Microsoft Great Plains Logistics & Warehouse Management - Implementation & Customization Highlights

Logistics automation is often considered as barcoding extension to Sales Order Processing, Purchase Order Processing, Inventory Control modules. Software extensions makers may disagree with this simplification, but budget solution works exactly like barcoding extension and is usually done via Great Plains Dexterity, Modifier with VBA and SQL stored procedures. If your company is looking for implementing automated inventory bin/item pickup and conveyer – then you need specialized software. However if you just envision your warehouse workers with barcode scanners – then read this article to understand your options with Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains.

• Warehouse Automation. When you are looking for warehouse management automation – you should research supply chain management applications available on the market. Usually they are expensive and targeted to large logistics clients. You can use Microsoft Great Plains inventory module features, such as locations or sites, serial/lot number tracking, inventory count, inventory transfers and combine these with simple VB-based barcoding to feed documents from your barcode scanners to Great Plains directly.

• Random Weight. Food distribution – you might be purchasing food in cases or other variable weight units and resell them in pounds or kilograms to end customer. So – you need parallel quantities tracking with probably serial numbering for each case. This is typical customization for Inventory, Sales Order Processing (SOP) and Purchase Order Processing (POP) modules in Great Plains. It should be done in Great Plains Dexterity to provide seamless interface for GP users. In addition to parallel weight measures (cases and pounds) you may also need average weight control to prevent issues with your warehouse workers

• Recurring Customer Orders. You may figure out that majority of your customers order the same items each time with regular intervals. In this case you can have customer typical order screen to automate order taking. Plus – you may have associated and replacement items logic incorporated in this screen.

• Automated Shipments. If you sell on consignment – you may simply send trucks to your customers every day with recommended combination of items, based on historical data – day of the week, holidays, seasonal variations, etc. And barcode could help you in automatic picking ticket printing and allocation

Good luck and you can always seek our help in customization, implementation, integration and support. Call us: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, Australia, UK, Canada, Continental Europe, Russia and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK

Inventory Stock Control Software

Inventory management and control is an integral part of a business- either a manufacturing firm or a service-firm. Efficient inventory management is absolutely essential, not only to keep the firm running smoothly, but also to represent professionalism and profitability to potential customers and investors.

Inventory stock control is a part of inventory management that relates to maintaining stock levels effectively. Inventory stock control software is a tool that helps in inventory tracking and controlling stock levels, real-time as well as batch. It proficiently deals with order entry, point-of-sale (POS) invoicing, quotation generation, invoice generation, preparing purchase orders, dealing with recurring invoicing, and handling multi-job service orders. The software has intelligent interfaces that can determine when stock needs to be reordered, giving the user complete control over the inventory cycle. This helps keep the inventory always stocked up so that the user does not lose an order due to insufficient stock. The software can also identify and remove dying stock. It can track sales trends over a period of time and report on expected orders. Other useful features include barcode generation, customer and supplier database management, email support, multi-user interface, reorder management, group inventory, and generation of custom reports.

Integrated Inventory Management Software from NetSuite, XpertMart from Dinari Systems, Inventory Strategy Manager from Entalysis, iMagic Inventory Software from iMagic, Inventory4000 from Real Asset Management and STOCK.NET from Xpress Data Systems are some of the products available. Inventory stock control software can be bought for $199. There are many advanced versions also available, for a higher price. Most providers also offer free demo versions for a limited period. The minimum system requirements for installing this software are: an Intel Pentium processor, Microsoft Windows 95 OSR 2.0/ Windows 98 SE/ Windows Millennium Edition/ Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5/ Windows 2000/ or Windows XP, 32 MB RAM and a 24MB space in the hard disk.

Inventory Control Software provides detailed information on Inventory Control Software, Manufacturing Inventory Control Software, Free Inventory Control Software, Inventory Stock Control Software and more. Inventory Control Software is affiliated with Auto Dealer Inventory Management Software.

