SIM User Guide
Version 09/09/2017
This document describes the version [Link] from September 2017, but may also apply to previous or later versions. Simple
Inventory Manager is an active software that is regularly improved and updated. To avoid complex automatic updates,
which can slow down PC startups, it is you who decides when to update by consulting the website [Link]-
[Link], where you can also find videos and application examples.
Table of contents
1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................3
2. First Step .......................................................................................................................................................................4
3. Products tab .................................................................................................................................................................8
4. Suppliers tab .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
5. Logs tab...................................................................................................................................................................... 12
6. Label printer tab ........................................................................................................................................................ 14
7. Inventory tab ............................................................................................................................................................. 20
8. Tools tab .................................................................................................................................................................... 22
9. Advanced features..................................................................................................................................................... 25
1. Introduction
Efficient
SIM was developed for instant implementation and immediate usage by any kind of user, for all types of organization
or activity.
Simple
Unlike many inventory managers, SIM is not simply an option or addition to accounting or business management
software suites. It is a tool for field employees working directly with the inventory, who are interested in real time
availability, monitoring and supply. Easy use and ergonomics take precedence over administrative and financial
aspects.
Strength
Built using the [Link] standard and a SQL database, SIM is an open and scalable software. A number of
variants exist, and all modifications and improvements that you probably need are already available or easily
attainable. To ensure that the software remains simple, its architecture is modular: you only pay and see what is
useful to you.
International
Since 2014, SIM is available in English, Spanish, and German, at no extra charge. You, yourself can translate the SIM
text file, and adapt it to your country, culture, or even your practice. Sometimes the original name GSM (Gestion de
Stock Modulaire) may appear instead of SIM.
2. First Step
Installation
The best quality of SIM is the easiness in its use. Installing the software consists of copying a directory containing a
dozen files, anywhere on your PC. We recommend you to simply download the files from [Link]-inventory-
[Link]
It poses no threat to your PC! The easy process to installing the software also allows using SIM in a number of
directories and cloud networks, for which you can consult us for more information.
Automatic Installation
On certain websites, you find [Link] files to download. By running this program, the files are copied from the
SIM website into a directory of your choice, which by default is the Desktop/SIM.
The “Change directory” button allows you to install it anywhere on your disk. The “Install” button will perform loading.
The “Launch” button will run SIM. You only need to create a shortcut on your desktop or taskbar.
ZIP Files
On certain websites, you will find a [Link] file to download. It is a compressed SIM directory. The step by step
procedure for installing the software is available on the website both as a video and as a pdf file which you can easily
download.
User Interface
The user interface has 4 tabs or 4 different pages. These tabs perform in the same way as other Windows applications
like Excel.
Each tab contains a table called a “DataGrid” containing data
Screen sections
Whichever the tab, each display includes 4 sections dedicated to the following actions:
In the upper left hand corner, the tab selection corresponds to the work to be done
▪ The search boxes (or scroll lists), according to the tab selected
▪ The data display area
▪ The button area which proposes actions to be performed on the selected line.
Record Selection
Each line of data is known as a ‘record’. Most actions are accessible by clicking on the button located to the left of each
relevant line. This precaution prevents launching actions without having explicitly chosen the line.
Right click
Like most Windows applications, a right click on a line opens a user menu. This enables triggering only one action at a
time on the selected item. A list of possible actions is available on buttons to the right of the screen, which can be
performed on several items at once.
Column width
Each table column (the DataGrid or the grid) can be widened or narrowed by selecting the line that separates two
column headers, and dragging it to left or right. Double-clicking will set the column width to the fitting value.
To save the columns width, you need to exit the screen with the ‘quit’ button: the next time you launch the
application, the saved widths will be used.
Sorting Records
By default, the data are sorted from oldest to newest. To change this order, simply click on the header of each column
to sort it alphabetically from A to Z, or Z to A. This convenient feature is more accessible than using Excel.
Searching Records
To facilitate working with large quantities of important data, the search box allows the display of only records fitting
the selected criteria. For example, in order to search for all “bolts” type products , just type the word “bolt” in the
designated box, and hit “Return” or the button on the right. Only the records including the word ‘bolt’ appear. Also, it
is possible to simply enter “bo” or “lts”. In the logbook screen, it is possible to combine criteria.
To return to the display of all the records, just use the “refresh” button. It is possible to recall the last 10 searches
performed, by clicking on the arrow of the search box.
3. Products tab
Display
The first tab is intended for the most common daily work: Incoming and outgoing inventory products.
The “products” are all the objects that can be found in the inventory which carry the same
references. The first tab displays the quantity of each product and products on warning alert.
