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Author Topic: Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals  (Read 9584 times)

Kevin Esprella

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Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals
« on: October 26, 2013, 08:20:01 PM »

Starting to get busier and I looking to get a program that can help us manage our inventory when it gets rented out and when it goes out on shows.

I'ld also am looking for the program to be compatible with Mac and would like to be able to track the equipment on my iPhone aswell. (this isn't essential but would be nice)

Also would just like to know what other companies are using just to do some research on my own.

Thanks for your input in advance!
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Riley Casey

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Re: Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2013, 09:40:30 AM »

The search function is your friend.

http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,143369.0/all.html

Mac compatibility, not so much.   This is an area that seems dominated by barely tolerable answers rather than many good answers.


Starting to get busier and I looking to get a program that can help us manage our inventory when it gets rented out and when it goes out on shows

Cailen Waddell

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Re: Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2013, 10:58:25 AM »

I'm a Mac guy.  I develop FileMaker databases as a hobby, that I have occasionally add money on.

I have looked at all the solutions available and I hate them all.  Either they Re way too complex and don't just work or they are so simple that they can't handle things like a standard 'package of equipment'.  I have a rental solution that I am working on. It is server based, there is an iPhone FileMaker component. You would have to own FileMaker server or lease space on a host. As well as own client software for FileMaker. The solution is in an alpha stage right now. I am developing mostly for myself, I am
Considering distributing/making available on a donation ware basis. Could I make some money charging? Maybe, but I don't want to deal with offering support etc.

My bigger challenge will be trying to talk the place I work into letting me use it instead of an inferior (in my opinion) commercial solution.

It's all rather complex.  For example, let's say you have a mic cable, I want know when I bought them, how much I paid, and how many I have, and I want to track reservations for them but I don't want to serialize that tracking an barcode them. I have 2 full time venues that serve as shop space, and a deep storage warehouse. When I go to reserve a mic cable, I need to know where it is stored, if one needs to move between venues, a work order would need to be automatically generated, etc.  Another example, I have an amp rack, it is full of components that I want to know about individually, probably down to their serial number, but the only thing that should appear able to be booked is the amp rack.  Let's say I have an amp die, now I need to be able to retire the old one as part of the amp rack, and add the new one, but make sure any reservations for that amp rack don't break because that original amp is no longer available.

Ok - database fun over - bottom line, the relationships of the data are complex. And you have to decide during development how they go together which can often lock you into a way of operating. I suspect the reason there aren't any good commercial solutions is the small potential market share, and the fact that everyone wants it work different resulting in it really needing to be custom.
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Collin Donohue

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Re: Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2013, 08:44:28 AM »

Starting to get busier and I looking to get a program that can help us manage our inventory when it gets rented out and when it goes out on shows.

I'ld also am looking for the program to be compatible with Mac and would like to be able to track the equipment on my iPhone aswell. (this isn't essential but would be nice)

Also would just like to know what other companies are using just to do some research on my own.

Thanks for your input in advance!

To accommodate both the Mac requirement and the mobile device requirement, you may want to consider something web-based.  One suggestion would be IntelliEvent Lightning.  It's also not Flash-based so you'll have decent luck on mobile devices as well (although not perfect).

Flex Rental Solutions is also web-based, but is Flash... so mobile devices are a no-go.  However, I've seen hints here and there that all say stuff like "not for iPad... yet" so who knows what's up their sleeve.

Both are monthly subscription services.

There are others out there, but I've tinkered around on both and they do a good job.
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Riley Casey

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Re: Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2013, 02:46:35 PM »

Over the years that I built my in house Filemaker system I shared tips with several other production company users that were pursuing the same goal.  None of them were database developers, all were production people that learned Filemaker because they had to.  Either they wanted to stay in a Mac environment or they had heard too many gripes or just plain horror stories about the major player databases.  Either way they stayed in their own trenches because database design on a commercial scale is hard work.  This vendor http://www.studiosuite.com has been selling a recording studio database for years now that has all the features requested, Mac native, runs on mobile etc.  I tried it for a remote recording business I once owned but it wasn't really what I needed so I stuck with internal design.  In all those years though that developer has never thought it worthwhile to take the tremendous amount of work that they have invested in Studio Suite and make the relatively small changes needed to make a live event production version so that speaks me a bit about the lack of viable market.


I'm a Mac guy.  I develop FileMaker databases as a hobby, that I have occasionally add money on.

