Inventory - Basic Question

[martindahlgren]

Hi

I have searched both on this forum and on the homepage for the program but cannot find any help.

I have a very basic problem/situation.

1. I have a stock (with different products)

2. I have invoices/purchase orders.

I can make Product Drop Down-list on my Purchase Page interact with my Inventory list. (Good)

I can make the product description on my Purchase Page interact with my Inventory list. (Good)

But I want to have the correct product count for each item in the Inventory, which means if I have one purchase order where someone buys 2pcs of a product, I want the product amount in the Inventory be deducted by 2 products.

I was trying to make the product "amount in stock" in the Inventory page have a relationship with the Line Items "Quantity", and for each product bought, that quantity should be deducted from the product count in the Inventory page.

But it just doesn't seem to work.

How to do?

There must be some easy solution for this, they even write on their home page that this program is good for Inventory, and they should have a guide for that, with DIY and step by step, but clicking the link takes you nowhere.

So please, can someone explain?

Regards

Martin

[bcooney]

umm.. Link

and this post might get you thinking.. Link

Edited March 11, 2009 by Guest

[martindahlgren]

that link I have checked out several times

and then..? where is the help?

I dont understand at all

I'm a beginner to the Filemaker Program, I'm not stupid, I already checked out their website, but at least I can't find any help.

(actually they have 3 DIY guides all linking back to that page)

but I cant find anything about "DIY", "guide", or "inventory".

[LaRetta]

I'm a beginner to the Filemaker Program, I'm not stupid, I already checked out their website, but at least I can't find any help.

Well, you are attempting the second most difficult design in any program - inventory and invoicing (second only to accounting). And you rate yourself a beginner. You may think you are making progress with your design but I can tell you from what you've said that you are already heading for a train wreck.

I suggest you stop designing, set it aside, and take a simple plain file and learn the basics of proper relationships. And there are many discussions here on FM Forums about invoices and lineitems with products and how then to calculate and track inventory. Then YOU post your base file showing how you are starting and get input along the way in case you are taking a wrong turn.

This will not be an easy trip.

UPDATE: Martin, there are many different approaches to inventory. I cannot tell how you are even related and whether you have a lineitems table (as you should). We might be able to assist if you post your file. At least we can steer you away from trouble if we see it. We'd be happy to help. But don't, for a moment, think it'll be easy ... this is why developers get paid well.

Edited March 11, 2009 by Guest

[martindahlgren]

haha, thnx for your comment,

that was a nice reply

ehm, I didn't mean I really felt I did a lot of progress about the design, and I dont really care too much about the design.

I am a beginner to this program, but I'm not new to computers, and I just felt since I already got my Invoice file corresponding with the Inventory file, its should just be some simple math to get the new amount using old amount minus quantity of the purchase.

I also dont like when they selling the program with slogans like "organize your inventory", we have DIY Guide, then in the end there is no guide.

Anyway, I will try to check and see if I become any wiser.

ps. I still think it should be simple, Inventory Product Count should be related to Invoice Purchase Quantity, and a Mathematic Result from "Inventory Product Count" - "Invoice Purchase Quantity".

But I might have got it wrong, or just plain stupid

we'll see

thnx

[LaRetta]

It should not be Invoice quantity at all ... it should be a lineitem quantity. Do you have a lineitem table related to your invoices? Are you using unique, auto-enter serials to hold your relationship together? It'll be simple once you have the proper base structure. If not, you'll spend hundreds of agonizing hours putting together a program that runs like a dog and sinks like a stone. And you will have to trash it and start all over again anyway.

I am simply suggesting a good base start. Do you have a Products table and an Inventory table? If so, you can, from your Products table (if it is properly joined to your LineItems::ProductID), create a calculation (result is number) in Products with:

Sum ( LineItems::Quantity)

(or even create a summary field in LineItems itself) ... but I don't know what you have. If you have each product as a FIELD in your Invoice table, you'll fail before you even start. Simple? Yes it is. Easy? Nada. And yes, it's frustrating that that link currently goes nowhere. But if you would have surfed on their site a bit, you'd have found it Business Productivity Kit. However, I don't recommend that you USE their program or even create your design emulating theirs. Use it for a guide to understand invoice/lineitem/products/inventory. Then begin your design and post it here for pointers and opinions as you go. And ask questions and read, read, read. FM Forums will give you the best education out there.

UPDATE: And no, you are not stupid. But you are ignorant, just as every one of us has been (or still is) so don't worry about. Asking questions doesn't imply stupidity; indeed, it confirms intelligence (in my book).

Edited March 11, 2009 by Guest

[bcooney]

Apologizes. I thought that DIY guide would actually be a tutorial on creating a basic inventory system.

I share LaRetta's opinion that an inventory system is one of the most difficult databases to develop.

Here's a little demo file that I've posted in the past to start people off in the right direction.

and, another good

thread to read with lots of great links. This one looks quite promising.

InvoiceDemo.fp7.zip