Mouse click
When clicking on a line, a popup menu offers the following choices:
Insert product
Output product
Modify product
Create a new product
Print a label
Cancel
The Output and Input functions from the mouse right click moves only one reference at a time,
buttons are used to move more than one reference at a time.
Products tab buttons
Button Action
Help Opens the user manual for SIM on a web browser.
Refresh Restores data from database in the original form, after sorting data or to
make sure that a networked base is updated.
Clear Deletes all products from database, after user confirmation.
Export Send displayed data to an Excel file, respecting the displayed order
Please use SEPARATEUR_CSV=, when CSV export does not use ;
Alarms Shows only products with quantity under threshold
Barcode Opens a dialog window for scanning labels
Input Opens a dialog window to add products into stock
Output Opens a dialog window to remove products from stock
New Creates a new product reference
Modif Edits the selected line to alter a reference
Quit Exits the application
Product definition
Before anything, let us see what “products” means for SIM, as terms are very important to
avoid misunderstanding when working under stress. Here are the definitions of product
parameters:
Field Format Description
ID Integer Identifier. Each product has a unique identifier given automatically
by the database system and It cannot be changed. In normal
circumstances, you never need to change it. Usually, it is given in
chronological order.
Category String To facilitate sorting, each product can have a category associated.
There are no pre-defined rules about how to choose a category
name. No specific processing is done on the category names as
the application uses ID and references.
Reference String Each product has one reference, each reference corresponds to
only one product. This reference can be the bar code value or any
unique string. Choosing a good reference naming system is the key
of user comfort and system reliability.
Designation String This field is not used (expect for search requests) by the system
and may be used so that non-specialist users can clarify a
reference by details like aspect or user warnings.
Supplier String The supplier name is taken from the supplier table which is
detailed in a different tab. You don’t need to use this field.
Quantity Decimal The number of actual products of the same reference in stock.
This number can be anything, even a negative value as it is your
responsibility to check if it matches with the actual stock.
Mini Decimal This is the minimum quantity you want to keep in stock at any
time. When the real quantity is lower, the quantity will appear in
red, as for ID 14 in the samples screen. Mini is specified when
creating a new product.
Location String This field is not used by the system, you can write anything that
will help users find or sort products. Location is specified when
creating a new product.
U-Buy Decimal This field contains the unitary cost of the product, when added to
stock. Buying costs in SIM is not required. You can also use the
CUMP feature to make use of the average value of the actual
stock.
T-Buy Decimal This is the product of U-Buy by Quantity for a specified product.
U-Sell Decimal This field contains the unitary price of the product. Buying costs in
SIM is not required. You can also use the CUMP feature to make
use of the average value of the actual stock.
T-Sell Decimal This is the product of U-Sell and Quantity for a specified product.
4. Suppliers tab
1. Display
The suppliers tab is used to keep track of supplier’s information, for user comfort.
Suppliers tab buttons
Button Action
Help Opens a web browser on SIM web pages.
Refresh Restores data from database in the original form, after sorting data or to
make sure that a networked base is updated.
Clear Deletes all suppliers from the database.
Import Imports data from an Excel .csv file
Export Sends displayed data to an Excel file
New Creates a new supplier
Modif Edits the selected line
Quit Exits application
Supplier definition
Field Format Description
ID Integer Identifier. Each product has a unique identifier given
automatically by the database system and cannot be
changed. Normally, you don’t have to change it. Usually,
Identifiers are given in chronological order.
Company String The full name of the company
Logo String The short usual name, if any
Address String To send letters and return material
Zip Integer Zip code
City String Location
Name String Name of your main contact
First Name String First name of your main contact
Job String Main contact’s function
Mail1 String Main contact’s mail
Mail2 String Secondary mail
Fax String Fax
5. Logs tab
Display
The logs tab is used to keep track of any changes performed on the stock.
Log tab buttons
Button Action
Help Opens a web browser on SIM web pages.
Refresh Restore data from database in the original form, after sorting data or to
make sure that a networked base is updated.
Clear Deletes all logs from database, after user confirmation.
Export Sends displayed data to an Excel file
Modif Edits the selected line
Quit Exits application
Log definition
We call ‘movement’ an operation moving data into or out of stock. All movements are stored
(logged and) in the journal. Operations such as modifying and deleting an item are also
stored.
Field Format Description
ID Integer Identifier. Each product has a unique identifier given
automatically by the database system. It cannot be
changed. Normally you don’t have to change it. Usually,
identifiers given in chronological order.
