Copyright © Dizzyatom, LLC 2009

Inventory Management Guide

HELIOS MEAT LAB MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

CON

TENTS

This guide describes system functions in detail for the Inventory Management application. It shows how to perform common operations and some of the less obvious features contained within the program.

This guide will also highlight procedural guidelines to ensure proper data integrity, product management and record keeping.

CON

TENTS

• Installation• Options• Lots• Processing Bin• CutType Management• Animals• Carcasses• Receiving• Weigh & Add• Boxing• Cut Management• Traceability

INSTALLATIO

N

The installation of the Helios Inventory Management program is very straightforward. To begin, locate the directory on your computer C:\Program Files\Dizzyatom\Helios. If the directory does not exist then create it.

INSTALLATIO

NCO

NT.

Obtain a copy of the program files from the Helios web site: http://www.dizzyatom.com/site/products/helios. Click on the “Download” tab and then the version releases link as indicated.

Link to select a version to download.

INSTALLATIO

NCO

NT.

Prerequisites for the program are also listed on this web page. They will have to be downloaded and installed prior to program usage. Please call us for any questions you might have concerning the prerequisites.

Other software that you might have to install.

INSTALLATIO

NCO

NT.

The download page lists all versions available. Select the most recent version. Three zip files will be listed, one for each application. Select and download the file “Helios.IMS.zip”. Save the file somewhere temporary on your computer. Unzip the file into the directory C:\Program Files\Dizzyatom\Helios.

This is the file to download for the IMS program.

INSTALLATIO

NCO

NT.

The program directory should look similar to the image above. If you have any questions or encountered any problems, please call us so we can assist.

Configuration file for the IMS program.

Create a shortcut to this file on your desktop.

OVERVIEW

The Inventory Management program is used to manage Animals, Carcasses, Cut Types, Received Boxed Meat, Fabrication, Boxing, Lots and assist with product storage management.

The title bar shows the version and the currently logged in user.

COM

MO

N FO

RM

FEATURES

All forms in the program have some common features. 1. The first feature to notice is the program title bar. It shows the name of the

application, the version, the user account currently logged in with the access level name and possibly the name of the form. The application can be minimized but not maximized, because the application was designed to cover the entire screen with a resolution of 1024 x 768.

2. Next, notice the menus. The first option is Logout which gives you the option to switch users or close the program if a login is cancelled. The View menu controls the navigator screen and closing open forms. The Tools menu contains features that might not be commonly used like Traceability. The Help menu contains links to the Helios web site, the program guides and information about the program itself.

3. The toolbar of colored icons represents add, save, delete, print and close operations, respectively, that can be performed on the form. Not all options are available all the time, like Print. The toolbar will also show the form name and what operational state the form currently is in, denoted by a colored, textual description.

4. Every form can be closed in two ways, from the recommended Close toolbar icon and the “x” in the upper right corner.

The operational state the form is in.

Begins the adding process. Deletes the current record on the form.

Any changes that have been made or records that have

been added are committed to the database when the “Save"

button is clicked.

COM

MO

N FO

RM

FEATURES

CON

T.

Many forms contain similar grids like the one shown above. A grid enables you to manage a list of related data. Each row of the grid is a separate data entry object.

To add a new row, look for the “new row” denoted by the *. When you begin typing in one of the cells in the new row the * will turn into an editing image that looks like a pencil. When you leave the “new row” the “pencil” will disappear and the new data will be committed to the list of data.

To remove a row of data, click the far left of the row where the * or “pencil” appears; the entire row should be highlighted. Press the DEL key on your keyboard.

To edit individual parts of a row, just start typing in a cell (if text) or select the cell’s control (if not text).

Changes made to the list of related data are not committed to the database until the black “save” icon is clicked on the form’s toolbar.

This row is currently being edited.

New row indicator.

Indicates that a data validation error occurred.

Hover your mouse over the red icon to get information

about the error.

LOG

IN

In order to use the program, a user account must be established. The form shown above allows you to login with those assigned credentials. Only Active users are allow to login. When successfully logged in, the security level assigned to your account grants and/or restricts access to certain forms/features.

