BCSS Basic Manual

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Items in red are BCSS Deluxe or Diamond features. They appear here for reference.
Work Areas:
Consignors Customers Disbursements Employees Inventory Sales Settlements
Features:
Agreement Bar Codes Cash Drawer
Receipt Printer		 Discounting
Aged Inventory		 Discounting
Sale Price		 House Account
Labels Layaways Printing Promotions Reports Wish List
Administrative:
Data Backup Data Export Invoice
Header/Footer		 Group Mailing QuickBooks Training Updating
Miscellaneous:
Computer
Maintenance		 Email
Reports		 Function Keys Networking Program Setup Runtime
Errors

Items in red are included in BCSS Deluxe or Diamond, not Basic.
Consignors Inventory Sales Settlements Disbursements Labels
Add/Edit
Delete
Discount 1 Item
Group Mailings
Notes
Sales 1 Consignor
 Add at POS
Price Labels
Bar Codes
Batch Edit
Batch Entry
Discount Aged
 Discounts at POS
New Sale
Refunds/Voids
Resell Items
Reports
Sales Taxes
Bar Codes
Layaways
Special Promotions
Split Payments 		Settlements Explained
Adjustments
Delete/Correct
1 Consignor Settlement
Payment
Auto-Print Checks
Batch Settlement
Split Payment 		Cancel a Check
Check Setup
Print a Check
Process a Check
 Address
Price Labels
Hang Tags
Printer Setup
Bar Codes
Receipt Printer

 Function Keys: One-click access to BCSS areas, functions and features!

 Training Panel: Easy-to-use instructions are presented in the left panel in BCSS Basic. Use 'Hide/Show Training Panel' to show or hide it.

 Right Click: Left-click on an item in the list of consignors, settlements or sales then RIGHT-click on the selected item for a menu of functions like edit, delete, etc.

 Mailbox Feature: Mark individual consignors with notes of action to take at a later time and/or print and mail letters to consignors. (In BCSS, select a Consignor, Edit, Mailbox; or right-click on the consignor and select Edit Mail Box.)

 Start-up tips now appear to help train new employees. Click on View All Tips under Help to see the complete tip list.

Important! BCSS is best viewed if screen resolution is set to 1024x768 (or greater). This is strongly recommended. Also, when BCSS is first opened, resize windows to your liking.

Hints for using this manual:

Overview
(Scroll down for Program Setup.)

Learning BCSS - BCSS Work Areas (for Consignors, Sales, Settlements) are very similar. An understanding of the Consignors Work Area is a head start on becoming familiar with all work areas.

The Training Panel on the left in BCSS is designed to train first-time users. It contains step-by-step instructions for successfully completing the consignment process. Click on 'Hide Training Panel/Show Training Panel' on the Work Areas Tool Bar to hide or view the panel. Resize windows in BCSS after hiding the panel.

BCSS Basic also includes a few pop-up explanation messages in key areas which will only appear once. They may be made to reappear in File, Program Setup, 'Turn confirmation messages back on.'

Please Help Us Help You BCSS is well documented but we always appreciate suggestions. If you don't find something in the manual, please email support support@bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com or call 901-474-2442.

Definitions:

Table - List of Consignors, Sales and Settlements are shown in Work Areas in 2 columns on the right. In this example of a Consignors List, the column names are 'ID' and 'Name'. Clicking on 'ID' or 'Name' sorts the list alphabetically. Click again to sort the list in reverse order. Use the scroll button to scroll through the list or use the blue arrows on the Lower Tool Bar. Double click the blue arrows to auto-scroll. Double click again to stop auto scroll.


Top Tool Bar  Many BCSS functions are accessible through the Top Tool Bar.


Work Areas Tool Bar  A 'Work Area' is a 'main screen' in BCSS where data is entered and manipulated. There are separate Work Areas for Consignors, Sales and Settlements which are accessed by clicking on the icons to the right of 'Work Areas' on the Works Area Tool Bar. The next three images are from the Diamond Edition, Consignors Work Area:


Lower Tool Bars appear below the middle screens:

Details Area  Details of data are viewed in the area below the Lower Tool Bars. Select the tabs at the bottom of the Details Area for a variety of useful information.