Dates String Date and time of the operation
Type String Before = quantity before movement
After = quantity after movement
Input = products added to stock
Output = products taken out of stock
Modif = modification of product details
Comment String Comment eventually entered relating to the action
Category Integer Product group
ID_prod Integer Product ID
Reference String Product reference
Designation String Product designation
Supplier String Product supplier
Quantity Decimal Product quantity in stock
Movement Decimal Quantity moved
Mini Decimal Product minimum
Location String Location
U-buy Decimal Unitary buying price
U-sell Decimal Unitary selling price
6. Label printer tab
Introduction
The use of this tab to print labels is reserved for holders of the "bar code printing" license
available on [Link]
It is important in all of the following to distinguish the two types of printers that you can use
with SIM:
- Professional Zebra label printers, which print labels in rolls.
- Classical printers that print (rather badly) labels on board
You will easily understand that some functions are possible with one of the two types of
printing only.
Display
The Labels tab is optional, and may vary from one version to another to accommodate the
many possible uses of labels. It allows to print barcode labels with references of SIM
products.
The area on the left describes your central zone setting showing a label and a label sheet as
they will be printed. The center displays a simulation of the label. The right area has all the
control buttons.
7.2 Barcode Definitions
The first drop-down list is used to select the printer to be used. Caution: To return to the
"default" printer of Windows it must be selected by leaving this screen, otherwise the usual
users of the PC will print their documents on the labels.
The input fields Title, Categoryy, Designation and Reference are the texts that will be
printed. You can familiarize yourself by entering them by hand, but the drop-down boxes
allow you to choose the correct labels in your database in possibility of error.
The way the software will use or transform this information to reproduce it on the label is
fully defined by the CODE128 and CODEEAN parameters of your configuration.
The box number allows you to enter the number of identical labels you want to print.
Log tab buttons
Button Action
Select Opens the list of printers to use
Configuration Opens the parameter file which contains a [ETIQUETTE] section that
may need to be modified. Call us for more details.
Validate Variation of the previous button. Allows to update the software with
modifications of the [Link] file
Try Prints one label
Print Sends the specified number of labels to the printer
Create list Generates a CSV file containing the text of the labels for all products
Print list Prints the list from the previous file. The file can be modified as
required.
Quit Exits application
The format of the configuration file is described below. It is important to use the "validate"
button after each modification of the label.
A label is displayed in large format for adjustments.
The format of the .CSV file used for the boards is of the type "line1; line2; line3; ". In general,
line 3 is used for the barcode.
Simple label settings
This chapter describes the setting for one label.
In this sample, we use EAN code. The label is made of 3 lines, from the top to the bottom.
The text which appears under the barcode, it is the barcode value.
In this sample, we use code 128, which enables the use of most characters.
There are nearly 40 predefined label formats.
Most settings are optional, they have a default value.
In [Link] we have the following parameters:
[DATA]
NOMBRE=5 // Number of labels to print
TITRE=My Company // Tittle for all labels
[ETIQUETTE]
CODE128=0 // Using code128
CODEEAN=8 // Using code EAN
HAUTEUR=20 // Height of barcode drawing
LARGEUR=60 // Width of barcode drawing
OFFSETX=10 // Horizontal shift for all printing
OFFSETY=10 // Vertical shift for all printing
X1=0 // Horizontal position the first line
Y1=0 // Vertical position of the first line
F1=12 // Height of the font of the first line
L1=20 // Maximum character length of the first line
X2=1 // Second line X
Y2=8 // Second line Y
F2=8B // Second line height, 8 pixels, bold font
L2=20 // Second line length
X3=0 // Line 3 = Barcode drawing position
Y3=16
X4=0 // Line 4 position, if any
Y4=16
The optional zoom parameter allows you to print barcodes with a fixed bar width instead of
the total width of the fixed bar set. This makes it possible to improve readability when
needed.
ZOOM=5 // Optional parameter to use for fixed scale barcodes, replaces width param
Unit is usually half millimeter. It depends of your printer. There is an unlimited number of
possibilities. You can always send us a drawing for the label you want.
ROTATION is another optional parameter, to change printing direction.
ROTATION=0 ROTATION=1
The unit is normally half a millimeter. The example above gives the label as an example.
There is an infinite variety of label formats, including content, shape, dimensions, and fonts.
Multiple label printing
If you do not want to invest in a dedicated printer, you can use adhesive boards on a classical
inkjet printer. Use the Generate List and Print List buttons. You must add in the settings file:
[ETIQUETTE]
PAS_HORIZONTAL=100 // Horizontal distance between two labels
PAS_VERTICAL=50 // Vertical distance between two labels
NB_HORIZONTAL=4 // Number of labels in a row
NB_VERTICAL=8 // Number of labels in a column
If you use a label printer, for which each label is a different page, you must set the following
setting:
[ETIQUETTE]
NB_HORIZONTAL=1
NB_VERTICAL=1
Zebra printers
Zebra printers really have a lot of quality, but the ergonomics of the software provided is
catastrophic. By default, the EPL driver is installed and you have to go to the
printer setting panel in your window to select the advanced settings and change
the driver to the non EPL driver. Sometimes, to adjust the setting of the printer
you have to install the Zebra printer utility.