If the application has been configured for “Passthrough Authentication” then a prompt might appear asking if you would like to auto-logon as show above. Passthrough authentication is a feature whereby the system reads the Windows user account you are currently logged in as and searches for a system user account that matches the same Windows username. If a match is found then the above message appears to avoid having to type in your system credentials.

Additionally, if “Passthrough Authentication” is being forced, no prompt will appear for a successful match. If no match was found then you have the option to login the standard way. Turning this feature on is a great time-saver; however, it requires coordination with Windows user accounts on your computer. This option is configured in the Options menu under Tools.

OPTIO

NS

Program options are configured under the Tools > Options menu. Note that some of these options require the program to be restarted to become effective.1. The “Scales” list selects/changes the scale that the program uses. This

option is also viewed at the bottom left of the main form. The special “Random Weight” scale can be used for testing and demonstration purposes.

2. The “Printers” lists select/change the printers used for different printing functions.

3. “Default SellBy Days” value is the number of days from today that the SellBy field on the Fabrication form is automatically incremented.

4. “Max Lots to Show” value is the number of the most recent lots displayed in the Lot Management list.

This button helps find a directory.

OPTIO

NS

CON

T.

5. The “Images Directory” field value should be set to the location on your computer or network share where images are stored. This is used for animal and cut type pictures.

6. “Scale Sensitivity” value is the number of milliseconds the program will query the scale for a weight. If cuts are added to the system too fast when removing and placing meat on the scales, then increase the value. 1000 is the recommended default value.

7. “Include IMPS codes in searches” tell the cut type selection list on the Fabrication form to also list IMPS code. This is provided for convenience if you are accustomed to using IMPS instead of URMIS codes.

8. “Filter by Species in searches” means that the cut type selection list is filtered by the species of identified carcasses/further processed meat on the Fabrication form.

9. “Save Grid Layout” is an option that allows for the persistence of manual grid column reordering. Some of the grids in the program allow their columns to be reordered; CutTypes form being the predominant one.

10. “Passthrough Authentication”, as discussed on the previous slide, is turned on/off here.

LOTS

All carcasses, shipments and cut fabrication activities are grouped with Lots. The Lot panel can be accessed from any form at any time. Since lot management is a restricted feature, it is important that a manager user setup the daily lot values before any activities begin. Also, be aware that the “current lot” must be set before any activities are carried out because the associated data cannot be edited. For example, if a cut has been weighed and added without a “current lot” set then that cut cannot be assigned a lot; it will have to be deleted and re-weighed/added. It is not mandatory to use the lot system but for safety guidelines it is highly recommended.

Click button to open/close Lot Management. Also indicates

the “Current Lot”.Click arrow to set the current

lot.

Click to clear the current lot. Print a listing of lot members.

PROCESSIN

G BIN

The Processing Bin (PB) is a simple grouping of fabricated cuts for whatever purpose. The PB panel can be viewed from any form at any time. It is also “drag-drop” aware and coupled with other “aware” controls, entire lists of cuts can be moved around the program without keeping a list of barcodes. Some common usages include immediate boxing after weigh-and-add, movement of inventory, product re-pricing and maintaining a list of further process cuts. Note that a cut can only be associated with one PB at a time.

Click button to open/close the processing bin.

Click row to begin a drag-drop operation to another form control.

Lists of cuts can be dropped into the grid to auto-create a new PB or added

to an existing PB.

The PB can be detached outside of the program for

easier access to form controls. Click and drag this icon.

CUTTYPE

MAN

AGEM

ENT

Fabrication categorization management is handled on this form. The system comes with an extensive list of URMIS-based cut types; however, you are free to add or hide cut types as you see fit. The required fields are listed on the Required tab; optional information is on the Optional tab. The list can be sorted by clicking on a header column. Columns can also be moved around by dragging before or after another column. Select a row in the grid to edit the cut type information.

Filters the list based on the value of “Hidden”.

Search for cut types by URMIS.

IMPS reference lookup.

Special cut type value indicating a whole carcass.

Default label for the selected cut type.