Program Setup - Configuring BCSS Basic for Your Shop

On the Top Tool Bar, select File, Program Setup. A window like this one will open -

Setup Screen

If any screen in BCSS is too small, resize the window.

At the top of the Program Setup window are 'tabs' - General, Consignors, Sales and Printers.

Select the General Tab if that screen is not already open.

Check which screen BCSS should display at start up: Consignors or Sales. The latter is most commonly selected for PCs on the sales floor.

Check 'Open a new invoice automatically when starting.' if the New-Sale Screen is to appear each time BCSS starts.

Enter shop information.

Ignore 'Don't display print preview screens.' and 'Don't automatically create work area lists.' They are for 'heavy-duty use'. Use View All to see all records for consignors, settlements and sales.

Leave 'Don't remember Training Message Area width.' blank. If BCSS windows ever 'disappear', put a check in this field, close and reopen BCSS. After the windows return, remove this check.

For training purposes BCSS includes a few pop-up messages which only appear once. To turn them back on, check 'Turn confirmation messages back on.'

Select the Consignors Tab. Set the default city and state for consignors and the default percentage payable to consignors on sales. These values can be entered when entering a new consignor and may be changed at anytime.

Select the Sales Tab.

Check 'Automatically enter 'Cash Sale' for customer name' if Cash Sale is to be auto-entered each time a New-Sales Screen (sales invoice) is opened.

Sales Taxes

Set the Sales Tax description(s) and amount(s). To disable tax collection, set the rate(s) to zero. Tax computation may be disabled by selecting 'Tax-Free' when completing the New-Sale Screen.

Split Taxes

The Shop Totals part of the Sales Recap Report lists sales taxes separately even if they were charged together. There is also a line at the end showing the total non-tax sales.

Invoice Headers and Footers

A header and footer are optional on invoices. Headers normally contain the company name and contact information. Footers might contain a slogan or message like "Thank you for shopping with us!".

The default file paths to Invoice headers and footers files are header.txt and footer.txt. If BCSS was installed in another location, change the file paths to that location.

Use a text editor like Notepad to edit the header and footer text files. Delete all lines in the file and enter the information you wish to appear in the invoice header. Choose File, Save which will save the file in BCSS folder (usually in C:\Program Files\BCSS). Do the same for a footer, editing and saving the file named footer.txt.

The header and footer appear at the bottom of the invoice above and below the blue marker line. These files are in text format (.txt) so text decorations (like bold, italics, centered) are not available.

Select the Printers Tab.

Use the drop-down arrow and select your printer (if its name does not already appear in this field). This is the printer to be used to print address and price labels, reports and sales invoices.

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Consignment Agreement

BCSS includes two 'built in' Consignment Agreements which auto-fill with shop and consignor information. The First Agreement is for first-time Consignors. The Addendum is for repeat Consignors.

In the Consignors Work Area, select a consignor and select 'Print First Agreement'. Preview the Agreement and press the printer icon at the top to print.

Editing the Consignment Agreement

Open the Agreement (original.txt) in Notepad. Make changes. Leave the first 6 lines in the Agreement as BCSS will ignore the first 6 lines. Do not exceed line # 41. Edit the Agreement Addendum (addendum.txt) in the same manner.

Replace (Your Shop Name) with your shop's name. Replace (city, state) in item 11 with your shop's city and state. When finished, select File, Save. Your changes will be saved and will appear in each Consignment Agreement.

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Work Areas

Select options on the Work Areas Tool Bar to move between screens for Consignors, Sales and Settlements. Each screen is a 'Work Area' where data is entered, edited and presented in reports. These screens are colored-coded so that after some use, the colors will be a helpful reminder as to which Work Area is being viewed.

Each Work Area has a table on the right for listing Consignors, Sales and Settlements. Left-click on an item in the list then RIGHT-click on the selected item for a menu of functions like edit, delete, etc.

Reports

Business reports are an integral function of accounting software. BCSS instantly computes and displays important data about your business.

