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In this Issue:
- Upcoming Events
- News
- Support Tips
- Margie's Web Tip
- Customer Spotlight
- Employee Spotlight
- The Giving Tree
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Welcome to the Tri-Tech Newsletter, your source for all things Tri-Tech! In this edition we will share info about what's new at Tri-Tech, tips to help you run your business, and employee and company spotlights.
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Check out our new website!
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Upcoming Events
- Jan. 19-22, 2017 NAMM Show Anaheim, CA
- Feb. 1-2, 2017 CABDA Expo St. Charles, IL
- Feb. 12-14, 2017 VDTA-SDTA Las Vegas, NV
- April 26-29, 2017 RPMDA Atlanta, GA
- July 13-15, 2017 Summer NAMM Nashville, TN
- August 6-9, 2017 RSPA Las Vegas, NV
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News
The Replenish Stock From Other Locations program now has options to auto fill the transfer quantities for all items.
In previous versions, you had to manually enter a quantity when you wanted to transfer items between locations. The two new buttons automatically fill in the quantity to transfer for you.
The first button transfers all available quantity, which is useful if you're transferring from a warehouse location. The second button automatically fills in quantity that is above the max reorder point.
Using this program along with Inventory Management can help you reduce your inventory levels and increase your inventory turns.
To fully take advantage of them verify that your AIMsi v11 software is up-to-date. To update visit your Member Portal. (You must be current on a support contract in order to access the Member Portal).
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You've created your categories and you're excited about tracking your inventory sales and generating some positive revenue stream, also scientifically referred to as "making bank." You go to start creating new inventory records....and you take a breath. Model? SKU? Barcode? What's the difference between all these fields? Isn't it just an item? Is my barcode the SKU? What about the serial number, where does that go?
Taking the software out of the equation for just a moment, let's open up your supplier's product catalog. You'll likely notice that their product listings might include a model number for the item, as well as a catalog number, and maybe a barcode. Each of these numbers can be a wholly unique letter/number combination, so let's define what these fields mean so we have a clear understanding.
Model#:
The number or product ID that comes direct from the manufacturer. If you were to ever call the manufacturer and inquire about the product, they will likely ask you for this number.
SKU#
: Your own internal tracking number for this product. By design, AIMsi will automatically have the SKU match the model, but you can always override with a SKU of your own making. If two or more products share the same model number, you'll need to make sure the SKU is unique on each record.
Barcode#
: A number that is issued by the non-profit agency known as GS1 US, who sets the standard for international commerce. In addition to a human-readable code, there will be a series of lines that can be read by a barcode scanner to quickly input that same code into a computer field. (Contrary to popular belief, a barcode does not magically contain all the information about a product, it's just another font like Times New Roman or Helvetica)
Vendor Item#
: Remember that aforementioned catalog number? The vendor item number is how your vendor will identify this item, especially if the vendor is a wholesaler or broker of multiple manufacturing lines. AIMsi's SKU record can track multiple vendor item numbers per SKU, and this will print on a printed purchase order to that vendor.
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN)
: A separate code from the manufacturer that can be used in conjunction with the model number. Many times, this would be the same as the model number, so we automatically make the MPN be the same as the model, but you can always override it with the correct code.
Serial#
: A number or code that will let you identify the specific product that the serial number is stamped with or labeled. Especially in the case of complex products made up of many working parts, like a computer or cell phone, the serial number tracks that specific item as opposed to any other in that model line, which can be used to track when the product was assembled by the manufacturer and what components were used to build it, among other facts.
I hope this was helpful in learning the differences between all these fields. It is entirely possible that some products in some industries may not have some of these identifiers. If ever in doubt, you can use AIMsi's "ISS" button to generate a unique "In Store SKU".
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As part of the website go live process we always encourage our customers to setup Google Analytics. Even if you are not ready to dig into the analytics, the information is captured and available for when you are ready. You can compare what you consider the ideal customer persona against the actual personas. You can sort customers in many different ways such as interests, age, average order and the time it takes to complete an order. Armed with this information you can adjust your marketing accordingly.
For more about Google Analytics go here https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1008015?hl=en
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Jim's Music and Teaching Center
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In 1986, Jim and Karen Dombrowski, opened Jim’s Music in Escanaba, MI. Jim’s started out as a small family-owned business and quickly grew into 4 stores. Jim's has been providing private music instruction in the area for over 20 years. Jim’s staff includes over 17 professional and highly trained instructors as well as a talented repair team (including a member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians).
Jim’s carries full lines of electric and acoustic guitars, banjos, drums, digital and acoustic pianos, amplifiers, and sound system equipment. With their extensive rent-to-own program, they also have a professional sound division called "Ludington Sound" which designs, installs, and troubleshoots sound systems for churches, schools, dance clubs, and outdoor functions.
Jim’s Music has been a customer of Tri-Tech for 10 years. When Jim’s decided to expand to another location they realized they needed a better POS system to grow with them. They discovered AIMsi at the 2005 NAMM, National Association of Music Merchants, while they were contemplating adding a third location.
“AIMsi had the best features and value on the market and we decided to make the jump to this POS. AIMsi has helped us go from two to four stores in the last ten years, and in that time, we've gone from five to over thirty employees.” - EJ, Store Manager
Over the years, Jim’s Music has purchased and implemented all the modules that AIMsi has to offer. Active-e handles their online rentals, web site hosting, and the B2B portion which has been a huge time saver in maintaining their inventory. “We just started this year, to do the Online Scheduler, which has worked well for setting lessons up from our website.”
While AIMsi has assisted Jim’s Music with increased efficiencies, EJ also stated, “One of the best resources we have is Tri-Tech's knowledgeable support staff. I can't say enough nice things about Josh, Brian, Travis, and Casey and all the help they have provided over the years. We are very happy with AIMsi and the support it has provided and would highly recommend it.”
We would like to thank Jim’s Music for their loyalty, support and business. We are grateful to contribute to your store’s continued success. Check them out at http://www.jimsmusiconline.com/
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Employee Spotlight - Meet Bill Steppan
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Bill
Steppan has been with Tri-Tech for 16 years and has held a wide variety of positions. He is now in Training Operations, but you may know him better as Professor Tri-Tech.
He says that what he enjoys most about Tri-Tech is it is family owned and operated! The personable atmosphere has helped him build strong relationships with his co-workers and given him the opportunity to bring his strengths to help clients meet their goals and improve Tri-Tech's service offerings.
Bill has been married to his wonderful wife for five years and has a two-year old daughter and two energetic dogs. In his scant spare time, he is an aspiring novelist, amateur photographer, wannabe app developer and freelance gadget consultant.
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Each year we have fun purchasing Toys For Tots with some of our casual Friday collections. This year we purchased some Kohl's Cares items - Paddington, Curious George, Madeline, & Corduroy
Kohl's sells kid-friendly cause merchandise, with 100% of the net profit donated to support kids' health and education initiatives in communities nationwide.
Toys For Tots is a Top-Rated Charity
Over 97% of your donations goes to their mission of providing toys, books, and other gifts to less fortunate children.
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Tri-Technical Systems | 800.670.1736 |563.556.0405 | www.technology4retailers.com
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