I’m looking for software to help organize my jewelry designing and
manufacturing business. I create a small number of pieces every
month. I’d like software that can help track jobs during
manufacturing mainly. I also need something to keep track of
inventory, like where it is or if it’s out on consignment or
otherwise. I also do retail sales so being able to have sales tax on
items is a must. I’d like to be able to add diamonds from my
collection of stock and maybe have a kind of link to Rapnet to
update prices based on market conditions. It would be nice if the
software could do this when a diamond is set on a ring and
dynamically adjust prices. I’d like to be able to print bar codes for
completed items. Besides these, I guess the regular invoicing etc.
I’ve been researching for days online. I’ve found some candidates
but it’s very difficult without seeing them in action. We’re trying
to get some kind of demo to see them work. Since I’m pretty tied up
at the shop it’s very difficult for me to go to a trade show and see
what’s out there. I was at JCK last year and I wasn’t impressed with
the software offerings so far.
Either they’re completely tailored for a retail store, which I’m not
or they’re tailored to a large manufacturing operation.
I’m casting my net a little bit wide and not limiting my search to
just American software developers so, if it’s the right software I
have no problem working with somebody overseas.
I recommend two different programs. Both do an EXCELLENT job of
handling inventory.
Both export to QuickBooks
Both can have my price book downloaded into it
Both track jobs. But Jewelry Shopkeeper gets extra kudo’s for job
tracking.
It has a few more bells and whistles if you’re heavy in the shop.
By the way I help jewelers setup QuickBooks for a jewelry store and
have attached a pdf file of how I setup QuickBooks. It sets up a
store into 3 major sources of income
Selling Product
Selling & Buying scrap Gold
Selling the shop, broken down into 3 minor reas:
a. Jewelry Repair
b. Custom Design
c. Watch repair & Batteries
WOW. Just read D. Geller’s reply, I had no idea both those software
options were out there (for PC users). I have been wrestling with
just this issue, never thought to ask the esteemed Orchid community,
so here is MY version of the question asked - can anyone recommend a
system for a Mac user, WITHOUT a brick-and-mortar.
I do art festivals (14-18 annually), have 13 consignment accounts,
work at this full time, and am thinking it may be time to upgrade
from Post-Its for bookkeeping. I think I want a system that tracks
inventory and sales, creates reports (expense, tax, hours), and
doesn’t cost more than I make in a year.
Or perhaps you have advice on the issue? If you’ve bought a system
and hate it, if you find it takes more time than it saves, or if it
has saved you thousands, I’d like to hear it, either on- or
off-post. Thoughts, advice, recommendations? Thank you, thank you -
you all are the highlight of my day - right up there with getting
checks in the mail
Blessings,
Sam Kaffine
in sunny drought-stricken CO, where the extended weather forecasts
point to another epic fire season this summer. Maybe I quit the
Forest Service too soon?
