

[Bruce]

Simon & Mat,

I will get back to you on when it will be out.

Kind regards,

[Simon Bridges]

Hi Bruce,
Any further updates on the new release??

All the Best
Simon Bridges

[Bun]

Yep....got to the point were I'm looking to implement this option. Stock levels are finding their way from EPOS to Actinic Business.....but when 'stock monitoring' is enabled and stock falls below my minimum stock levels it would be the icing on the cake to make products unavailable automatically.....rather than having to do it manually

[Simon Bridges]

Dear Actinic Team/Bruce
I have received news that V8.5.2 is now in beta testing. Despite looking through 'changes' list I could'nt find a reference to the stock problems discussed in this thread. Can anyone at Actinic let me know if this problem is fixed in 8.5.2??
Thanks
Simon

[Bruce]

Simon,

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you on this one. I will check this with the EPOS team and post back.

Kind regards,

[Bruce]

Hi Simon,

After checking and rechecking on another machine using v8.5.1, if I have 'Stock Monitoring' checked on the product and have 'Stock Monitored in EPOS', then I dont have to uncheck the option once stock is updated in EPOS. This also enables the 'OUT OF STOCK' message on the very next upload and the message gets removed as soon as the stock in EPOS is above the warning level and the website is updated to reflect the new stock.

What happens if you leave the option checked on the 'Product'? Do you get any errors etc..

Kind regards,

[Simon Bridges]

Hi Bruce,
Erm.. not really sure how to say this but it seems for whatever reason that the ECOMMERCE and EPOS stock seems to be working OK now, but only to an extent;
Ecommerce Main products with components are registering as allocated in EPOS when orders from the web are downloaded, however once that order is marked as shipped/payment received(ie: completed) the product remains as allocated and the stock does not change in EPOS. Single Main products with no components work fine.
thanks
Simon

[Bruce]

Hi Simon,

I will check this one for you and get back.

Kind regards,

[Simon Bridges]

Thanks Bruce, I really need to get this sorted as it's screwing up our stock figures. For your information, after doing several test orders today, I have discovered the following;

Single Item orders downloaded from website OK-Allocates in EPOS and adjusts stock once shipped.
Single Items orders processed offline OK - Allocates in EPOS and adjusts stock once shipped.
Items with component choices(ie size L T-Shirt) processed offline OK - Allocates in EPOS and adjusts stock once shipped.
Items with component choices(ie size L T-Shirt) downloaded from website FAULT- Allocates in EPOS but does not take off allocated or adjust stock once shipped.


At the moment the only solution to prevent the whole stock system bieng incorrectly adjusted is to disable EPOS LINK from Ecommerce to EPOS and manually adjusting the EPOS stock to reflect the days online sales- Not really a great method and goes against why we spent hundreds of pounds on what we thought were properley 'linked' pieces of software.
If 8.5.2 will fix this problem then that's good news but when will it be ready?
If 8.5.2 doesn't address the problem then how do we find a solution?
Thanks
Simon

[Bruce]

Simon,

Can you tell me how you have the product setup. Like, are the choices associated to hidden products, or products else where on the site, etc. This will help in trying to recreate the issue.

Kind regards,

[Simon Bridges]

Yes Bruce, choices are associated to hidden products. I have included two screen shots to illustrate.
Thanks
Simon

[Bruce]

Hi Simon,

I thought I had responded to this thread earlier but apparently not .. The issue was fixed in v8.5.2 that is in release now, however since you use EPOS link you will have to wait a bit till the new link is released before you upgrade.

Kind regards,

[Simon Bridges]

Thanks Bruce,
Please let me know as soon as the EPOS link version is ready, looking forward to the stock control issue bieng sorted, will save me a load of manual adjustments.
Regards

Simon

[Breda]

hi has the stock level with regard to component choices been fixed?