AIS Inventory Count System October 2017 The AIS Inventory Count System is designed to eliminate the use of paper, pencil, clipboard and calculator when performing the end of month physical inventory count for the FNS152 report. This system counts only the physical inventory and any differences found if posted will be entered as Adjust Error inventory gain/loss transactions. The AIS Inventory Count System does not capture Receipts, Nutrition Education, Adjustments for Unfit, Concealed Damage, Transit Damage or Stolen/Lost. This system when installed will provide the user with the ability to use modern technology using the following: Touch Screens Bluetooth Scanning Wireless EQUIPMENT NOTICE AIS does not provide support for the acquisition of equipment nor the setup and configuration of any equipment. The recommended list contains keywords when internet shopping for products. For example, bluetooth barcode bcanner or windows touch screen tablet. The recommended equipment list includes: 1. A touch screen computer with Bluetooth/Wireless capabilities. This can be portable (Windows tablet or laptop) or a standard workstation. 2. A hand held barcode scanner. To eliminate the cord, a Bluetooth wireless scanner is recommended. 3. A wireless network in the warehouse. This will enable to walk with a tablet or push a cart with a laptop or workstation on it. The connectivity must be sufficient to maintain a constant network connection while roaming the warehouse performing the physical count. PLEASE NOTE The design of this inventory count system works best when there is ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER AIS INVENTORY ACTIVITY occurring at the same time. This is the final step in reconciling inventory for the physical balance to be reported on the FNS152 report! When all accounting for losses, nutrition education, transfers between warehouses and receipts are entered, then the inventory count that will be the next reporting months beginning balance is performed and entered in the AIS Inventory Count System. When processed all physical balances are revised as documented and treated as final for the FNS152 report. As with any use of AIS, additional transactions can be made outside of the inventory count system including voiding of any transactions processed using the inventory count system. Recommended end of month use: 1. Return any outstanding tailgate data. 2. Enter all known inventory transactions such as receipts, transfers in/out, nutrition education, unfit, concealed damage, transit damage or stolen/lost. This will constitute the final book balance in AIS. 3. Using the AIS Inventory Count System, count every physical commodity that will be available for issuance in the new reporting month. This is also your end of the month physical balance on your FNS152. 4. When using the AIS Inventory Count System, pay attention to all documented procedures as noted in this user manual. It will be very important you understand the process completely so that you can use this feature to expedite the manual counting and physical gain/loss adjustment process in AIS. 5. Print and verify the FNS152 report as accurate and complete. Submit your FNS152 XML file for processing.
Configuring the AIS Inventory Count System The count system will work on a computer when: The computer being used connects to the network just like any other workstation The shortcut is copied onto the computer being used. The shortcut is properly configured to talk to AIS on the network The AIS network provides Wi-Fi coverage in any area where the inventory count system is used IT Specialist: Please setup the computer using the wireless mode on the count computer. Make sure that the connectivity allows for the same access to AIS as if the computer was connected via Ethernet cable. Add any security you desire ensuring that once the user access the AIS Inventory Count System they are connected exactly the same way with the same permissions as any other workstation accessing AIS. This system is actually contained within the standard folder/file structure of AIS itself. It is highly recommended that a mapped drive be used in place of \\computername\sharename. The shortcut to use will be found in the FDPSYS folder on the host computer for AIS and will be named AIS Inventory. Below is an example of configuring the shortcut to use the drive mapping letter Z:
AIS Inventory Count System The AIS Inventory Count System is a component of the standard AIS Windows System. It requires a separate shortcut as it cannot access the AIS Windows System nor can AIS Windows access the AIS Inventory Count System. This is the main menu: This system will allow the user to: Modify Count File Date. By default the system uses the current month/year displayed when the system is accessed. Since some warehouses serve until the end of the month meaning they do not do a physical count until after the first of the next month, the AIS Inventory Count System is flexible in that the user can change the count date to use the prior month/year for the count being performed. If posted, AIS Windows treats the modified date to the previous month the same as changing the transaction date on the inventory transaction screen. Physical Inventory Counting. This is the portion of the system where the user will enter the material code or scan the barcode for the commodity being counted. Upon selecting a commodity the user will then enter case and/or units counted. AIS will indicate if there is an over or short count. It is the users discretion to determine if the count should be performed again and revised. If the count is the same as displayed, no transaction will be created. Count Report. This will enable the user to print a report of all items counted, the time they were counted and the AIS inventory at the time of the count. Delete Count Files. This will allow the user to delete the current count file and start over or simply choose not to use the count system. It may be useful if the user forgets to modify the count date to the prior month for final FNS152 counts. You cannot perform the Inventory Count if anyone else using AIS is performing Inventory on the main AIS system. It is highly recommended that the inventory count not be performed with an outstanding tailgate or during any type of issuance activity to include adjustments or voids.
Modify Count File Date When the Modify Count File Date is selected, it will display a screen as in this example if a current count file does not already exist: The current date will always be the date of the computer system when the AIS Inventory Count System is accessed. It is presumed that the AIS user does not modify the current computer system date to intentionally manipulate prior or future dates. Click YES if you want to use the prior month to perform a count. Click NO to use the current month. Once the date is selected it is the transaction date for every commodity counted until posted or the count file is deleted. This means you can use either one of these scenarios using June 2017 as the example count month: Count Date Actual Date 06/2017 06/2017 06/2017 07/2017 You cannot alter the dates. You can only choose the answer which matches the transaction date you desire to use.
