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About Bar Coding --->>GO

Transfer of Data --->>GO

About Interfaces With Back Office or Legacy Systems --->>GO

About OrderMaster --->>GO

About SPT-1500 Bar Code Scanner --->>GO

About FieldMaster --->>GO

About Bar Coding:
1. Q: Must all of my items for sale be bar coded?
A: It is faster for the sales person if each item for sale has a unique bar code, however for those manufacturers who have large SKU numbers and have limited showroom or exhibit spaces, OrderMaster will allow the person to scan the "as shown" label and backspace over the final few digits and re-key a unique number for that particular product. Product options are also supported. Here, the laser stops the sales person and displays the options available for the given product, and allows him to choose one. Pricing for the options are displayed by the option. Alternatively, you can scan the product and wait for the personal computer to prompt you for a selection of options.

2. Q: Can I use my own private label hang tags and still implement bar code technology without distracting from the beauty of the product?
A: Avery bar code labels come in many sizes. If only the product number and bar code are printed on the label, it can be quite small and completely unobtrusive simply by being attached to existing hang tags.

3. Q: How do I print bar code labels?
A: OrderMaster is designed to work with many off-the-shelf bar code software, such as Zebra Bar Code Anything which retails for $49.00 and is an extremely powerful tool for selecting and printing only certain bar codes, or Label Unlimited for $14.00 from your local computer stores.

4. Q: What bar code symbology should I select?
A: OrderMaster is designed to work with all of the current symbologies. Probably it can use the existing label required by your retailer or used in your warehouse. It is totally...your choice!

5. Q: Must I purchase special "high cost" label printers?
A: NO! You can use your existing office quality laser printer and Avery labels. If your label production becomes extremely high in volume, then you may want to consider upgrading your printer to one which would be ultimately more economical.

Transfer Of Data:
1. Q: In which file format should I send you my data?
A: Just about any format. The preferred file format is standard ASC II coma delimited. OrderMaster can also accept Lotus 123, Excel spreadsheets, ASC II fixed length record formats, dBASE formats, or Word tabbed columnar formats.

2. Q: How should I send my data to you?
A: The best way is to E-mail it to the hyperlink. Or you may mail it on 3.5 floppy diskettes or zip drive disks.

3. Q: What data elements are required?
A: For the customer file: Need: name, address (two maximum), city, state, zip, telephone #. Additional data options available are: fax #, assigned sales rep and legacy system customer account #. For the product file: Need: product #, wholesale price, description, and unit of measure. Additional data options available here are: product category (for grouping), minimum purchase quantities, order increments (once the minimums have been met), options/styles, inventory status/date and bar code.

An example of customer info in ASCII coma delimited format:
Frame Shop, The
123 J Road, Suite 11
Marietta, GA 30008, 7704347760,7703342356,01?9181*, 033**,256096750***
*= your legacy account number, **= assigned sales rep #, ***= customer tax id #

An example of Product Info in ASCII coma delimited format:
TB?011 * , 37869736071 **, Table?End, End Table for Corners *** , EACH 1 ^, 1^ ^, 125.99^ ^ ^
*= your product #, **= your bar code, ***= prod. desc., ^ = min.qty. ^^ =order incr.after min, and ^^^ = price.
                                                                             ---->> back

2. Q: How do I know that my existing legacy system will allow electronic entry of orders?
A: That question is best answered by your support person or the person that sold you the system. Ask them the simple question. Or you could access that information simply in your legacy manuals. Search topics like "importing data" or "electronic data entry".?OrderMaster staff is available to help on a contractual basis determine if your legacy system will allow electronic entry of orders. Typically, one time cost is $750. Currently OrderMaster orders go directly into Real World Accounting systems. Four additional industry dominant back office systems are coming soon with no additional charge to you to develop an automatic interface to those packages.)

3. Q: Can you assist me in loading the system for the first time?
A: Yes! The one time training and loading fee is only $400.00. The training insures that you only make this investment once.

2. Q: I often negotiate the price with larger buyers on the showroom floor. Can I override the price on the laser unit?
A: YES! You can override the price or enter: "no charge" once you have scanned the item.

3. Q: Since my products have options, can I have either price increases or decreases for a specific option on that product?
A: YES! The price adjustment will be shown on the laser allowing better buying decisions.

4. Q: What computer equipment and networks are required by OrderMaster?
A: OrderMaster was designed with efficiency and speed in mind. It will run on any Pentium based PC. An average system requires less than 10 MB of disk space, and 24 MB of RAM is sufficient. Windows NT, 95, or 98 and Novell are supported networks. We do, however, recommend laser printers for speed of delivery.

5. Q: Will each sales staff need a laser unit for selling while on the road?
A: That is optional. OrderMaster will also work with a keyboard attached CCD or Laser wand that is less expensive, but will still allow bar code scanning while on the road. You would need to bar code your catalog, supply the sales staff with labels, or print a bar code book with Zebra Bar Code Anything.

