FAQ - Costume / Property Edition

Automation is one of the most productivity investment a company can make. Automation can help with repetitive tasks as well as automate many manual tasks. As a potential customer for automation, their are many systems available for data collection. Bar-coding is used widely as the main solution for data collection. It has been used on many commercial products used for identification (i.e. food products, clothing, vehicles). This solution has proven to be simple, efficient, and reliable for data collection.

The costs of automation is based the following factors: software, hardware, implementation, and labor. The most common savings in automated data collection is in labor costs. The reason for this is that labor would be tracked automatically with the use of a software system and an identification tag. Many time and attendance systems use data collection for tracking employee's time and attendance. The costs of automation is the following:

• Software system - A computerized system used to track items with the use of bar-codes or asset tags.
• Hardware - The equipment used to input identification information into the software system. Hardware includes scanning equipment, bar-code label printers, labels, and other asset tags.
• Implementation Costs - Costs of installing and training a new organization on automation. Implementation costs includes workflow analysis, training, and installation. This phase is critical in implementing a successful data collection system.
• Labor - This is the initial investment in your organization to learn the new workflow process to increase efficiency in your business.

To begin to estimate the rate of return on your investment, you must first calculate the current cost of the tasks you plan to automate. Then, estimate the cost of the tasks under the proposed system.

Determine these numbers per year. Next, get an estimate on the costs of automation and subtract that from the cost of current tasks you plan to automate. From here, you can get the rate of return on your investment. This is a high-level cost justification and should be analyzed thoroughly to get an accurate cost justification. Remember, some costs based on this analysis could be justified as "soft" benefits and can not be placed a dollar value. These "soft" benefits are intangible benefits such as increased efficiency, increased information accuracy, improved sales, and increased customer satisfaction.

To begin to estimate the rate of return on your investment, you must first calculate the current cost of the tasks you plan to automate. Then, estimate the cost of the tasks under the proposed system.

Determine these numbers per year. Next, get an estimate on the costs of automation and subtract that from the cost of current tasks you plan to automate. From here, you can get the rate of return on your investment. This is a high-level cost justification and should be analyzed thoroughly to get an accurate cost justification. Remember, some costs based on this analysis could be justified as "soft" benefits and can not be placed a dollar value. These "soft" benefits are intangible benefits such as increased efficiency, increased information accuracy, improved sales, and increased customer satisfaction.

You need to create your company logo in Bitmap format. Copy this bitmap file to \RTPro\bmp\logo.bmp. This logo will print on the Checkout Sheet, Checkin Sheet, Invoices, Labor Tickets, and few other printouts.

No, we suggest to use the Suspend Rtpro mode, This is the Lock button on the Exit option in the main menu of the program. This way you can login back to the program without exiting it.

Yes, you can send any reports including Quote and Invoices by first viewing them on the screen, then clicking on the Email icon from the preview screen. RTPro works with Microsoft Outlook and Netscape, also any email program that uses MAPI or SMTP. You may need to setup RTPro to work with your email system. To do this, form the main screen of RTPro select File, then select Email Settings, and fill in the required information.

Yes, you can save any RTPro reports by first viewing them on the screen, then clicking on the Save icon.

You can save reports in the following formats:

• Adobe Acrobat Document (*.pdf)
• HTML Document (*.htm)
• Excel Document (*.xls)
• RTF Document (*.rtf)
• Text Document (*.txt)

Form the main screen of RTPro select Edit, then select Change Password. Follow the prompts on the screen.

Form the main screen of RTPro select File, then select Beep Settings. You can set different sound for Bad beeps and Good beeps. We have included 20 good beeps and 20 bad beeps. If you want to add a different beep, find any WAV file and copy it to \RTPro\wav\GoodBeep.wav and \RTPro\wav\BadBeep.wav

RTPro works with cameras that have a TWAIN compatible driver. Install the driver provided by the camera manufacturer. Then form the main screen of RTPro select File, then select Camera Selections. Select the driver from the list, and click on Select. If the driver is not showing on the list, try re-installing the driver, and make sure it is TWAIN compatible.

Rental Tracker Pro is a multi-user system. It will allow you to create ids for multiple people to use the system. This will give you control on what features and functions an individual can perform using Rental Tracker Pro. Initially, when in new user is created, they are given FULL rights throughout the system. The reason they were given this ability is because there are many functions within the system that the typical user may not understand how to use them. As each person's job function is defined, then the user security can then modified to fit the business.

From the Administration Module, select Move from the menu, then select Move Order to Another Production. Enter the Order Number and the Production to move the order to and press OK.

You need to mark the production as Closed from the Production Entry Screen. Then from the Administration Module, select Move from the menu, then select Move Closed Productions to History. You can then move all the productions that are closed to History files. This will make your live data smaller.

From the production Entry Screen, mark the production as Inactive. Every time an item is being checked out to an inactive production, program displays a warning message and reminds you that the production is inactive.

To add an image to a barcode item the mode must be in EDIT or INSERT. Next press F5 or select from the imaging menu. The system will bring up an image screen. The screen will depend on the software installed with the digital camera. Most software have an acquire option. Click on the acquire option. Next there should be a transfer option. Click on the transfer option and the image will be transferred back to the inventory screen.

When in an add mode such as mass, repeat, carry or adding a new set to an existing package the image will be copied.

Images can take up a significant amount of disk space. To adjust the compress of the image and the location were the Images should be stored refer to system setup.

Yes following shortcut keys will send you to the corresponding fields directly:

• F6 Description
• F7 Barcode
• F8 Replacement

• Function + 0 Clear the Scanner.
• Function + 1 Download Information to Computer.
• Function + * Resets the scanner. (You won't lose the scanned information)
• Function + 5 Deletes an scanned item from the scanner.
• Up Arrow Moves backward through the scanned items.
• Down Arrow Moves forward through the scanned items.

No. There is an option under the Management Screen for Move Order to a Different Production. Use this option instead of deleting and recreating the order.

You need to cancel the checkin on that item, then set the checkin mode to Damaged (from the drop down on the top of the checkin screen), and checkin the item again. This time the item will be checked in as Damaged, and will ask you for the repair cost.

From the Order Processing screen, click on the File menu. The list of the last 10 orders that you worked on appears. Click on the one you want.

From the production Screen, Add a New Agreement (Flat). You can set the Flat Amount, Cap Amount for the flat, and also optionally set the flat to bill for overages occurred on the orders.

There are four locations where the balance of an agreement can be checked:

• On the Order Header Screen under the Agreement menu option. Click on the Agreement Balance. If the Agreement is established on the Production level, the calculations will be across all the orders attached to the agreement.
• On the Order Processing Screen under the Billing menu option. Click on the Agreement Balance. If the Agreement is established on the Production level, the calculations will be across all orders attached to the agreement.
• On the Production Header Screen under the Agreement menu option. Click on the Agreement Balance. The calculations will be across all the orders attached to the agreement.
• On the Rental Checkout Screen under the Agreement menu option. Click on the Agreement Balance. The calculations will be across all the orders attached to the agreement.

You need special rights to do this. If you do have this right, then you can change the Billing Type of the order to be 'No Further Bill' on the Order Header Screen.

From the Billing Module, and under the Reports section run the Orders To Bill Report. This will give you the First Billing, Extended Billing, Loss, Damage, Cleaning and Labor charges.

Download the Timecard Utility from our Download section of our web site. Run the executable program to install the timecard program. This should also be on the Setup CD of Rtpro. We recommend a touch screen monitor for this module. Also try printing ID cards for your employee from the Labor Module of Rtpro from the Employee Listing Screen.