CUTTYPE

MAN

AGEM

ENT

CON

T.

Optional information is entered on the Optional tab. Note that a UPC product code is establish here. IMPS codes are associated on the IMPS tab. To add an IMPS code, type the code in the empty text box and press the ENTER key. To delete, select in the list and click “Remove”.

Enter new IMPS code here.

Optional label information goes here.

CUTTYPE

MAN

AGEM

ENT

CON

T.

Images can be associated with cut types to give a visual indication of the fabricated product. This image and generated thumbnail also show up on the web site (if enabled). To set an image, click on the picture area; right-click for more options.

Select for the cut type to show up on the web site.

CUTTYPE

MAN

AGEM

ENT

CON

T.

Frequently, you might need to change the PricePerUnit for a cut type. When you change this value, a prompt will display (as shown). Each time the PricePerUnit is changed, the value and some notes are saved for historical reference.

ANIM

ALS

The first step in the fabrication process to ensure traceability of product involves identifying animals. Any unique identifier can be used such as an RFID, ear tag, or your own number system. To add a new animal, click the “new” icon, enter an identifier, and all other required information. Once saved, the identifier cannot be changed. Remember to click the “save” icon to keep any changes you have made.

Search for animals by identifiers here.

When adding a new animal, this field will become editable. It cannot be changed after it is

saved.

Special system-specific data.Special report filter that denotes a custom animal not

part of normal operations.

ANIM

ALSCO

NT. - G

RAPH

This graph shows the number of each cut type that the selected animal has contributed to. Notice the “print” icon in the upper-right corner that allows you to print what is currently being displayed.

Print the form as it is shown.

ANIM

ALSCO

NT. - G

RAPH

This graph shows the total weight per cut type fabricated from the selected animal. Notice the special “black” area on the chart and legend. This indicates the unprocessed amount calculated by subtracting the total cut weight from the weight of the animal. This helps to show how much of the animal was not used.

ANIM

ALSCO

NT. - G

RAPH

This graph shows the total price per cut type fabricated from the selected animal. Notice the special “black” area on the chart and legend. This indicates the unrecovered cost amount calculated by subtracting the aggregate price from all the cuts fabricated from the acquisition price of the animal. When this area is shown, it indicates the break-even point has not been reached.

CARCASSES

The second step in product traceability is carcass data entry. The carcass form allows you to add, edit and delete carcass from the system. It shows a list of cuts that have been fabricated from the selected carcass and aggregate values calculated from fabrication data.

Search for carcass by identifier here.

View related animal information here.

Changes based on the related animal’s species class.

CARCASSESCO

NT.

When adding a new carcass record, you will be presented with an animal lookup screen. This provides traceability back to the animal. Also, remember to set the “Current Lot” before adding. Enter all the required information and click “Save”. Like the Animal form, once the identifier field is set it cannot be changed.

RECEIVING

Another way of acquiring unprocessed meat is in the form of purchased boxed meat. Boxed product is purchased from a Vendor, recorded as an Invoice and received as a Shipment with each box being a separate Foreign Box.Each tab is a subset of data from the previous tab’s selected row. The tab’s text indicates what was selected so you know which Vendor/Invoice/Shipment you are editing.

Select the Vendor you are receiving product from.

When adding or editing, make sure the tab indicated the

correct selection. You might have to click in the “new row”

to get it to show.

Enter a value for Completed when no more shipments are received to effectively close

the Invoice and make it read-only.

RECEIVING

CON

T.

After you have entered a new Invoice, click “save”. Select the “shipments” tab and enter shipment information when you actually receive the boxed product. When all foreign boxes are accounted for, enter today’s date in the “Completed” field (mm/dd/yyyy format). When all shipments are accounted for, enter today’s date in the “Completed” field. Completed entries render all related data read-only.

Don’t forget to set the lot.

RECEIVING

CON

T.

The last step in receiving involves the actual Foreign Box information. Start typing in relevant information in a “new row”. When finished click the “save” icon. It is important to remember that the Identifier must be unique for all received boxes. The value can be whatever you would like and will be used to identify the product when fabricating product on the Weigh and Add form.