6. Q: What are the physical space requirements in the showroom?
A: Required space may be minimized by using laptop computers and small 8ppm laser printers. A mouse is a must for many people. The physical requirements are approximately two flat surfaces of 18-inch square to hold the printer on one surface, and the mouse, laptop and docking cradle on the other. The surface for the PC should be at a suitable height to allow easy data entry on the keyboard while standing. Alternatively, you could use table or desk surfaces. If you utilize a person to operate the computer all day long, seating would certainly be recommended.

7. Q: How many laser units should I purchase?
A: That is strictly a matter of how your business functions. We would recommend at least one laser for every two salespeople. The maximum would be on a 1 to 1 ratio. Although, it is rare that a laser unit is "down", it may behoove you to have a couple of back up units, in those rare occasions.

8. Q: What other software is required?
A: It is required that you have a bar code software such as Zebra Bar Code Anything ($49.00), or Label Unlimited ($14.00), or others for label production and PC Anywhere for remote support. It is recommended that an anti-virus package be installed and an Internet Connection, in order to receive new product/price information and to send orders.

9. Q: How will I get my orders sent to the corporate office?
A: OrderMaster can do that for you for a nominal fee. We are fully web enabled to move data to and from your corporate office. If you have an Internet Connection you can E-mail them on your own.

10. Q: Will OrderMaster provides Training?
A: YES! You will receive a CD demonstration of the system in use. Depending on the size of the system, your company will receive 2 to 4 hours of live training either on site or via PC Anywhere.

11. Q: Can I use pre printed order forms or must I scan in my logo?
A: You may use pre printed forms, scan in a logo, or create your own logo with a graphics package.

12. Q: What if I have a customer buying for several locations. The customer wants the same or similar order shipped to more than one location. Do I need to re-enter the data?
A: NO! OrderMaster is equipped with a "copy" or a "clone" feature, which makes this a very easy procedure.

13. Q: Why does your system trend toward usage of the PC over the handheld unit?
A: This is purely a philosophical question. We have chosen to place the major burden of the processing on a platform such as the PC because it has the speed and power to get the job done quickly. The color screen on the PC makes it easier to see what one is doing and make it easier to see your product image. Keying alphabetic characters is much easier on a typewriter keyboard than it is on a small handheld. Additionally, once the order is in the PC, it is captured for instantaneous reporting and the PC has the available hard drive space to keep a buying history.

14. Q: What reports are considered "standard" with your system?
A: Order Entry Report, Territory List, Authorized Rep List, Daily Sales Order Performance Report, Product Sales Ranking Report, either by quantity or by dollar amount, Sales Goal Analysis Report, Territory Management Report with buying history, and Manufacturer Notification (sending orders by fax, e-commerce, or paper).

15. Q: What if I want a different report? A new report?
A: OrderMaster has a standard internal linkage to the most popular report writer packages. OrderMaster is based on an open data base architecture to allow you to do your own reports. But you can always contract with OrderMaster for their technical staff to produce a customized report, respective to your companys needs.

2. Q: What is the cost of SPT 1500?
A: The cost for SPT1500 is $535 for the 2MB version and $685 for the 4MB Version. $55 for the cradle and user's manual.

3. Q: What are the types of Bar codes the unit will be able to scan?
A: The SPT 1500 can decode the following symbologies: UPC/EAN/JAN, Bookland EAN, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, Interleaved 2 of 5, Discrete 2 of 5, Codabar, MSI Plessey

4. Q: How far away from a bar code can the SPT 1500 read?
A: Range: 3 inch to 23 inch.

5. Q: Does the scanner affect the use of the IR port?
A: The IR port is in the same location as on the original Palm units. The scan engine for reading bar codes is placed to the left of the IR port and does not interfere with IR transmissions.

6. Q: What other applications will work on the SPT 1500?
A: The SPT 1500 maintains 100% compatibility with the Palm OS platform. All applications that work on the Palm III product by 3Com also run on the SPT 1500.

7. Q: My application causes the unit to lock up. What do I do now?
A: You can reset the unit, by inserting the tip of an unfolded paper clip (or similar object, without a sharp tip) into the reset hole on the back panel of the unit. You will not loose any data. The SPT-1500 will restart and all records and entries on the terminal will be retained.

8. Q: Will I be able to sync my E-mail with the SPT 1500?
A: Yes, you can sync your email to these listed Email products:

Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft exchange 4.0 or Higher
Microsoft Windows Messaging
Microsoft Outlook Express
Eudora 3.03 and Higher
Lotus cc: mail 2.5
Lotus cc: mail
Lotus cc: mail
Also, 3rd party products such as Intellisync by Puma Technologies? and DataViz are available for other E-mail systems not listed.
9. Q: The first time I Hot Sync after loading the Desktop software, I receive the error "Please select a user name", even though my name is the only one showing in the Users window.
A: You must click on your name to highlight it before clicking on enter. The unit should now complete the Hot Sync operation.

10. Q: I have tried to HotSync with my Mac and it crashes the machine. What is wrong?
A: First make sure that SPT 1500, Rev B (a BigROM file such as: BigROM.Symbol.25.pim.rom, BigROM.Symbol.25.nopims.rom) is installed on the SPT 1500 unit and that you are using Mac OS, version 8.5 or later If you still are using the old user account on the Mac, you also still had an old Backup directory. If this directory still had the SerialHWMgr.prc file, it still will fail.

