Need Help please :)

[ryano]

Howdy all,

I have a database with an new hopefull invetory system. I would love to set it up to have a list of all the items i can purchase, and a list off all the things I currently have, and would love to be able to move this data from a purchase to my stock. eg. (purchase 100 sheets of paper - 100 sheets moves to stock - Later move 30 sheets of paper to add to a job, hence leaving only 70 sheets in stock. Trouble is I wouldnt have a clue where to start.

List of currents db's

Main Production

Quote

Customer List

P/Orders

Inventory

Anyway I dont want to many db's.

Can someone please push me in the right direction.

Much Apreciated

Ryan

[LiveOak]

Wow, this is kind of a "I'd like to do brain surgery tomorrow morning and I don't know how to begin" question. Inventory systems are one of the more complex database applicatons.

For starters, you will probably need a catalog file. This file will store everything you MIGHT purchase or have in stock. It is a good idea to assign in-house part numbers to catalog items so that equivalent items can be purchased from different vendors. It is also a good idea to not change quantities in your Inventory file, but to have an inventory transactions file which stores changes to inventory levels. The total quantity in stock is the sum of the transactions for a given inventory item. This way, an incorrect entry into Inventory does destroy all records to the previous quantity.

This sort of advice can go on for 100's of pages. If you really don't have a clue about inventory control (brain surgery), you might want to hire some professional help (or even purchase a turn key system). If this is just a learning experience, give it a try yourself (just keep posting questions!). If this is to be a mission critical part of a company and must be completed on a schedule, you should have a pretty good idea exactly how to do it before you start.

-bd

[Lee Smith]

There are some good example files avialable from FileMaker, some were even on the disk with the application you got (and were probably installed at the same time as FileMaker). Look in FileMaker Templates and FileMaker Tutorial folders. Also, go to their site and there some excellent files there too.

Lee

[ryano]

*******, i knew somone wouldnt have the exact file ready for me to play with lol. Ok Well i am going to plug away for a while, and find more specific problems

thanks.

[Vaughan]

A system like this is huge and takes many years to produce. When it's done and working it's a very valuable piece of software.

I met a person last week had a FMP system built to manage their business. After five or so years of development he is now selling the FMP system commercially and has customers in the UK and USA. He didn't tell me the going price (and I didn't ask) but considering he flies people from Australia to the UK and USA to install it, it must be 5 figures at least per copy.

So don't expect somebody throw you a working solution.