Re: Barcode scanning -- BPCS-L

Tyler,

In a message dated 98-04-14 14:04:16 EDT, you write:

> Does anyone have any experience using a barcode scanning device for   
>  taking orders?  As a food distributor, we are looking for the capability   
>  of having our salespeople walk down the aisle of a supermarket and scan a  
>  shelf tag and enter the quantity of that item they want to order.
>  So far, the only thing our SSA AE has suggested is a product called DC   
>  serve.  This product is actually designed for shipping but we figure that  
>  since it already has some interfaces with BPCS that it would be the least  
>  work to interface it with COM.
>  Any thoughts?

Yes.  AFAIK, SSA/SE developed and supports the DC Serve product (although that
may just be the impression that they're trying to create).  We have taken
three different approaches to this at my current primary client by version and
plant.  At the first plant under 5.1.01, we populated NIN workstation members
via hand-held download programs, RF, and custom transaction processing
programs (both C/S and green-screen) and used CIMPath (CIM600) to update.  The
workstation members proved to be a pain, mainly due to devices dropping out in
mid-transaction and leaving the CIM data area locked, so we modified CIM600
for plant two under 5.1.01 to drive off of a data queue and to remain active
at all times.  Both of these solutions were satisfactory (except for the
mentioned data area problem), although CIM600 doesn't work _quite_ like INV500
as SSA contended at the time.

For 6.0.02, we were told by SSA that there would _be no_ CIMPath -- a
statement that has since proven to be untrue.  Unfortunately, we had already
invested the effort in creating a front-end for INV500B1 that performs the
edits that INV500D2 does so that we could call it to update interactively,
prior to finding out that CIMPath lives.  Problems have been numerous -- as
mentioned under another subject, INV500* still receives an average of a
BMR/week, INV500B1 is a _REALLY SORRY_ excuse for a program that was "Rev'd"
into AS/Set from the original RPG program (uses "dummy indicators", GOTO's,
and is too large to be viewed through SEU unless from a "browse" on a smaller
program), B1 is _sloooooooowwwwww_, and two of the dates that SSA was passing
it were still six digits.  If we were to do it all over again, we probably
would have stuck with CIMPath after we found out that it was still
available...

Feel free to write if you have any specific questions.

HTH,

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-Mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel." -- Will
Kommen
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