Reports in BCSS may be viewed three different ways:

On-Screen Reports

All consignors, sales and settlements are shown in their respective work areas in 2 columns on the right. In this example of the Consignors List, the column names are 'ID' and 'Name'.

Click on 'ID' or 'Name' to sort the list alphabetically. Click again to reverse sort. Use the scroll button to scroll through the list or use the blue arrows on the Lower Tool Bar.

Double click the blue arrows to auto-scroll. Double click again to stop auto scroll.

BCSS will sort names based upon which name (first or last) was entered as the consignors' names. If names are to be sorted by last name, enter the last name first when adding new consignors.

Tips: Begin each consignor ID with (part or all of) the last name to make identification easy. Use View All to view all records.

Creating Reports

All other BCSS reports are listed under Reports on the Top Tool Bar.

Each report presents an input screen where selections are made to define the content of each report.

Example: Generate a Monthly Sales Report -

Click on Reports on the Top Tool Bar then select Monthly Sales Report. The ensuing screen is an 'input screen' with options to be selected:

In this case, any or all of the options (filters) may be selected: include Invoice List, Payment Recap and/or Shop Totals.

These settings are sometimes referred to as 'filters' because they 'filter out' information not to be included in a report.

Types of BCSS Basic Reports

BCSS Basic includes these essential reports (accessed on the Top Tool Bar under Reports). Click each blue link below for detailed instructions -

Sales Report for One Consignor

  1. On the Top Tool Bar select Reports, 'Items Sold for 1 Consignor'.
  2. Sort the list by clicking on the ID and Name headers.
  3. Use the scroll button on the right to find the consignor or
  4. Enter the consignor's Name or ID in the 2nd white box at the top of the screen and in the 1st box, chose Name or ID. Click the binoculars.
  5. Select the consignor and click OK.
  6. View or print the report that appears.

Consignor Lists ('Reports')

It is often preferable to include only a select few consignors is a list or report.

For example, you might want to know:

There are several reports available in BCSS Basic and over 300 reports available in BCSS Deluxe and Diamond.

How to Generate Consignor Reports

BCSS will need to know which consignors to include in your report. If you want to print address labels for a few consignors, tell BCSS who they are by making settings on the input screen. Here's how:

1. Click on Reports on the Top Tool Bar then Consignor Reports. Under 'Define the Report' Check any of the options (Birthday, Last New Item, etc.) and enter dates and/or price ranges in the From and To fields.

For example, if you want to send birthday cards to active consignors with birthdays in April, and you want address labels for them as well, check Birthday then enter the date range in the From and To boxes.



Boxes must be checked for entered dates to apply.

2. Next, further down, Active is the default setting.

Completing those two steps tells BCSS which consignors are to be included in the list (report). All other consignors (those who are inactive, those with birthdays in other months, those with no birth date entered in BCSS) are omitted or 'filtered out' of this report.

3. Select options under 'Send to Screen' to determine how to sort consignors (in the list on the right):

4. Select options under 'Send to Printer' to print mailing labels or lists.

Mailing Labels

View the labels in the Print-Preview Screen. If the labels are correct, click the printer icon at the top of the Print-Preview Screen to print. Adjustments may be necessary for Label Margins and Label Row Space under Define the Report and in Program Setup, Printers.


Stick-on mailing labels are printed in BCSS on standard Avery-style sheets (30 labels per sheet) using any laser-style or dot-matrix printer.

Please refer to Printing Labels for details on how to print labels.

Print Single Address and Price Labels

Print single labels with the Brother QL-550 Label Maker.

At any time, click View All in any work area to restore all entries in the list to the right.

Email Reports

Any document on your PC may be emailed using this procedure.

Download and install the free PDFfill PDF Writer at http://www.pdfill.com/pdf_writer_free.html.