Must be unique.

Print a label for the selected Foreign Box.

WEIG

H &

ADD

The Weigh and Add form is where fabricated meat product is associated with carcasses, foreign boxes, a combination or produced from existing cuts. Next, the type of product is selected from the cut type list. This list is sensitive to each character you type and will build a list of possible cut types from your entry or you can enter the URMIS directly. The cut type information will be displayed with default values in the third section. Once all fabrication data is correct (don’t forget to set the Lot!), click the green arrow to begin the “weigh and add” process.

Auto-set from the selected cut type information.

WEIG

H &

ADD

CON

T.

Note: The further process list is a drag-drop aware control. Processing Bins can be dropped here to auto-populate the list. When existing cuts are added, their associated carcasses and foreign boxes are added to the respective lists. This ensures product traceability. If you remove a carcass or foreign box entry then associated existing cuts will also be removed. When existing cuts are assigned to a new cut, they can not longer be sold as an individual unit.

Drag row from the grid to the “further process” list. The cursor should change to indicate the drop area.

WEIG

H &

ADD

CON

T.

This screen is where cuts are weighed, priced, bar-coded and labels are printed when cuts are fabricated. When the system detects a weight change on the scale, the weight will show in green, the cut information will be entered into the system and added to the list box. When finished, click the green arrow to return to the cut type screen. Different types of cuts can be added on this form simultaneously. The form can only be closed while on the cut type screen.

Click “Start “ make the program listen for weigh

changes on the scale. Stop stop to pause or end the

process.

Gives a summary of the fabricated cuts in the list.

Click numbers to Zero /Tare the scale.

Lots and the Processing Bin can be accessed as long as the “start” button has not been clicked.

WEIG

H &

ADD

CON

T.

The warning above is shown when multiple, existing cuts are going to contribute to new product. It means that the new cuts fabricated will not have a “parent cut” assigned, but the related carcass and/or foreign boxes associated with the existing cuts will also be used to associate with the new cuts. Selecting “No” will cancel the “Start” or the weigh and add process.

WEIG

H &

ADD

CON

T.

This shows a drag-drop operation onto the Processing Bin (PB). Start by opening the PB, click in the list of fabricated cuts and drag onto the PB. When the cursor changes you know you can drop the list.

Select a cut in the list to delete or reprint.

WEIG

H &

ADD

CON

T.

When you close the Weigh and Add form, you will be asked if you would like to assign the fabricated cuts to a location. This is not mandatory but is a great way to store the entire group of cuts right away.

Another way to accomplish assigning a list of cuts to a location is through the use of the Processing Bin (PB). Open the Cut Management form and select the “Move” tab. Drag and drop a PB row onto list box.

BOXIN

G

The final and optional step in the fabrication process in the boxing of individual cuts of product. Boxed product is called a “Container” and is essentially a group of cuts. The Container identifier/barcode can be scanned at the POS application, where each cut is entered individually as a separate line item. To create a Container, click the green “plus” icon, enter a description and the tare weight of the box and click “save”. Cuts can only be added to a container once it have been saved and received an non-zero system ContainerID.

Search for container by barcode/identifier.Container identifiers/barcodes

are generated automatically.

Quick way to move a container’s cuts.

BOXIN

GCO

NT.

To add cuts to the container, scan them in individually in the “Cut Identifier” field of use the Processing Bin to add an entire list at once. Cuts added to the list are automatically saved to the box so no need to click the “save” button.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

T

This form allows you to make changes to a specific cut. Only “Inventory” status cuts can be modified. Notice the tabs at the bottom. Each one contains more information concerning the related data on the selected cut.

If “Inventory” status, shows where the cut is currently

located.

Changing the weight will automatically change the

price.

More information about the related carcass.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TCO

NT.

If you choose to re-price the cut on the screen, the “Previous” field will be the last price you selected.

A list of each location the cut was stored in and who performed the move.

This barcode image can be printed, just right-click.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TM

OVIN

G

Use this form to move whole sets of unrelated cuts for whatever reason. Scan the barcode in the “Identifier” field to add a cut to the list. When all cuts have been added, select the location you wish to store them in and optionally give a reason for the move then click “Move”. Only “Inventory” status cuts can be moved.

