o The item number of the inventory item: the item number for each inventory item is shown in the Item No. column. The item number is an arbitrarily chosen code that is used to uniquely identify each inventory item in EZM Web. The item number for an inventory item may or may not correspond with the internal tracking numbers your company uses to track inventory.

o The name of the inventory item: the full name for each inventory item is shown in the Inventory Item column. This is the name of the inventory item in plain English and is meant to clearly tell the operator what the inventory item is.

o What type of inventory item it is: the entries under the Inventory Type column say whether the inventory item is a material (“material”) or a replacement part (“part”).

o The quantity available on hand: the quantity currently available on hand is shown in the Qty On Hand column.

o Whether the quantity shown is low or high: in addition, the entries shown under the Flag column let you know whether the quantity shown in the Qty On Hand column are low or high for that inventory item. For example, a quantity of 5 may be high for an inventory item that you do not use often, but this may be low for an inventory item that you use very frequently. You cannot tell, simply from the quantity, whether an item is at a critically low quantity or not. With this in mind, the Flag column immediately lets you know whether the item is at a critically low level (a red-colored “C”), is low (“L”), is at a normal level (“N”) or is at a high quantity (“H”).

If the number of inventory items which you have entered exceeds the number that can be displayed on the screen at one time, the list of inventory items will be split over multiple pages. Note that below the list of inventory items in Fig. 4.3 there are page numbers shown along with two buttons: one to the right of the page numbers and one to the left:

Fig. 4.4 – Close-up of Fig. 4.4 showing page numbers and buttons

The page numbers shown between the two buttons list all of the pages over which your list of inventory items is split. The current page being displayed is shown in black, which is in this case (shown in Fig. 4.4) page 1. Other pages you can visit are shown in blue. When you click on one of the blue numbers, you are taken to that page.

The two buttons to the left and right are used to advance you forward and backward one page. The button will move you backwards to the previous page, while the button will advance you forward to the next page.

You can adjust the number of inventory items that are displayed on a single page by adjusting the program preferences. Please see section 7.3: Changing Preference Settings for instructions on how to do this.

4.1.2 Inputting Your Inventory Items

To input a new inventory item into EZM Web, first you will need to be at the main inventory control screen (see section 4.1 Tracking and Controlling Your Inventory for instructions on how to reach this screen). There are two ways you can begin inputting your new inventory item: you can either click on the New Inventory Item tab above the list of inventory items or you can click on the yellow-colored NEW button at the bottom-right corner of the screen:

Fig. 4.5 – “New Inventory Tab” and “New” Button.

After clicking on either of these, you will be taken to a screen where you enter the details about your new inventory item:

Fig. 4.6 – “New Inventory Information” Screen

As you can see in Fig 4.6, there are several fields on the New Inventory Information screen in which you can enter data. Fields marked with a red asterisk are required fields, which means that you cannot save the inventory item into EZM Web until you have inputted information into these fields.

Also notice that all of the fields are organized into groups such as Primary Identifying Information, Secondary Identifying Information, Pricing Information, etc. We will proceed group by group and describe the purpose of each data field.

Primary Identifying Information:

o Item No.: In this field you enter a code that uniquely identifies the inventory item. This can be either a code from your existing cataloging system that your company uses internally or a completely new code that you’ll use in EZM Web.

o Item Name/Description: In this field you enter the name of the inventory item. This name describes the inventory item in plain English and does not need to be unique.

o Item Status: Here you choose whether or not the inventory item is Active or Inactive. If it is Active, then it is available to be included in work orders and maintenance profiles. If it is set to Inactive, then it cannot be used in work orders and maintenance profiles. Click in one of the two circles to make your selection.

Secondary Identifying Information:

o Date: This is the date for the inventory item.

o Preferred Vendor: From this drop-down list you can select the vendor from whom you prefer to purchase this inventory item. Keep in mind that only vendors which you’ve already entered into EZM Web will appear as selections here. (See section 4.2 Entering Your Vendors into EZM Web for instructions on how to enter vendors into EZM Web.) Click on the arrow on the right side of the box to expand the list of vendors and then click on the desired vendor.

o Manufacturer: Here you enter the manufacturer of the inventory item.