Stock Management is an Art - Not Just a Science

The demand profile of products that have been on the market for a while, using tried and tested supply routes, can be forecast with reasonable accuracy, allowing inventory levels to be lowered to healthy levels. In an ideal world, the manufacturer will produce the right quantity for the demand that is out there and each point in the chain, through importer, wholesaler and retailer, will draw as much stock as they need on a just-in-time basis. In reality, of course, most products have not had years to mature in a tried and tested supply chain. There is no art to setting a computer system to count 'em in and count 'em out again and tell you how many more to order. There is art and almost beauty in a system that can:

1. Take into account the forecast temperature and other weather variables

2. Take account of local, regional, national and world festivals and events that skew demand

3. Use fuzzy logic to mix in this time-yesterday, -last week, -last month, -last year parameters

4. Take account of pricing of the product, including opposition pricing

5. Include related product performance (if you are selling tinned peaches and a load of low priced fresh peaches come onto the market, you may need to trim your forecasts)

6. Fluctuations in currency values and the economy in any given location

7. Demand variations caused by tv shows or films. Product marketing is usually well co-ordinated with a film producer, for instance, but there are often side-effects: some products that were not purposely placed in the film will still see a spike in demand (or even a fall in demand in some cases). Also, competitors may have been caught sleeping, simply unaware of the placement. That brings us to no.8....

8. Market intelligence. What are your competitors up to, or more importantly, what will they be up to?

The above just deals with the demand side. On the supply side of things you may also want your system to take account of optimum production runs, cubing in shipping containers and other vehicles, factory shut-down times, industrial disputes etc etc.

There are systems that can do some of the above. There are also systems that claim to do the whole lot. You will understand, though, that stock management is still very much a human-led activity. A real person needs to see the quantities that the computer has decided to order. There always must be an override facility. Somewhere in the chain a human being must take responsibility for the amount that is ordered. There must always be a watching brief over the variables that any system uses. Most stock management systems are self-correcting. Even the most crude operations have a self-correcting feature where, for instance, out of stocks result in an increased order quantity next time and over-stocks will obviously see a downward adjustment. And that illustrates the point of this article. No system is perfect. Demand and supply patterns do not follow predictable paths - forecastable perhaps, but not predictable. There will be overstocks and out-of-stocks.

The answer? Well this depends on the product's profitability and how critical it is to your business. If a product is very profitable then it would be a crime to run out of stock. You must maintain stock quantity at well above comfortable levels. The high profitability will pay for the extra costs of storage and even pay for write-off or write-down costs if the product suddenly becomes obsolete (it happens!). On the other hand, a low profit product can easily be tipped into a loss-maker by adding overheads that it cannot sustain. High volume products are high volume for a good reason and they are probably being worked in a very competitive environment. The only long terms answer is to drive down supply costs. A way of mitigating the situation is to get the marketing people to find some space between your product and all the others out there. You need an edge so that volumes can go even higher, thus allowing a pro-rata reduction in costs or even so that you can eventually raise the price of your product to match its perceived higher value (I admit that this is simply unthinkable for some products, whatever marketing you throw at it). Just bear in mind that a small operating loss is just the flip side to a small operating profit. Do not panic. On the other hand, it could take weeks or even months to recover from an out-of-stock. The loss of goodwill could be a major blow. You need to be in profit for longer periods than when you are in loss, so tweak the controls and don't take an axe to stock inventories if an overstock has temporarily drawn your product into a loss. The important thing is the long term requirement that you keep the customer supplied and maintain - and grow - demand. High volume demand is a valuable thing. It may seem like you are the busy fools, but you have volume and goodwill, and most companies would do anything for that.

When all is said and done, most points in the chain will keep strategic stock. Some will keep investment stock. Some stock, whether planned or otherwise, will be held for long periods of time. Take, for instance, Christmas lines. Many do not suffer from changes in fashions. The same product will sell year after year. It makes sense, therefore, to mothball some Christmas lines for most of the year until their time comes round again. Did I say mothball? This is apt, of course and brings me on to my last point. If you plan to keep stock for a long period, either intentionally or otherwise, don't forget that it needs some looking after. So, if it is clothes, beware of moths! If it is food, beware the sell-by of use-by date. And for EVERY product, and for everyone out there, beware of DUST!