I have looked at all the solutions available and I hate them all.  Either they Re way too complex and don't just work or they are so simple that they can't handle things like a standard 'package of equipment'.  I have a rental solution that I am working on. It is server based, there is an iPhone FileMaker component. You would have to own FileMaker server or lease space on a host. As well as own client software for FileMaker. The solution is in an alpha stage right now. I am developing mostly for myself, I am
Considering distributing/making available on a donation ware basis. Could I make some money charging? Maybe, but I don't want to deal with offering support etc.

My bigger challenge will be trying to talk the place I work into letting me use it instead of an inferior (in my opinion) commercial solution.

It's all rather complex.  For example, let's say you have a mic cable, I want know when I bought them, how much I paid, and how many I have, and I want to track reservations for them but I don't want to serialize that tracking an barcode them. I have 2 full time venues that serve as shop space, and a deep storage warehouse. When I go to reserve a mic cable, I need to know where it is stored, if one needs to move between venues, a work order would need to be automatically generated, etc.  Another example, I have an amp rack, it is full of components that I want to know about individually, probably down to their serial number, but the only thing that should appear able to be booked is the amp rack.  Let's say I have an amp die, now I need to be able to retire the old one as part of the amp rack, and add the new one, but make sure any reservations for that amp rack don't break because that original amp is no longer available.

Ok - database fun over - bottom line, the relationships of the data are complex. And you have to decide during development how they go together which can often lock you into a way of operating. I suspect the reason there aren't any good commercial solutions is the small potential market share, and the fact that everyone wants it work different resulting in it really needing to be custom.

John Caniford

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Re: Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2014, 04:05:59 PM »

Starting to get busier and I looking to get a program that can help us manage our inventory when it gets rented out and when it goes out on shows.

I'ld also am looking for the program to be compatible with Mac and would like to be able to track the equipment on my iPhone aswell. (this isn't essential but would be nice)

Also would just like to know what other companies are using just to do some research on my own.

Thanks for your input in advance!

I use a web base program called Strativent.

Its being rebuilt and its in beta right now, but its worth looking at. They don't have their pricing listed yet, but its far cheaper than a lot of other stuff we've looked it.

https://strativent.com/signup

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Joe Mangum

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Re: Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2021, 12:08:11 AM »

Starting to get busier and I looking to get a program that can help us manage our inventory when it gets rented out and when it goes out on shows.

I'ld also am looking for the program to be compatible with Mac and would like to be able to track the equipment on my iPhone aswell. (this isn't essential but would be nice)

Also would just like to know what other companies are using just to do some research on my own.

Thanks for your input in advance!

My company has used Adelie Logistics (https://adelielogistics.com) for our event and AV rental equipment for years. It's worked great for our needs. Things I like are that it is simple to use, is cloud based so can access from anywhere, and has mobile apps for both Android and iOS. Biggest strength over others I've seen is the integration with QuickBooks is primary and not an afterthought like most softwares. Happy to answer any follow up questions you may have.
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Magnus Högkvist

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Re: Inventory Management for Shows and Rentals
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2021, 11:47:20 AM »

My company has used Adelie Logistics (https://adelielogistics.com) for our event and AV rental equipment for years. It's worked great for our needs. Things I like are that it is simple to use, is cloud based so can access from anywhere, and has mobile apps for both Android and iOS. Biggest strength over others I've seen is the integration with QuickBooks is primary and not an afterthought like most softwares. Happy to answer any follow up questions you may have.

Wow, only 8 years late to the party....
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Mac Kerr

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Read the rules
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2021, 11:56:03 AM »

My company has used Adelie Logistics (https://adelielogistics.com) for our event and AV rental equipment for years.

A little disingenuous since your email address is at adelielogistics.com. Read the rules about manufacturer participation on these forums.

Mac
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Joe Mangum

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Re: Read the rules
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2021, 03:42:13 PM »

A little disingenuous since your email address is at adelielogistics.com. Read the rules about manufacturer participation on these forums.

Mac
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My sincere apologies to everyone here. I'm new to the forum and just trying to get involved and get our name out there. I should have mentioned that this is my software. I also have used it for my rental company (Royalty Rentals in Chandler Arizona) for the past nearly a decade. My focus now is on building and improving the rental software. I definitely don't want to be disingenuous here. I will do better at stating my intentions and being sure to add relevant comments to the topic of conversation. Please, I meant no disrespect.
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Owner/Founder Adelie Logistics Rental Software

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Read the rules
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2021, 03:42:13 PM »


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