Pricing Information:

o Unit: Here you enter the unit in which quantities of this inventory item are measured. For example, if you are entering engine oil as an inventory item, you might enter “quart” as the unit.

o Cost: Here you enter the cost per unit of this item which you charge customers when you do maintenance for them. The amount you enter here will automatically be included on invoices that you create in EZM Web. (See section 5.5 Sending an Invoice to a Customer for instructions on how to create invoices.)

o % Markup: Here you enter the markup on the cost per unit of this item. The amount you enter here will be automatically reflected on invoices that you create in EZM Web, although you have the option of changing the markup or even giving a discount when you create the invoice. If you do not want to mark up the cost on the item, just enter “0” into this field.

o Price: This field is different than the rest in that you cannot enter data directly into it. It simply displays the cost per unit of this inventory item after the markup is added.

Detailed Identifying Information:

o ID Code1: Here you enter an alternative identifying code for your inventory item. This code can be anything you want and has no bearing on how this inventory item is identified in EZM Web except to give the operator an alternative way of identifying this item.

o ID Code2: This field serves the same function as ID Code1 and provides another place you can put an alternative identifying code.

o Inventory Type: Here you choose whether this inventory item is a material or a replacement part. Click on the arrow on the right side of the box to expand the list and choose either Material, Part, or Other. Choosing Other lets the item be used as either a material or a replacement part.

o Equipment or Vehicle: Here you choose whether this inventory item is used in equipment maintenance, in vehicle maintenance, or in both equipment and vehicle maintenance. Click on the arrow on the right side of the box to expand the list and click on either Equipment, Vehicle, or Both. Choosing Equipment allows this item to be chosen for use in equipment maintenance profiles and work orders (see sections 2.1.7 Equipment Maintenance Profiles and 2.5.2 Creating Equipment Work Orders for information on equipment maintenance profiles and work orders respectively). Choosing Vehicle allows this item to be chosen for use in vehicle service profiles and work orders (see sections 3.1.8 Vehicle Service Profiles and 3.5.2 Creating Vehicle Work Orders for information on vehicle service profiles and work orders respectively). Choosing Both allows this item to be chosen for use in both equipment and vehicle maintenance.

Quantity & Related Information:

o Quantity on Hand: Here you enter the quantity of this inventory item that you have on hand.

o Minimum Level: This is the minimum level you can have on hand of this item. If the quantity goes below the level you specify here, the item will be flagged with a red-colored “C” in the list of inventory items.

o Maximum Level: This is the maximum level you can have on hand of this item. If the quantity goes above the level you specify here, the item will be flagged with a blue-colored “H” in the list of inventory items.

o Reorder Quantity: This is the suggested increment in which new orders of this item are made.

Other Information:

o Long Description: Here you enter a long description of the inventory item. You can type any information here that you feel will be useful for the operator of the program to know, such as what the item is used for.

o Warehouse Location: Here you enter the location in which you have this item stored.

Once you have entered all of the information for your new inventory item, you can choose to either save the item into EZM Web, or, if you have changed your mind and no longer want to enter the item into the program, cancel entering the item and return to the main inventory control screen. To save or cancel, click on the SAVE or CANCEL buttons at the bottom of the screen respectively:

Fig. 4.7 – “Save” and “Cancel” button at the bottom of the “New Inventory Information” screen.

If you choose to save the inventory item, you will be returned to the main inventory control screen, and the new inventory item will appear in the list of inventory items (see section 4.1.1 Viewing the List of Inventory Items for information on how to view and browse through the list.)

4.1.3 Editing Inventory Items

You may also change details of inventory items that have already been entered into EZM Web. To do this, first navigate to the main inventory control screen (see section 4.1 Tracking and Controlling Your Inventory for instructions on how to reach this screen). Once there, locate the inventory item you wish to edit in the list, and then look under the Edit column and click on the small button that corresponds with the item you wish to edit.

