VAN Sales Mobile invocing system needed..

computerbar

Hello there
One of my friend who sells wholesale Sweets to Retailers and Newsagents.

I am helping him finding a company who can supply the Handheld computer with scanner and invoicing software that can be controlled/updated via back office computer; and can print out the invoices via portable wireless/Bluetooth printer.

I have found one company called blue leaf but would like if any of the mse here use them or a different company.

thanks

paulwf

Have you already got an EPOS system in place back at base as that will determine in a large part what you can use?

A hand held terminal (HHT) and printer could cost a small fortune and consumables won't be cheap either. Could you perhaps just use a netbook to run a copy of your EPOS software or database on? There are some fairly small printers now that you could plug in at the shop if they need an invoice there and then, or with a USB "dongle" you could email the order back to the office so an invoice can be sent from there.

At work we use HHT's supposedly worth £2K and they are forever going wrong, make sure you try before you buy if you go down that route.

Trespasser

Wow ......... what a question. :rolleyes:

1. The cheap way.

Assuming that you already have some sort of database / invoicing system in place. Transfer it to a laptop and get a small inkjet printer to go with it, go to maplins and get yourself a 120W 12v inverter (12v/dc converted to 240v/ac) and you then have a portable system to carry in the van and print as you need it. The laptop may have an optional 12v car charger that you can purchase so that would leave the inverter to run the printer.

2. The technical way.

Using the same setup as above but if the invoice system is on a main pc in an office you could create a shortcut to the application on the office pc and using an internet based connection (vpn) by using a mobile internet dongle (O2/ orange/ 3g) would allow you to connect to the office pc and enter data as applicable, when you come to print the invoice you would then print to your local printer (in the van). This would keep the data safe on one machine in the office and would save the risk of losing everything should the laptop get damaged or stolen.

You may only be able to create a vpn connection to the iffice pc if it runs server software windows 2000 / windows 2003.

This is about as simple as I can explain it, but if you find a local pc technician and tell him what i have said he will either agree or modify what I have posted.

Where are you based anyway? Anywhere near birmingham - ish?

katiepoppycat

i've been looing at this actually - but not necessarily printing. I sell door to door and curre4ntly record customers and their purchases in a rather tatty notebook - can't use a bigger folder as i just can't juggle it. My ideal scenario is some sort of programme where i can list all the houses on the street, and if they are a customer, i can select them and it will show me what they have bought previously. I was wondering if simply some sort of pda would be the solution but have no idea of where to start!

Trespasser

katiepoppycat wrote: »

i've been looing at this actually - but not necessarily printing. I sell door to door and curre4ntly record customers and their purchases in a rather tatty notebook - can't use a bigger folder as i just can't juggle it. My ideal scenario is some sort of programme where i can list all the houses on the street, and if they are a customer, i can select them and it will show me what they have bought previously. I was wondering if simply some sort of pda would be the solution but have no idea of where to start!

A pda might do it, i'm not sure. However have you seen the 'new' eeepc's ?

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159306

Staples and pc world have them in, you can also buy them online from ebuyer and similar places. They are a sort of 'palmtop' notebook but you could literally carry it in one hand and type with the other. They come in two flavours ... linux... and windows xp. They have solid state drives (no moving parts, just circuitry) and they seem ok as an alternative to laptop size stuff. They also have built in wireless and a couple of usb ports.

katiepoppycat

hmmm they is shiny! thank you so much for the advice.

ozvaldinho

I use a Palm Symbol handheld computer running MS Mobile with a SIM card built in and a Bluetooth printer, which works a treat. It's integrated into a back office stock control and invoicing system. But, I work for a large wholesaler with full-time IT support. We have seven Palms for our vansales team,
Our supplier is Aspin Management 01794 500200, but be warned, it ain't cheap.

Please feel free to PM me if you want more deatils.