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Consignors Work Area - Work Areas Tool Bar - Consignors

Things to Know about Consignors:


Press These Buttons for Help on Consignors for:
Reports Consignor % Add Edit Find Delete List Sales for
1 Consignor
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Sort Consignors

The table to the right contains two columns, Consignor IDs and Names. Sort the list by ID by clicking on the column header name 'ID'. (The gray arrow next to ID shows ascending or descending order.) Click it again to reverse the sort order. The same can be done in the 'names' column. Use the scroll button on the right to move the list up and down or use the blue arrows on the Lower Tool Bar to navigate through the list.

 Right Click: Left-click on a consignor then RIGHT-click for a menu of functions like edit, delete, etc.

Consignors Tool Bar

Consignors Details Area

Immediately below the Consignor Tool Bar is the Details Area (which can be toggled off and on with the 'Hide Details/Show Details' button). Select tabs (General, Details, Items, Settlements, Notes) to view details about the consignor selected in the table.

General Account balance for the selected consignor and contact information
Details Account information and dates for several kinds of account activities. Store Credit is the amount settled for credit minus In-House Purchases. As In-House Purchases uses Store Credit, Balance Due plus Store Credit decreases. Balance Credit is a manual adjustment. Positive/negative Balance Credit will subtract/add from/to Consignor balance.
Items List of all inventory with a Tool Bar of inventory-related commands
Settlements List of all settlements with a Tool Bar of settlement-related commands
Notes Notes related to the consignor

Information in the Details Area can NOT can be edited there. To edit consignor information select a consignor in the table and select Edit on the Lower Tool Bar.

Set Consignor Percentage

There are three places to set the consignor percentage:

The default percentage set for the consignor will appear in the Consignment Agreement. Edit the consignor record (Consignor Work Area - Select Consignor - Edit), and then open the Agreement to see the change.

Add a New Consignor

To add a new Consignor, select New on the Lower Tool Bar in the Consignors Work Area. Designate a 'Consignor ID'. Because consignors are often sorted alphabetically, it's best to assign a Consignor ID that readily identifies the consignor. 'Last name and initials' works best.

Complete as much information as desired. Check whether to send mailings and/or sales reports. Set a different Consignor % if applicable (in decimal form, 1 = 100%; .4 = 40%) and choose how to dispose of unsold items. A Consignment Agreement may be printed. Click OK to enter the new consignor into the database.

Edit a Consignor

To edit a consignor select the consignor from the table then select Edit. Make changes and Click OK.

Consignor Notes

Two different types of notes may be made for each consignor - those for the consignor to see and those for shop eyes only.

Notes to Consignors - The Mailbox Feature

n the Consignor Work Area, select a consignor from the table then select 'Edit' from the Tool Bar. Click on 'Mail Box'. Enter comments. These notes may be printed for delivery to the consignor.

Shop Notes

In the Consignor Work Area, select a consignor from the table then select 'Edit' from the Tool Bar. Click on Notes. Enter comments. These notes can not be printed from within BCSS but they can be copied and pasted into a text editor, formatted and printed from there.

Find a Consignor

Delete a Consignor

A consignor record can not be deleted. Deleting consignors would break BCSS's record-keeping/reporting functions. Instead of deleting a consignor record, edit the consignor's record and mark it as Inactive. When viewing consignor lists and reports, elect to view only Active Consignors to exclude Inactive Consignors.

Click here for help with printing.

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Inventory Work Area - Work Areas Tool Bar - Inventory

Only sold inventory is entered in Basic. If you wish to track and discount unsold inventory, please use Deluxe or Diamond. (View Deluxe/Diamond inventory details.)

Things to Know about Inventory:

Press These Buttons for Help on Inventory for:
Add New Inventory Discount 1 Item Print Price Labels
(Use the browser Back Button to return to this location.)

Add New Inventory

In BCSS Basic, inventory is added at the time of sale on the New-Sale Screen. A description of each item and its price are entered and the owner of the item is designated.