It simply amazes me that products can come out of storage complete with an added layer of dust. Even well packaged products suffer as the dust finds its way to the primary product. Before I open a tin of beans, I will always wipe off any dust, as this may otherwise find its way into the food. Expensive items - take electrical goods, for example - can be affected to the point that they may need to go back to the factory for a clean up. The worse thing, though, is that customer perception will be damaged. Pallet covers are inexpensive and add only the tiniest percentage to costs. They cover the tops of pallet - where most dust will settle. Pallet shrouds cover the sides as well. They will provide even greater protection not just against dust but also against water from overhead sprinklers.

If you are in the business of stock management, then you will know that the human being is an essential part of the process. There is no computer system out there that has ever been able to do all of it on its own. After all the number crunching has been done - and that is the scientific bit - it is time for the experienced and skilled stock manager to weave his or her magic - and that is the artistic bit. Stock management is more than just looking at numbers. Computers see numbers. People see products and customers.

Vernon Stent is the content writer to http://www.5es.co.uk who proudly sell pallet covers and pallet shrouds.

Restaurant Inventory Software - Made For The Restaurants

You can get the right restaurant inventory software for your restaurant online. The advantage of buying your software online is that most of the software vendors are able to provide better service over the internet. In the case of the restaurant software too, there are a lot more software available over the net than what you find over the counter at a store. It is also common to find restaurant inventory software to match the most common needs of every restaurant.

The inventory management in a restaurant decides whether that is going to make a profit or not. The healthy running of the restaurant hinges on the fact that the material are optimally used and that there is no wastage. Wastage could happen by over cooking or over estimating the needs and preparing for a sale that might not occur. Or in some cases, there is just no proper control of material issue and usage. The first one is more a managerial decision and if there is a mistake in the planning, then the restaurant has to incur that loss. But then, in the second case, that is not so. You can bring in proper control on the material issue and also maintain a clear percentage ration between what is produced and what is consumed. This would help the restaurant to ensure that it is not spending too much on an item and there is profit in every one of the job that is done. Restaurant inventory software would help you do just that.

The restaurant inventory software would be able to control what is issued and how much it is issued. It will also be able to monitor against which order it is issued. This way, the quantity issued for every order is noted and this would help in identifying and working out a standard for consumption. This consumption pattern would also help in pricing the product if wrongly priced. Or else, can also optimize the price if there is a buffer in the price should there be a competition. Under all these circumstances, the restaurant inventory software would help you arrive at the right figures systematically and not by using any thumb rule.

There is restaurant inventory software available on the internet. You will have to find the one that matches your requirement. Since, you need to find the one that matches your inventory needs as well as billing needs, you can even combine a software that does both the jobs. If you are lucky you might get the software that matches your needs for free. If not, pick up one that is closest to your needs. Download demo software and try out all the features that you want. If everything is comfortable and is in line with your expectations, then you can go ahead and buy the same. All the best to you!

Francisco Segurata owns and operates http://www.inventorymanagementsoftware2000.com and Inventory Management Software

Finding an Inventory Software Solution that Fits Your Business Needs

If you're looking for an inventory software solution, a simple Web search gives you a myriad of options. It's difficult to know which inventory management software will fit your needs, so here are some tips to find the system that is right for you.

Choose an Industry Leader

Inventory control software is too important to leave to companies that haven't proven their mettle. The best products come from companies that have deployed their software in a wide variety of industries, from aerospace and apparel to manufacturing and sporting goods.

Look for Robust Functionality

The best inventory software solutions provide you with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) that integrates solutions for all aspects of your business. Features to look for include:

Analytics: Information is critical to managing and growing your business, but you need more than numbers on a page to transform data into actionable information. Robust inventory control software will give you a range of customizable reporting options, including advanced analysis for the decision makers in your company.

Expiration Date Tracking: If your inventory includes time-sensitive products, your inventory software should track expiration dates from the moment they are received until they are shipped. Because expiration-related issues could crop up in the future, the software should also include the ability to track historical expiration date data.