Physical Inventory Counting The physical inventory counting screen can be used in any random order. There is no preset count order such as what matches the availability list or the FNS152 report. Simply enter or revise entries until all counts are completed. The Commodity Counter screen allows the user to enter the material code by selecting the commodity from the name list. When selected, every potentially active commodity is displayed in alphabetic order on the name search screen:
The user can use the up or down arrows until the desired commodity is located, or they can touch the screen (click the mouse if not a touch screen) on the white area next to any commodity. To search for a commodity by name the user then starts to type the most logical word to point to the commodity desired. For example, if the user desires to count an egg commodity once they start typing the word egg, AIS will return the first value found, but will also display the other egg products. You can either continue to type or touch the desired item on the screen or mouse click on it. For example if EGG NOODLES is desired, start typing EG.. until you see the item you want. Touch or click on it to highlight it then touch or click OK: AIS returns the selected commodity with the current inventory.
To obtain a commodity by barcode you will touch or click on the barcode button You will be prompted to scan (or manually type) the UPC-A code. This feature only works if you have scanned all your barcodes and associated them to a material code. If your warehouse does not use the barcode scanning system for issuances, you will still need to turn this feature on to use the barcode entry application. Once all of your commodities are scanned and associated with a material code you will be able to turn the barcode issuance scanning option off. This is an example of a stored barcode value for material code 100320 : When the UPC-A is scanned, the scanner sends the values to AIS which interprets the value into the material code:
AIS is now ready for the count to be entered. The first step after selecting a commodity to count is to tell AIS if the number being entered next is the CASES number or the UNITS number. It can be entered in any order, the entry can be entered in units only and if the count is exact case size there is no requirement to use the units. Simply click on one of the selections and a black dot will appear on the active one: After selecting CASES or UNITS, the user then will touch or click on the number pad the value that captures the amount counted. In this example, 20 cases were entered by touching (clicking) on the 2 and then the 0: Next the entry mode is changed to UNITS and 11 units are entered: The net result in this example is that the main AIS inventory count said there should be 21 cases even for a total of 252 units. The physical count revealed that there were 20 cases (240 units) and 11 separate units for a total of 251 units. This means that unless modified it will be posted on the FNS152 report as an inventory physical loss of -1. When counting, the user will have to determine what number constitutes a recount. Please use the following chart as a guide of what to check on if your count is off: Physical Count Difference Short Short Short Short Short Short Over Over Over Over Over Over Possible Cause Miscount of physical Entry error on the screen Too many receipts entered Too many nutrition ed entries Too many food losses entered The food is disappearing theft, over issuances, etc. Miscount of physical Entry error on the screen One or more receipts missing Not enough nutrition ed entries Not enough food losses entered The food is not being physically issued even though it is entered as issued in AIS. The client is refusing issued food and the warehouse is not adjusting it off the client issuance. To retain the data entered click save. If you do not click save and then enter another material or barcode, AIS will treat the prior entry as though it never occurred.
Count Report The count report can be printed at any time and as often as desired. It will reflect the current stored values captured at the computer scan date/time listed. A scan can be replaced at any time with a new scan. Until the inventory count file is posted on the main AIS, it can be modified. NOTE A scan means a commodity counted. The terminology scan is used to refer to the intended design of the system to be used in conjunction with scanning a barcode and then entering the physical inventory count.
Delete Count File The option to delete count files does exactly what it says. The purpose for deleting the count file is if you determine by whatever means (printout, equipment failure, etc.) that you do not want to use the current count file. If you simply just want to start the count from scratch then use this option. If you press the delete count button, you will get one chance to change your decision! Once you say Yes I want to erase, any data previously stored but not posted is deleted.
AIS Windows With the AIS Windows System, the Inventory System Menu has been modified with the programs that process the inventory counts to the inventory for the FNS152 report. On the main computer there will be the ability: Print reports of the current not yet posted inventory count. Print up to 5 previous physical inventory counts. Process the current inventory count file. Delete the current inventory count file. If there is a separation of duties desired in the warehouse, it is up to the user to determine who uses the physical count portion of the system and who performs the main AIS inventory. ** NOTE ** All transactions posted using the AIS Inventory Count System can be voided on a commodity by commodity basis using the VOID COMMODITY TRANSACTION function in AIS Windows.
Inventory Count Report The inventory count report on the main system has an additional feature. You will be able to print the current count file that is printed from the Inventory Count System or up to 5 previously posted count files. If you select yes, you will get a printout of the current file that has not yet been posted: If you select no you will have the option to select up to 5 previously posted reports: The printout sample below is the printout listed as #1 on the screen menu above:
Process Inventory Count Totals When it is determined that the physical inventory count is complete and the totals are final for FNS152 processing, this will be the display when selecting Process Inventory Count Totals: The PHYSICAL COUNT date is the transaction month/year. The following date with date used to post the transactions into AIS. Note that the day is set to ZERO. That is intentional to distinguish Inventory Count System transaction from standard AIS Inventory Transactions. Press F8 Process to post the physical counts. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BACKUP OF AIS IN THE EVENT THERE IS A PROBLEM POSTING THE COUNT! When the posting is complete, you will receive two notices of how many transactions were processed: Simply click OK and then press F3 Exit. No report is produced for the processing of the count file.
When printing the Inventory Transaction List in AIS, the Inventory Count File transactions will appear without a transaction day. There is not currently a process in the standard AIS Inventory Transaction List to print a separate copy of the transactions. They will automatically be included.
Delete Active Count File The option to delete count files does exactly what it says. The purpose for deleting the count file is if you determine by whatever means (printout, equipment failure, etc.) that you do not want to use the current count file. If you simply just want to start the count from scratch then use this option. If you press the delete count button, you will get one chance to change your decision! Once you say Yes I want to erase, any data previously stored but not posted is deleted. This is the same as the Delete Count File option on the Inventory Count System menu.