Procedure for Adding Inventory:

  1. Click on Sales Work Area on the Work Areas Tool Bar.
  2. Click New Sale on the Lower Tool Bar.
  3. Enter as much of the buyer's information as desired.
  4. Check Sending Mailings if the buyer is to be added to the mailings list.
  5. Check Non-Taxable if the invoice is not to be taxed.
  6. In the table click the yellow box below Description and enter a description of the item (up to 20 characters).
  7. Change the Quantity if necessary.
  8. Enter a price and select the owner under Consignor.
  9. Select Terms and Payment Method.
  10. Enter a dollar amount for a discount if applicable.
  11. Enter the amount received from the buyer in the Paid box. Any change due will display in the Due field (as a negative #).
  12. If an item is to be removed from the invoice, select the item (left click on it) and select Remove Item (at the bottom).
  13. If additional items are to be added, click Click to Add Another Item. Another row will appear to accommodate the entry.
  14. When all entries are complete, click Print (before Save) to print the invoice or skip printing by clicking on Save to save the invoice. (The invoice may be viewed/printed at a later time in the Sales Work Area.)

After sales are completed, it is necessary to process settlements to compute what is owned consignors. See the Settlements section for instructions.

Editing Invoices

Once an invoice has been saved, only the date of the invoice may be changed. To change anything else, the invoice must be voided and a new one created.

Voiding returns all items on an invoice to inventory so they can be sold again. Employee and consignor balances are adjusted. If the sale is voided after settling with consignor and employees, those past settlements and commissions aren't reversed. Adjustment will need to be made to future settlements and commissions.

Discounting One Item

All inventory items can be automatically or manually discounted in BCSS Deluxe and Diamond as items become 'aged', i.e., as they remain unsold and become eligible for a discount. Individual items may be discounted separately by price, percentage or dollar amount. Promotional discounts are auto-entered by BCSS (during a Special Promotion only).

This is the Basic Edition of BCSS wherein inventory is not entered prior to the sale but at the point of sale. Any discounts applicable are entered on the New-Sale Screen at the point of sale.

Printing Price Labels for Unsold Inventory

Print price labels either using BCSS Basic or the Brother QL-550 Label Maker.

Using BCSS Basic to Print Price Labels

Even though unsold inventory is not pre-entered in Basic, price labels may be printed by entering a short description and price and selecting item owners on an entry screen. Any standard laser-style printer may be used. Dot Matrix printers may not be used.

Scroll down for instructions or click here.

Using the Brother QL-550 Label Maker to Print Price Labels

This method of printing labels requires the purchase of the Brother Label Maker. It can create customized labels with logos, symbols, bar codes, art-work, photos and TrueType fonts and prints up to 50 standard address labels per minute. It can print one label at a time, avoiding wasted sheets of partially-used labels.

The best Internet price we found ($126) was here: http://www.suitesupply.com/QL-550-Electronic-Label-Maker.BRTQL550.01.htm

More information about the printer:
http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/BSC/public/us/us_ot/en/model_top/P-touch/ql550eus.html?reg=us&c=us_ot⟨=en∏=ql550eus

Print Price Labels Using Basic

Warning! Before attempting to print using BCSS, it is imperative that you go to File, Program Setup, Printers in the BCSS Main Menu and designate a printer. Any price-labels data entered will be lost if this is not done.

Tags to Use:

Labels are printed for unsold items in Basic with LaserJet or inkjet printers (not dot matrix) on small stick-on labels (1/2" x 1-3/4" - 80 labels per sheet) -

'Stick-On' Small Price Labels
(small price tags to stick on items)		 LaserJet Inkjet Dot Matrix
Avery # 5167 8167 not used
Size 1/2" x 1-3/4" 1/2" x 1-3/4"
Labels per Sheet 80 80

The labels may be obtained from local office supply stores. Refer to the Avery label # or make sure to obtain Stick-On Labels, '4 labels across, 20 down'.

Printing Price Labels Using BCSS Basic

Warning! Before attempting to print using BCSS, it is imperative that you go to File, Program Setup, Printers in the BCSS Main Menu and designate a printer. Any price-labels data entered will be lost if this is not done.

On the Main Menu select Reports, Print Price Labels -

The Price-Labels Entry Screen opens -

For each item -

Avoid Wasting Labels

Using Hang Tags

Pricing information may be printed directly onto hang tags using BCSS Deluxe or Diamond. (You are currently using the BCSS Basic Demo.)