After clicking on the Edit button that corresponds with the inventory item that you want to edit, you will be taken to the Edit Inventory Information screen:

Fig. 4.8 – The “Edit Inventory Information” Screen

This screen is very similar to the one described in section 4.1.2 Inputting Your Inventory Items where you enter a new inventory item into the program. Unlike the screen at which you enter a new inventory item, however, the Edit Inventory Information screen will be filled with all of the information previously entered about this inventory item.

See section 4.1.2 Inputting Your Inventory Items for information on what the various data fields in this screen are used for and how to enter data into them. You can change the values for any of the data items in this screen.

Once you have made your desired changes, you can choose to either save the changes to the inventory item, or, if you have changed your mind and no longer want to make changes to the item, cancel and return to the main inventory control screen. To save or cancel, click on the SAVE or CANCEL buttons at the bottom of the screen respectively:

Fig. 4.9 – “Save” and “Cancel” button at the bottom of the “Edit Inventory Information” screen.

4.1.4 Deleting Inventory Items

You may also delete inventory items from EZM Web when you no longer want to use the program to track them. To do this, first navigate to the main inventory control screen (see section 4.1 Tracking and Controlling Your Inventory for instructions on how to reach this screen). Once there, locate the inventory item you wish to delete, and then look under the Delete column and click on the small button that corresponds with the item you wish to delete from the program.

Once you click on the Delete button, a small window will pop up on the screen prompting you to confirm that you want to delete the inventory item from EZM Web:

Fig 4.10 – Confirmation window for deleting an inventory item from EZM Web

Click on the OK button to confirm that you want to delete the item, or click on the Cancel button if you have changed your mind and do not want to delete the item from the program.

If you click on the OK button, you will be returned to the main inventory control screen, and the inventory item will be removed from the list of inventory items.

4.1.5 Checking Inventory Items In and Out

You can also check inventory items in and out at the main inventory control screen (see section 4.1 Tracking and Controlling Your Inventory for instructions on how to reach this screen).

Before you can check a quantity of an inventory item in or out, you must first select the inventory item. To do this, click on its item number in the list of inventory items. The item number of each inventory item is shown in blue text in the left-most column—called Item No.—in the list of inventory items.

Once you have selected an inventory item from the list, notice that the list of transactions (shown below the list of inventory items) is updated with all of the transactions for the inventory item you selected:

Fig. 4.11 – List of transactions for an inventory item

You can view all of the transactions by using the scroll bar on the right side of the list. Notice that below the list of transactions there are three buttons: CHECK IN, CHECK OUT, and RETURN:

Fig. 4.12 – “CHECK IN”, “CHECK OUT”, and “RETURN” buttons

You can check in items by using the CHECK IN button. Once you click on this button, a form will open up at the bottom of the screen in which you can enter the details of the new transaction:

Fig 4.13 – Form for checking in quantities of an inventory item

In the Quantity field, type in the quantity which you want to check in. Use the drop-down boxes for the Transaction Date to select the date on which the transaction took place; likewise, use the boxes for the Expiration Date to select an expiration date for the inventory you are checking in.

When you have entered the details for this transaction, click on the SAVE button to enter it, and it will appear in the list of transactions. If you have changed your mind and do not want to enter a new transaction, then click on the CANCEL button.

You can check out inventory by using the CHECK OUT button (as seen in Fig. 4.12). Clicking on this button opens up a form at the bottom of the screen where you can enter the details of the new transaction:

Fig 4.14 – Form for checking out quantities of an inventory item

In the Quantity field, type in the quantity which you want to check out. Use the drop-down boxes for the Transaction Date to select the date on which the transaction took place.

You may also return unused quantities of an inventory item using the RETURN button (as seen in Fig. 4.12). Clicking on this button opens up a form at the bottom of the screen where you can enter the details of the new transaction:

Fig 4.15 – Form for checking out quantities of an inventory item

In the Quantity field, type in the quantity which you want to check out. Use the drop-down boxes for the Transaction Date to select the date on which the transaction took place.