The calibrate media function is very powerful. If it does not work, please ask
Zebra for support.
Code 128 labels
The most powerful barcode coding is CODE128. It enables letters, uppercases
and low cases, as well as many symbols. A lot of formats are already integrated
into SIM.
Pre-defined SIM labels formats
You can select one of these formats with the parameter CODE128=XXX
This is the list in May 2016. Please ask for specific labels.
7. Inventory tab
Display
The inventory tab is independent of the usual stock management. It is dedicated to
inventory operation, performed on specific occasions to check if the theoretical stock, in the
products tab, really matches with what can be seen in the warehouse. In order to check, this
specific tab enables the following operations:
- To fill a list of products with theoretical quantities
- To enable the user to add actual quantities
- To display differences
- To update stock panel only for quantities that have been checked
- Quantities that have not been checked remain unchanged in the product tab
Inventory definition
In the inventory list, some information concerning all the products of the stock tab is
duplicated, completed by two columns specific to inventory.
Field Format Description
ID Integer Product identifier
Quantity Decimal Theoretical quantity in stock, from product tab
Real Decimal Actual quantity checked by user
Difference Decimal Automatically updated difference. Appears in red if actual
stock is lower than theoretical, yellow if actual is higher
and not colored if equal.
Inventory tab buttons
Button Action
Help Opens the web browser on SIM web pages.
Refresh Restores data from the database in the original form, after sorting data or to
make sure that a networked base is updated.
Clear Deletes all inventory data.
Export Sends displayed data to an Excel file
Save Updates stock quantities according to user’s actual quantities
Save Updates stock according to user’s real/actual quantities
New Initializes the inventory product list from stock’s information. Makes sure
previous data have been saved.
Quit Exits application
8. Tools tab
Display
The tool tab is separated into two sub-tabs. Depending on your chosen options, you can
have more sub-tabs and more buttons in each sub-tab. Here we will describe the basics.
Tools Configuration tab
Configuration tab buttons
Button Action
Edit Opens a text file [Link] containing all parameters using the good old
[Link] windows format. Parameters are grouped into [SECTIONS]. There is
one parameter name and one value per line.
Restart Restarts the application after a parameter change.
Clear Deletes all inventory data, after user confirmation.
Files Opens a file browser window to SIM folder.
Colors You can change the color of SIM windows and SIM buttons.
Tools Data tab
Data tab buttons
Button Action
Import
Products Lets you select a CSV file (text with columns separators) to import
product data, according to SIM export format.
Specific Products Lets you select a CSV files to import product data, under any format as
explained hereafter.
Suppliers Lets you select a CSV file containing the supplier’s description.
Clear all
Products Removes all product descriptions and quantities in the database.
Dangerous!
Suppliers Removes all suppliers from database.
Logbook Removes all logs from database.
Quantities Sets all product quantities to zero. Dangerous!
Here is the explanation for Specific Products Import:
1. Select the type of your file separator: Semicolon, Comma or Tab.
2. Open your file with the ‘File’ button
3. Column headers of your file are displayed next to the SIM columns. For example, as you
can see on the image above, by clicking once on the name of the product in the source
column on the left and then clicking twice on designation in the destination column, you can
define how data will be copied. Here the SIM designation column will take the Group column
values of your file. Do this for all columns that are requested by SIM. You do not necessary
need to use all columns.
4. Press the Import button.
When you return to this screen, SIM will offer to re-use the latest format. In order to delete
a line of the format, you must double-click on it.
CAUTION: Importing prices does not work if your columns contain $ or another currency
sign. We need the original cells to be in "number" format.
9. Advanced features
Since SIM is an open application based on standards such as Microsoft .NET, Access, SQL,
Excel, there are many possibilities for installing, using and customizing it to suit your
requirements, your information system or your network. Please contact us for more
information.
Parameters
SIM parameters are stored in the text file [Link]. All parameters are gathered under the
[divers] section. You only get a detailed description of the parameters once you have
purchased a full licensed version.
The only thing you need to know is that parameters are grouped into sections with names in
brackets:
[DIVERS]
[PRODUITS]
Within every section, each line contains one parameter, along with its name and value.
LICENCE1=23445
If you buy a license, you may have to edit and modify this file; we will help and support if
necessary.
--------------- End ----------------------
Your contact:
Mail: contact@[Link]
Site: [Link]
