Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
validate warranties and tie together inventory usage with sales numbers. The fact is that
you need to keep this database active and correct because you won't be able to remember
everything, even as smart as you are!
If you start your business and you use the customer database and invoicing features within
your accounting software, you'll find this to be a safe and easy way to begin. However, you
might quickly outgrow the limitations of said database—maybe you want your customers
to be able to see their account and past orders through a website portal—which will require
a new and possibly complicated solution. As your business grows, your customer database
should change and evolve as needed.
Your First “Test” Order
Once you have your database set up, you'll need to add the products to your database and
keep an inventory.
It's important for any business to keep track of and accurately account for the products you
keep on hand. Keeping an accurate inventory is critical to lowering costs and providing an
efficient process.When you first start out, keeping a “hand-count” of your inventory will
suffice. Most likely, you'll only keep a few items on hand and have the ability to order re-
placement parts and service modules as you sell them to your customer. As your business
grows, however, you'll soon want to institute some form of computerized inventory control
and process.
The beauty of having a computerized inventory-management system is that it makes
everything from inputting information to taking inventory much easier and much faster.
Doing a hand count of a large inventory warehouse can take days, but a computerized in-
ventory system can make the same process take just a couple of hours. In the case of your
new computer repair shop, it may take only a matter of minutes in the beginning, which is
a good thing!
Additionally, having a good inventory system will allow you to run reports so you can in-
stantly see what you have on your shelves, how many of each product have been sold, and
what needs to be reordered. Unfortunately having a computerized inventory system doesn't
ensure accuracy, and the inventory data is only as good as the data that is being input into
it. Taking sample counts and “having your finger on the pulse” of the inventory will help
you feel more comfortable and allow you to rely more on the data that you accumulate.
What is the importance of having a correct inventory at the time of making your first test
sale? It's simple. Each sale will most likely have a product attached to it. For example, let's
say you installed a new hard drive into a Dell laptop computer. Ideally you'll have the parts
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