Manufacturing: Smooth production cycles depend upon sound management of resource planning and production. The right software can allow you to gain a competitive advantage because it gives you the ability to respond quickly to the needs of your customers.

Remote Data Collection: The top inventory software providers can combine software and hardware solutions that will allow you to remotely access vendor and customer data, track inventory and fixed assets, and issue sales orders and receive purchase orders.

Retail Management: If you have retail locations, look for an inventory software solution that can increase the productivity of your employees, adjust inventory at point-of-sale, and automate purchasing.

And, of Course, Inventory Control

The inventory software solution that you choose should have the ability to track serial number, print barcodes, and store item images. It should allow you to define automatic reorder points, the purchase currency and cost, and the sales currency and cost. If you have unique pricing requirements, the software should allow you to assign different price points to the same item. It should also allow for manual counts and adjustments, as well as provide an audit trail for inventory adjustments.

Flexibility is Key

An inventory software solution should be robust, but it should also be flexible. If, for example, you deal in apparel, a module that tracks color, size, and style should be available. If your company provides service and returns, you may need a module that allows you to issue return merchandise authorization numbers, receive replacement items from your vendors, and issue replacement items to your customers.

Whichever inventory software solution you choose, make sure that it has both the features you need at the present time, and those that you may need in the future. In today's competitive marketplace, you can't afford not to have the most up-to-date information available in a form that enables you to make decisions in response to market demands.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Inventory Software Solution or Majon's Business and Entrepreneurs directory.

Improving Efficiency With Warehouse Inventory Software

There are many benefits to using different software programs in the business world. The computer has opened up more options regarding technology and has made many business practices better, especially when dealing with warehouse management. Technology can mean loads less of paperwork, less time spent doing inventory and most importantly - less money out of a company's pocket! When it comes to warehouse inventory software, a company can handle products goods in a more efficient manner and ship accurately. There are not as many chances for mistakes as when manual labor is in charge because computerized software means no workers getting tired or paid overtime for doing tedious work that they neither want to do nor do you want to pay them to do!

What else does warehouse software improve? These systems are effective the minute you integrate them into your business because they are easily applicable and they are easy to manage for your current staff. There is not that high of a learning curve so adapting to new software isn’t too difficult even for not that tech savvy of employees. It becomes easier for your staff to manage different products as well because with each part of your warehouse separated into ‘bins’ employees only need to look at the database to accurately locate certain things. When you have the need to pick up items from one of your specific warehouses you need only to check the integrated database for a complete listing of current and expected inventories. When you receive goods into your warehouse, your warehouse management software automatically guides you through organization processes so that you can put items away where they should go, and where it will be easiest to get back out in a timely manner.

These organizational systems are flexible for easy to manage product changes. Say you have to adapt to changing products and you want to adjust your database for the changes. With the better and more flexible options of system management this is possible with just a few clicks on the main database. With an integrated system this will then change all the warehouses that are set up in unison with the main office. The main office is the hub, if you will, of your operations. The hub is where all the major changes are made and all other warehouses adapt according to the settings of this warehouse.

Maximum efficiency is only possible through one solution; all warehouses that are under the same company need to be integrated. Above you have read the importance of integration; about how it can save time and money for a busy company but integration is also the key component to supreme organization. Integration is simply giving all the warehouses the same data access. While you will certainly take advantage of having one ‘main docking center’ you will be a stronger company when all warehouses have similar access to product lines and inventory.

Businesses can win out largely when using good warehouse software because software makes day to day operational tasks easier to do and much easier to manage.

Kelly Hunter is an a keen writer for http://www.warehouse-management-help.com about warehouse management with several years experience.

Bar Code Inventory Software

All products are labeled with bar codes these days. Even the smallest retail items, like chocolates or pencils, have a unique bar code to identify them accurately. Bar codes have specific symbology that is defined in the height and width of the bars as well as the spacing between the bars. Each of these bars might represent numeric data, alphanumeric data or character data, depending on the type of symbology being used.

