This extension allows you to use a laser scanner (a handheld scanner):

• to record your stock movements
• to enter your quotations, invoices, delivery notes, and other documents

In addition, a special function allows you to compare the results of a series of scans with a delivery note or a stock receipt.

Register the EAN13 codes for the products you want to identify in this way (via the product sheet).

Duplicate barcodes are allowed in Gestan. You must ensure that you have not entered duplicate barcodes for products that are likely to be scanned (this can be checked using the data audit programme).

This extension is not designed to read codes of different sizes, such as 12-digit UPCs or 9-digit serial numbers.

Settings can be configured via the Tools menu ? Application settings ? Extension settings.

The Barcode reader connection combo box allows you to specify the connection mode. Currently, only the USB port is supported. Some handheld scanners used to connect to an RD232 port, but these are collector's items!

The end character is the character that your handheld scanner sends as a return character. Often, this is the RC character (carriage return, Car(13)), but it is not always the same. Consult your handheld scanner's documentation to find out which character it uses, or to set it to RC.

You can also choose a sound if your handheld scanner does not beep naturally.

By ticking the Start automatically in document creation box, the scan screen will start automatically every time you create a new quote, invoice, delivery note, etc., which is handy.

The Force leading zero box allows you to process EAN13s that start with a 0. Normally, this is rare, but we have observed that some (all?) handheld scanners return 12 characters instead of 13 if the EAN13 starts with 0.

Access: Products → Barcode scan entry

Once the handheld scanner is connected, you can scan items.

The Manual button allows you to make a manual addition, particularly to add a product without a barcode, such as the product ‘OTHER’ here.

The Remove button deletes the selected line, but does not delete the product itself.

If the ‘+’ button 1 is enabled, there will only be one line per item code: if you scan the same item twice, the quantities will be added together, instead of creating a new line for the same item, as shown here for the product ‘TEST’. You can enable or disable the sound with the 2 button.

By default, the stock movements generated are for a quantity of 1. The numeric keypad allows you to specify a different default quantity before scanning. For example, if you are scanning cases of 12 bottles but want to manage your stock in bottles rather than cases, enter ‘12’ on the keypad: each laser scan will generate a movement with a quantity of 12 (when you change the quantity, the message ‘Waiting…’ will appear for 2 seconds, allowing the parameter to be saved without disrupting the scanner).

The Validate button allows you to record the corresponding stock movements, whether entries or outgoings, specifying the stock location if this is managed.

You can also use the handheld scanner to scan products when creating quotations, invoices, delivery notes, etc.

To do this, click on the small barcode button 1. This opens the handheld scanner input screen, adapted for input in a document (i.e. without the fields relating to stock management). Upon validation, the document items will be created.

The settings allow you to open the scan screen automatically when creating a document

You can also position your mouse in the direct product code entry field 2 and scan the code. The EAN13 code will be entered in the field, and pressing ‘Enter’ will validate the line (the display of this field is controlled by the general settings of the application, in the documents tab).

By right-clicking on the item table, you can:

• display the corresponding product sheet
• modify the quantity for a particular line
• delete all lines

You can also compare entries with a BL or BR.

To understand the usefulness of this comparison, let's take an example: you are a cinema projector rental company. You have barcoded your equipment and recorded the barcodes in the product catalogue.

When you rent out a set of equipment:

• you scan the equipment as it leaves, which generates an invoice,
• then you create a delivery note, which you give to the person who came to rent the equipment.

When the equipment is returned, the person brings back the equipment and the delivery note. Right-click and select ‘Compare with a delivery note’, then select that delivery note. Then you scan the products that the person returns to you.

As long as what is returned does not match what was delivered, a red button indicates the discrepancy. Clicking on this button allows you to edit a summary report of the discrepancies.

And when everything matches, like magic, the red button turns into a green button!

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