To use hang tags with BCSS Basic, print stick-on labels and affix the labels to hang tags.

If only a few labels are needed, it may be preferable to print single labels using the Brother QL-550 Label Maker.

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Sales Work Area

These BCSS Deluxe or Diamond features are presented here for reference.
Scroll down for instructions regarding sales for BCSS Basic.
Bar Codes Layaways Pending
Sales		 Refunds Rentals Sales Tax Sales
Reports		 Sale Report
1 Consignor
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Sales in BCSS Basic

Things to Know about Sales:

BCSS Basic - Process a New Sale

To Process a Sale:

  1. Click on Sales Work Area on the Work Areas Tool Bar.
  2. Click New Sale on the Lower Tool Bar.
  3. Enter as much of the buyer's information as desired.
  4. Check Sending Mailings if the buyer is to be added to the mailings list.
  5. Check Non-Taxable if the invoice is not to be taxed.
  6. In the table click the yellow box below Description and enter a description of the item (up to 20 characters).
  7. Change the Quantity if necessary.
  8. Enter a price and select the owner under Consignor.
  9. Select Terms and Payment Method.
  10. Enter a dollar amount for a discount if applicable.
  11. Enter the amount received from the buyer in the Paid box. Any change due will display in the Due field (as a negative #).
  12. If an item is to be removed from the invoice, select the item (left click on it) and select Remove Item (at the bottom).
  13. If additional items are to be added, click Click to Add Another Item. Another row will appear to accommodate the entry.
  14. When all entries are complete, click Print (before Save) to print the invoice or skip printing by clicking on Save to save the invoice. (The invoice may be viewed/printed at a later time in the Sales Work Area.)

BCSS Basic - Sales Report for One Consignor

  1. On the Top Tool Bar select Reports, 'Items Sold for 1 Consignor'.
  2. Sort the list by clicking on the ID and Name headers.
  3. Use the scroll button on the right to find the consignor or
  4. Enter the consignor's Name or ID in the 2nd white box at the top of the screen and in the 1st box, chose Name or ID. Click the binoculars.
  5. Select the consignor and click OK.
  6. View or print the report that appears.

Items Sold Today Report

  1. On the Top Tool Bar select Reports, 'Items Sold Today'.
  2. View or print the report that appears.

Daily, Weekly, Monthly or Yearly Sales Reports

  1. On the Top Tool Bar select Reports and the time period.
  2. Choose which sections to include and click Print.
  3. View or print the report.

BCSS Deluxe and Diamond contain over 300 reports including Consignors, Inventory, Sales, Settlements and Disbursements.

Full Refund for Returned Item - Sales Work Area - Credit Memo

A credit can not be done for an item that has been deleted from inventory. It's advisable not to delete inventory items for a lengthy period of time.

Select Credit Memo in the Tool Bar. Complete as much customer information as desired. Check Return. Enter the Item # and press the Retrieve Item Info button, or press the Item List button to select the item from the list. (If the item has been deleted from inventory, it will not appear in the list.)

Return the amount shown in Due to the customer. Print if necessary and select Save to save the transaction.

The total purchase price is refunded. The item is returned to Inventory and Consignor records are adjusted.

Partial Refund - Sales Work Area - Credit Memo

If the customer will keep a purchased item, but is to receive a partial refund, complete as much customer information as desired and check Discount. Enter the item # or press the Item List button and select the item from the list. (If the item has been deleted from inventory, it will not appear in the list.)

Change the unit price to reflect the amount of credit. If more than one item is involved change the quantity. Taxes will be computed automatically.

Return the amount shown in Due to the customer. Print if necessary and select Save to save the transaction.

A discount transaction (partial refund) will reduce store revenue and consignor account balance but will not change inventory.

Settlements and commissions paid will not be changed in either case. Consignor and employee records both provide ways to adjust account balances if necessary. It is also possible to void an invoice and have seller commission also corrected (only if the employee has not been paid commission for the items on the invoice).

Void a Sale - Top Tool Bar - Sales - Void Sale

Note: Reversals for discounts and partial returns can be made using the credit memo function.