Each bar code has a start bar and an end bar to allow the scanner to read the data precisely. Some bar codes have another bar before the end bar, known as the checksum bar code. After the scanner calculates the sum, the same is verified with the value of the checksum bar code for accuracy. This ensures exact calculation with minimal errors.

Bar codes help during data collection, inventory tracking, and other asset tracking. They keep accurate records of all the items scanned, and so are a big help keeping track of inventory.

Specific bar code software called inventory software is the best option to keep track of inventory. This software is more complex than the data collection software that keeps records in databases. Inventory software can keep track of various items simultaneously, so that the software would be able to record the number of items in each category in a company. This software is particularly useful in warehouses and wholesale storage places wherein the company needs to have an idea of the number of items of each category owned at a specific time. The number of items being supplied to the retailers would get stored in the database by the software, to minimize the chance of errors.

Blood banks, pharmacies, and other manufacturers that mass-produce a variety of products would find this inventory software a boon. Inventory software, like the regular bar code data collection and tracking software, come with a number of utilities to make work easier. Report creation tools, databases, data entry tools, printing tools, and other functional software comes as part of the inventory software suite.

Bar code inventory software can be used with any scanner technology. It depends on the affordability and the customer’s preference.

Bar Code Software provides detailed information on Bar Code Software, Bar Code Scanner Software, Bar Code Printing Software, Free Bar Code Software and more. Bar Code Software is affiliated with Retail POS Software.

Manufacturing Inventory Software

Manufacturing inventory software is an excellent solution for the tracking and controlling of inventory effectively. This provides better control on spending, reduces inventory costs and increases productivity. This software manages the inventory in ware house inventory, logistic inventory and stock room inventory. The manufacturing inventory software can manage inventory in process manufacturing with or without the tracking and the expiration dates. Supply chain management can be done using manufacturing inventory software. Inventory software can help in ISO certification and can meet other quality requirements. Advanced manufacturing software provides additional functionality in distribution using the global trade item number. This software also provides help during data conversion and customer and supplier listing.

Manufacturing enterprises face many problems such as increased inventory carrying cost, higher premium freight charges, decreased customer satisfaction, diminished asset utilization, decreased supplier performance etc. Many benefits can be achieved if the enterprise improves the management of its supply chain and inventory flow. The manufacturing inventory software provides the benefits such as inventory reductions throughout the networked supply chain, premium freight reduction, improved transportation utilization, increased service levels from suppliers, reduced administrative effort, improved quality levels etc.

Manufacturing inventory software combines several inventory based processes by gathering, compiling, analyzing, and storing essential inventory data in an intelligent manner. Some important features of inventory software include payable and receivable accounts, point of sale, sales order, purchase order, quotations, shipping, receiving and inventory data analysis. This program helps when there is more than one location storing inventory by tracking lot numbers, barcodes and serial numbers. Many companies set special days every year to gather inventory information. This software can increase the productivity of these inventory days and make sure that the recorded data remains accurate throughout the year. The manufacturing inventory software generates inventory reports and so the numbers are available at any time of the year.

Manufacturing Software provides detailed information on Manufacturing Software, Manufacturing Inventory Software, Manufacturing Business Software, Manufacturing Management Software and more. Manufacturing Software is affiliated with Free CAD Software.

Indian Livestock IndustryOpening up of the Indian economy to the world market,

Indian Livestock IndustryOpening up of the Indian economy to the world market, in the era of liberalization, has certainly boosted the trade in several livestock products of the country. Successful negotiations of GATT have provided India an opportunity . Opening up of the Indian economy to the world market, in the era of liberalization, has certainly boosted the trade in several livestock products of the country. Successful negotiations of GATT have provided India an opportunity of competing on an equal footing in the world livestock trade.

Cattle population in India is increasingly viewed as just an economic resource to earn optimal returns, a transformation that's hugely influencing the conventional farm-life. Indian Livestock is considered to be in close proximity to human, as they're a vital component of the life system of Indians. Women provide livestock farming labor and more than 90% of work related to care of animals is rendered by womenfolk of the family. Handling more than 90% of the work related to caring of animals, women have always been a significant contributor to Indian livestock industry.