Check the box and press DEL to remove.

Scan cut barcode here to add to the list.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TRE-PRICIN

G

Use this form to re-price unrelated sets of cuts OR all “Inventory” status cuts of a particular cut type. This screen works just like the Move screen. When the desired options have been selected, enter the “Price Per Unit” value that will be multiplied by each cut’s weight to calculate the new price. The previous price for each cut will be remembered after the re-price.

Check the box and press DEL to remove.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TRE-PRICIN

GCO

NT.

Select whole groups of cuts for re-pricing.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TCYCLE CO

UN

TING

Cycle counting is the procedure for keeping track of all meat inventory. Begin by selecting the location that you want to verify that cuts are stored in. The special <none> location shows cuts that are not assigned a location. Scan each cut in the Search field. If the cut is found in the list, the “Present” column will be checked for the row entry. If it is scanned and not found, it will be added to the “Misplaced Cuts” list. When done, any remaining cut records will have the “Present” column unchecked. Click “Process” to commit your cycle count to the database for historical records.

If you want to include cuts that you have set aside for

further processing, select this box to show them in the list.

Scan cuts here.

Click to clear the misplaced cuts list.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TCYCLE CO

UN

TING

CON

T.

To unselect a cut in the list, re-scan the barcode. The image above is an example of a completed cycle count ready for processing.

This cut was not in the location so it is not selected.

This cut was in the selected location , but is not supposed

to be there.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TCYCLE CO

UN

T HISTO

RY

This screen shows a historical record, filtered by a date range, of locations, cut types and actual cuts that had a problem during a cycle count operation. Click the “Refresh” button if you make a list filter change. Locations that show to have problems gives you an indicator of areas that might need to be watched more carefully for shrinkage.

This shows that this location has repeatedly had problems.

2 to be exact.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TCYCLE CO

UN

T HISTO

RY

Cut types that show to have problems are a good way to pin-point valuable item shrinkage.

Each of these cut types have had a problem in the past.

CUT M

ANAG

EMEN

TCYCLE CO

UN

T HISTO

RY

The actual cuts that had a problem are listed here. This is just a detailed listing with a total amount useful in determining how much monetary loss has been incurred.

TRACEABILITY

Traceability is the component of the system where all fabricated product is associated and traced back to it’s origins whether it be carcasses then animal, foreign boxed product, or a combination or both (as shown above).

Click element in list for more information.

Select the direction you wish to trace information.

OTH

ER FORM

S

When reprinting labels, the screen shown above may be presented which allows you to print a different label that what was assigned to the object.

Technical support information is shown on the About form under the Help menu.

Operating system name.

System memory information.

Loaded assembly versions.

Database information.

Registration /license information.

Based on the type of lookup, this form will list labels only in

specific categories.

CHAN

GE CO

NFLICTS Sometimes when multiple users are editing the same data a change conflict occurs. When the

system detects this, this form will indicate the conflicts and allow you to make a decision on how to it should be handled. The actions taken are described in detail below:Merge: Only the Current values that are different from the Original are preserved. All other values are updated to the Database value. (Database values override conflicts/Change only what isn't in conflict.) In this case, John will be the value retained.Retry Later: Keeps the Current values, assigning the Database value to the original. In other words, the system will attempt to re-save the Current value to the Database upon the next Save operation. In this case, Jane will be retained when another save is executed.Discard: Discards any changes made, replacing the Original and Current values with the Database value. In this case, Jane will be the value retained and your current data will be refreshed to reflect this retention.

ERRORS

Sometimes an error occurs that is not easily explainable like the ones show above. If you are unable to resolve the problem, closing the form or program and then re-opening will fix a lot of errors. When critical or unhandled errors are encountered, an entry will be logged in Windows Event Viewer. If the error continues to happen, please call us so we can help get it resolved for you.

Can be resolved by reprinting again.

Can be resolved by closing the form and re-opening.

Can be resolved by ensuring that PO details have unique

ItemIDs.