11. Q: What modem options are available?
A: The SPT 1500 is compatible with any modem option designed for the 3Com Palm III as long as it does not need to clip over the top.

12. Q: Can I adapt the serial port on the SPT 1500 to a standard DB9 connector?
A: You can use the serial cradle (Part #: CRD1500-1000S ) or the Serial Hotsync cable (Part #: 520-0006). Both terminate in a female DB9 connector. You can then use standard gender changers and 9-to-25 pin adapters to connect to a serial device if needed. The pin outs for the serial port are located at http://www.palmpilot.3com.com/devzone/hw.html

13. Q: When I use the flash utility, the flash process gets to about 70% or 80% of completion and then stops or times out. Why is this happening?
A: This timeout problem occurs with users who have laptop computers. You will need to remove the power management capability (battery icon) from the Startup.

14. Q: The battery diagram on the main menu shows half full but I am getting low battery messages from my scanning application. Which one is correct?
A: The power consumption characteristics of the SPT 1500 are different than those of a normal Palm device. The low battery warning message for a scan-aware application will indicate a low battery earlier than that of the standard Palm device. This is to ensure that you don't loose data. The low battery warning in the SPT-1500 comes at a higher voltage level than the warning for the normal Palm device. Therefore, when the low battery warning appears, be sure to save your data and hot sync. You will still have power available to perform Palm functions, but scanning will not be possible until new batteries are inserted.

15. Q: I put in new batteries and lost all my data. How did this happen? What is wrong?
A: Check to see that the batteries are put in correctly. Make sure that the orientation of both batteries matches the "+" and "-" signs on the bottom of the battery compartment.

16. Q: When my batteries get low, what is the best way to change batteries on my SPT 1500 so that I don't loose any data?
A: Before you change the batteries, make sure that you sync your unit to minimize any potential problem. When battery voltage falls below the acceptable operating level and batteries need to be replaced, we recommend the following procedure:

Turn your unit off so that there is no screen display.
On the back of the SPT 1500, press the latch on the battery door and lift the battery door away from the unit.
Remove the two batteries and replace them with new batteries.
Even though the unit may hold data for up to a minute, it is recommended that the battery replacement process not exceed 30-40 seconds.
17. Q: I changed batteries on my unit and then when I turned the SPT 1500 on, the screen started flashing. I can't make it stop with a soft reset. What is wrong?
A: In order to stop the flashing, you may need to do a hard reset by inserting the tip of an unfolded paper clip into the reset hole on the back panel of the scanner.

18. Q: What printing options do I have with the SPT 1500?
A: The following portable printer companies have developed scan/print demos for the Symbol Palm Terminals:

Comtec - contact Bob Danahy - 1-800-556-7266 ext.358
Monarch - contact Fred Gulick - +1-919-844-1522
O'Neil - contact Mike Freriks - +1-949-458-0500 ext. 230
Zebra/Eltron - contact Kevin Leonard - +1-610-889-1100

                                                                             ---->> back

About FieldMaster Software
1. Q: What is FieldMaster?
A: The FieldMaster was designed with a bit smaller database and reduced function set of our flagship software, OrderMaster.
Together with SPT 1500 laser bar code scanner/palm pilot, It is a great to for sales reps., delivery persons and any others want to eliminate messy, time consuming hand written paperwork on the road.

2. Q: What is the cost of FieldMaster software?
A: A single copy of FieldMaster software is $299.00

3. Q: What is an order acknowledgement?
A: An order acknowledgement is similar to an order, except product descriptions are not printed by the product name. Space consideration keep us from storing description along with product number and price.

4. Q: How will I get support and what will be the quality of support given, should I need assistance over and above what I learn from the user manual?
A: FieldMaster comes with a detailed user manual that you can download from our web site after you purchase the system. Most of what you will need to know will be listed in the manual. But we understand that once you become dependent on a product such as FieldMaster to run your business and you need technical help, excellent quality staffing must be available. Therefore, we will have a special pay-by-the-minute technical assistance support telephone line. Only the best technicians will man this phone line. This way we can keep the price of our product down and yet still offer excellent service.

5. Q: How do I put data into the laser handheld unit?
A: In order to make this process simple, the unit is loaded via Excel spreadsheets. There will be one format for loading customer data and one for loading product/price data.

6. Q; Can I get data, other than a printed order, out of the handheld unit?
A: Yes, customer, product/price, and order data may be exported from the unit via Excel spreadsheets. In the next 90 days, we will announce our wireless connectivity package that allows you to send orders via a standard cell phone number.

7. Q: What if I want more from the laser unit than just printing and order acknowledgement?
A: We recommend that you purchase OrderMaster also. OrderMaster is a fully functional, robust system that connects with FieldMaster to give additional functions such as buying histories, ad hoc reporting, standard reporting capabilities, and mass data collection. OrderMaster in its web-enabled state, will allow ease of data transfer to and from corporate facilities via the Internet.