Cows, bullocks, buffaloes, donkeys, and mules are not only utility animals, they're also companions at work for toiling poor people who rear them along side their own dwelling. India has more than half of world Buffalo population and 15% of world Cattle population. In terms of sheep population, India ranks fifth after Australia, China, Iran and New Zealand. Most prominent types of Indian livestock industry include cows, buffaloes, camel, goats, sheep, pigs etc.

Major livestock production areas in India include Jammu, Rajasthan, Kashmir, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and hilly regions of North and Eastern Himalayas. Also, these are the regions with maximum population of livestock.

Automation of agricultural operations in many parts of the country has resulted in pushing the use of cattle for plough to redundancy. There has been a decline in the availability of cattle fodder in the country, with harvester machines and short hybrid varieties of grain. Introduced during the white revolution, foreign breeds of cattle have taken over the indigenous breeds. However, the Indian Government in collaboration with western countries is planning to further develop the Indian Livestock Industry.

For further information about Indian Livestock Industry please read the report "Indian Livestock Industry- An Industry Analysis" published by RNCOS at http://www.rncos.com/Report/IM032.htm.

RNCOS is an industry leader in the field of online business research. We specialize in industry research on various business verticals. To read our other reports, please visit us at http://www.rncos.com/Report.htm or email us at info@rncos.com
RNCOS offers complete e-publishing solutions for your business. We provide personalized world-class content development and management solutions that are qualitative and result-oriented

Geometry of the Stock Market Isnt So Good

 

The slippery slope of the Bear market just hit a 90-degree angle. After coasting at a 45-degree angle, that at times looked like it would plateau, stocks are now moving decidedly down hill and picking up speed. Each bump in the road this year has shaken out
passengers, but now those thrown from the market will face even greater fiscal injury (not to mention mental, as they will be taking lumps that at times will amount to 90% losses). Yet, it will be difficult to hang on. That said, it might be impossible to jump on. The real scary part is that we dont have a road map for this kind of ride. The last time there was a two-year bear market was from January 1973 to December 1974. The last time there was a three-year bear market was from September 1939 to April 1942. It is fair to say that 95% of us know nothing of the two-year bear market, so this is un-chartered territory. Adventure
is fun when we get it via books and movies, but stock market investors dont have the fortitude and luck of an Indiana Jones, they close their eyes when the danger comes too close. However, now is the most important time ever to keep ones eyes open. It is also time to start looking deep in the history books for answers. This isnt the first time the stock market has plunged, and it isnt the first bubble that has had to totally deflate.

According to published reports from Ned Davis research, the average bear market lasts 418-days, and lops off 31% in stock market value. This data is focused exclusively on the Dow Jones industrial average. (Im not sure how the NASDAQ figures into historical
data. One thing is for sure, that index which worked so hard to shed its moniker as the "over the counter" market, has been so fractured that it may never recapture former glory. In fact, it seems like each session sees a former NASDAQ-listed company ringing the bell at the NYSE. It will be very tough to not only rebound, but to be the hottest index with many of their brightest stars no longer listed.) Officially, the Dows bear market began
in January of 2000; so it is a long way passed the typical time frame. That said, the index has been resilient, and at times was only a bear market in name. Despite the length of the current
bear market, it hasnt satisfied the historic norm in terms of value yielded. As it stands now, the Dow is off 22% from the all-time high. In many ways, the index has been a victim of its own success. It is hard to sell off when there is a migration from tech stocks into comfort stocks. As an avid tape watcher, I could see over and over again that the index wanted to pull back
and investors wanted to take some profits off the table. PG, MMM and JNJ were - and are - trading at the high-end of their respective valuation ranges. Yet, before the re-rotation could build a head of steam, there would be another bomb dropped in
tech/biotech land.

