Sage 100

Have a meeting with an existing user tomorrow regarding a desire to add bar code label printing to their existing Sage 100. I know this can be done with fonts. What are some of the reasons people have gone with third party bar code label software? Is it mostly convenience? So far I have these as the ""usual suspects"": Scanforce Scanco Bartender

Another usual suspect is Label Matrix. If all they want to do is print bar code labels, this can be accomplished using Crystal reports. I recently set up a 4.4 client's BOM production labels to print to a Zebra 105S. The label has a bar code and several other fields. There are a couple of ""tricks"" that can make your life a bit easier. It took me a while to figure it out but now that I know the secrets, it seems quite simple. I also did something similar for PO receipt labels. No software to buy, just a couple hours of consulting.

For us, the decision is usually tied to the purpose of the barcode. If it is manufacturing, we simply put the 3 or 9 barcode on the traveler and print from a laser printer on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. No special needs for printing. If we are printing price tags to put on jewelry like a ring, then you need a barcode printer with specific paper (for example butterfly tags) and more durable ink. These are examples of two extremes. Your application will probably be somewhere in between. Scanforce (have had good reviews but no hands on experience) and Scanco (not a fan but that was before the change in ownership and leadership) come into play when you are ready to collect data from the barcodes you have printed. If you are just going to collect data at the point of transaction, use a wedge scanner attached to a PC. If you need mobile data collection such as in a warehouse, receiving area, etc., then a mobile unit becomes a necessity. Hope that helps and not too long.

Thanks guys - good to get a second opinion.

Scanforce has done well for us. They seem to be real responsive on issues. We print all of the sales orders, etc with Free 3 of 9. I have also made some simple access programs to do some basic inventory labels and used Free 3 of 9 for the font.

I've used Bartender and one of things I like about it is that you can setup web site for delivering labels. The user can then print to any bar code printer on the network. Web has a sample of the label to prevent users from picking wrong one when the label names aren't obvious. Also Bartender has print drivers that they've designed themselves that extend the capabilities of Zebra and other popular label printers allowing printing on stock not supported, font size, etc.. You do not need to own Bartender to use these drivers - here's a link http://www.bartenderbarcodesoftware.com/drivers/windows-printer-drivers-download.aspx?lang=en

I have used Label Matrix - one to print product labels from a ""Daily Production Excel spreadsheet"" data NOT exported from SAGE 100 ERP. Second to print product labels from a CSV file created using Report Master exporting line information from the Purchase Order module of an older SAGE 100 ERP version. This was to print product labels that were shipped to an overseas far east supplier and they attached the product labels and the product was drop shipped to the customer.

I use label matrix coupled with an Access PTQ. Label Matrix only supports one table (used to?) and usually the data in Sage is in more than one. The most common usage is printing PO receipt labels. Enter ROG's, Print labels, Update ROG. Works great on lot/serialized items. One client uses it to print oil change reminder stickers for windshield pulling the data from SO Header.

Well I walked into this meeting and instead of the purchasing manager it was 6 people (including the owner) with the first words ""we're looking at other software"". These folks are using Job Cost so I did not have much in the way of kind words to provide to urge the continued use of JC. Increasingly I find my JC users who are growing are looking elsewhere. Ok it's only been two but my sense is that this module is not meeting the needs of most JC. It's as if it was a ""pretty good"" one back in 1989 but received zero love or enhancements (save for bolt ons).

When trying to address project management needs, if we pull out JC... we might as well leave the room.

JobOps is pretty good in that case. It doesn't have to be a huge implementation. It is certainly cheaper than completely moving to another ERP only for that reason.

I agree with Jerry, and JobOps is 95%+ in Business Framework. If it helps, I attached a comparison between JobOps, Work Order and JobCost that we have kept up to date over the years. This was originally published internally by Synergistic, but they were not allowed (by Sage) to distribute it. I changed the format and enhanced it, so it is no longer a Synergistic document.