Now, it doesnt seem to matter for those that have successfully dodged the massacre by focusing on companys they know and understand. They are cashing in and putting the money on the sidelines. Save for the residue from the Great Crash in 1929, that saw the DJIA take 20-years to recover, the longest bear market has lasted 2.5 years. That is good news, (I guess). The stock market reclaimed 73% of its value within 9 months of the Great Crash (okay, it wasnt so great, but this is the "me" generation and it thinks we do everything better than those that came before us) of 1987. With this in mind, maybe the market will
move to a 180-degree angle and satisfy two elements of history. Matching the timeframe of the longest bear market, and at the same time yielding the average amount of ground that has been typical. Maybe a quickening climax to what has been cruel treatment could
be the answer. But, hold on to your hat, it means the Dow has to fall to 8177 before a floor can be put in. The last three trading sessions of the week saw the Dow off an average of 150-points, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. At that rate, we could see the
index bottom in 7-trading days. That would mean the worlds largest equity market, and the pride (we still love it deep down inside) of the nation could be ready to rebound after the fourth
of July.

Since 1991, Charles Paynes Wall Street Strategies has successfully
provided timely and effective equity advice to institutional
money managers, retail brokers and individual investors of all
types, and has thousands of subscribers from hundreds of brokerage
firms. http://www.wstreet.com Wall Street Strategies provides research
online, including enhanced services and communication tailored
to todays fast-moving markets.

Ten Common Investment Errors: Stocks, Bonds, & Management

Investment mistakes happen for a multitude of reasons, including the fact that decisions are made under conditions of uncertainty that are irresponsibly downplayed by market gurus and institutional spokespersons. Losing money on an investment may not be the result of a mistake, and not all mistakes result in monetary losses. But errors occur when judgment is unduly influenced by emotions, when the basic principles of investing are misunderstood, and when misconceptions exist about how securities react to varying economic, political, and hysterical circumstances. Avoid these ten common errors to improve your performance:

1. Investment decisions should be made within a clearly defined Investment Plan. Investing is a goal-orientated activity that should include considerations of time, risk-tolerance, and future income... think about where you are going before you start moving in what may be the wrong direction. A well thought out plan will not need frequent adjustments. A well-managed plan will not be susceptible to the addition of trendy, speculations.

2. The distinction between Asset Allocation and Diversification is often clouded. Asset Allocation is the planned division of the portfolio between Equity and Income securities. Diversification is a risk minimization strategy used to assure that the size of individual portfolio positions does not become excessive in terms of various measurements. Neither are "hedges" against anything or Market Timing devices. Neither can be done with Mutual Funds or within a single Mutual Fund. Both are handled most easily using Cost Basis analysis as defined in the Working Capital Model.

3. Investors become bored with their Plan too quickly, change direction too frequently, and make drastic rather than gradual adjustments. Although investing is always referred to as "long term", it is rarely dealt with as such by investors who would be hard pressed to explain simple peak-to-peak analysis. Short-term Market Value movements are routinely compared with various un-portfolio related indices and averages to evaluate performance. There is no index that compares with your portfolio, and calendar divisions have no relationship whatever to market or interest rate cycles.

4. Investors tend to fall in love with securities that rise in price and forget to take profits, particularly when the company was once their employer. It's alarming how often accounting and other professionals refuse to fix these single-issue portfolios. Aside from the love issue, this becomes an unwilling-to-pay-the-taxes problem that often brings the unrealized gain to the Schedule D as a realized loss. Diversification rules, like Mother Nature, must not be messed with.

5. Investors often overdose on information, causing a constant state of "analysis paralysis". Such investors are likely to be confused and tend to become hindsightful and indecisive. Neither portends well for the portfolio. Compounding this issue is the inability to distinguish between research and sales materials... quite often the same document. A somewhat narrow focus on information that supports a logical and well-documented investment strategy will be more productive in the long run. But do avoid future predictors.

6. Investors are constantly in search of a short cut or gimmick that will provide instant success with minimum effort. Consequently, they initiate a feeding frenzy for every new, product and service that the Institutions produce. Their portfolios become a hodgepodge of Mutual Funds, iShares, Index Funds, Partnerships, Penny Stocks, Hedge Funds, Funds of Funds, Commodities, Options, etc. This obsession with Product underlines how Wall Street has made it impossible for financial professionals to survive without them. Remember: Consumers buy products; Investors select securities.

7. Investors just don't understand the nature of Interest Rate Sensitive Securities and can't deal appropriately with changes in Market Value... in either direction. Operationally, the income portion of a portfolio must be looked at separately from the growth portion. A simple assessment of bottom line Market Value for structural and/or directional decision-making is one of the most far-reaching errors that investors make. Fixed Income must not connote Fixed Value and most investors rarely experience the full benefit of this portion of their portfolio.

8. Many investors either ignore or discount the cyclical nature of the investment markets and wind up buying the most popular securities/sectors/funds at their highest ever prices. Illogically, they interpret a current trend in such areas as a new dynamic and tend to overdo their involvement. At the same time, they quickly abandon whatever their previous hot spot happened to be, not realizing that they are creating a Buy High, Sell Low cycle all their own.

9. Many investment errors will involve some form of unrealistic time horizon, or Apples to Oranges form of performance comparison. Somehow, somewhere, the get rich slowly path to investment success has become overgrown and abandoned. Successful portfolio development is rarely a straight up arrow and comparisons with dissimilar products, commodities, or strategies simply produce detours that speed progress away from original portfolio goals.

10. The "cheaper is better" mentality weakens decision making capabilities, leads investors to dangerous assumptions and short cuts that only appear to be effective. Do discount brokers seek "best execution"? Can new issue preferred stocks be purchased without cost? Is a no load fund a freebie? Is a WRAP Account individually managed? When cheap is an investor's primary concern, what he gets will generally be worth the price.

Compounding the problems that investors have managing their investment portfolios is the sideshowesque sensationalism that the media brings to the process. Investing has become a competitive event for service providers and investors alike. This development alone will lead many of you to the self-destructive decision making errors that are described above. Investing is a personal project where individual/family goals and objectives must dictate portfolio structure, management strategy, and performance evaluation techniques. Is it difficult to manage a portfolio in an environment that encourages instant gratification, supports all forms of "uncaveated" speculation, and that rewards short term and shortsighted reports, reactions, and achievements?

Yup, it sure is.

Steve Selengut http://www.sancoservices.com http://www.valuestockbuylistprogra m.com Professional Portfolio Management since 1979 Author of: "The Brainwashing of the American Investor: The Book that Wall Street Does Not Want YOU to Read", and "A Millionaire's Secret Investment Strategy

Warehouse Control System by QC Software Profiled in Quality Digest

The solutions provided by QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) enables companies to streamline their warehouse operations with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry ensuring increased corporate profitability. With a commitment to total customer satisfaction QC Software is the obvious choice for warehouse control, order management, and inventory management needs.

Manufacturing journalist Thomas R. Cutler discussed the configurability and quality at the distribution center in the recent issue of Quality Digest. Cutler profiled WCS leader QC Software.

According to Tom Verzi, vice-president of QC Software, a WCS firm based in Cincinnati, "Configurability allows users to make system changes quickly and easily to handle any physical changes in the warehouse. Many of our clients have expanded their warehouses. This could be adding conveyor, adding a sorter, or anything "physical". A quality WCS must be configurable; no hard coding is needed to "react" to physical changes within the warehouse." Configurability also allows for quick changes; how cartons are processed within the warehouse.

Emulation Tools Eliminate Bottlenecks in the Distribution Center Emulation tools allow for minimal live testing and help to identify bottlenecks in the process. This quasi-TOC (theory of constraints) is a built-in functionality in some WCS systems that recognized that testing would be required to provide the functionality of the system.

If problems occur during an emulation process quality trace messaging and debugging tools allow distributors to quickly and easily find the problem and fix it.

QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.

Thomas A. Verzi Jr. VP Sales & Marketing TomVerzi@qcsoftware.com QC Software, Inc. www.qcsoftware.com (513) 469-1424

Professional Marketing Firm for the Manufacturing Community and Manufacturing Journalist to most manufacturing magazines