The Void-Sale function will completely erase a sale.

To Void a Sale:

Once an invoice has been saved, only the date of the invoice may be changed. To change anything else, the invoice must be voided and a new one created.

Voiding an invoice before or after settlement returns all items on the invoice to inventory. The Consignor's share of the sale and the employee's commission are reversed. Voiding after settlement does not reverse the settlement and commission. Those amounts can be deducted from future settlements and commissions.

Sales Taxes - Sales Work Area - New Sales

On the New-Sale Screen, Sales Taxes are automatically calculated and displayed. Put a check in the non-taxable field for non-tax items while processing the sale. (Sales Taxes are set in File, Program Setup, Sales.)

Discounts at Point of Sale

Discounting is made simple in BCSS Basic. On the New-Sale Screen, enter a dollar amount of the total of all discounts to be deducted from the sale total. The discount will appear on the invoice (receipt).

Discount a single item by reducing its price.

BCSS Deluxe and Diamond provide advanced features for discounting. (See details.)

Layaways

A 'layaway' is an item purchased, paid for over time and delivered to the buyer upon completion of payments. Layaways are somewhat common in the consignment business. They afford buyers to purchase basically on credit and it facilitates sales for the shop.

In a typical layaway transaction, buyer and seller agree upon the items to be purchased, the amount and time of payments. There may be some provision for the disposition of payments made if scheduled payments are not made or not made on time. Of course store owners may be somewhat lenient in regards to slow or late payments.

House Account

In BCSS Basic, use a House Account (an account for the shop) to sell items belonging to the shop or use multiple House Accounts for selling items belonging to more than one shop owner/employee or for selling categorized items (like items from a specific supplier).

House accounts are used in BCSS Deluxe and Diamond to auto-transfer unsold items to the House Account where it may be sold at a reduced price without affecting the original consignor account. (details)

Using a House Account in BCSS Basic

1. Set Up a House Account for the Shop

2. Process Sales of Shop-Owned Inventory

When a shop-owned item is brought to check out, open the New Sale Screen (in the Sales Work Area). When selecting a consignor for the item, select the House Account. All other procedures are the same for selling consignments.

Multiple house accounts may be used to track sales for identification purposes. Set up different accounts for items sold which belong more than one shop owner, for categories of items, for groups of items from the suppliers, etc.

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Settlements Work Area

Things to Know about Settlements:

Press These Buttons for Help on Settlements for:
Settlements
Explained		 1 Consignor Settlement Delete
Correct		 Payment Split
Payment		 Adjustments Batch
Settlement		 Auto-Print Checks
(Use the browser Back Button to return to this location.)

A 'Sale' increases shop owner income and the consignor's account balance. A 'Settlement' is the resolution of a sale, allocating sales proceeds to balances due shop owner and consignor. A 'Settlement' decreases owner and consignor balances due.

New Settlement for One Consignor - Settlements Work Area - New

Select New on the Lower Tool Bar in the Settlements Work Area. If sales have been processed, a list of consignors will be displayed. Choose a consignor for settlement.

A screen will appear listing unsettled sales. Check items to be included in the settlement. (Use 'Check All' and 'Check None' for convenience.) Unchecked items will reappear the next time this consignor is chosen. The total settlement due is automatically calculated and entered. A Settlement # is auto-displayed in the Settlement # field.

Enter any additional amounts or deductions. Enter notes for the consignor and/or for the shop. Click 'Save and Exit' or 'Save, Print, Exit' to print.

Settlement Payment for One Consignor

Payment is made by selecting options and entering the Payment Amount in 'Payments for This Settlement'. There is accommodation for two payments, Payment 1 and Payment 2, for split payments, if any.

Split Payments

Payments to consignors may be split into 2 of these methods - Cash, Store Credit and Gift Certificate. For Payment 1 select a method from the drop-down menu under Payment Method and select another for Payment 2, entering the amounts for each under 'Amount'.

Shop Credit increases when settlements are made for credit. The Total Account Balance will remain the same while removing the sold inventory from the unsettled list. The outstanding account balance can then be used to purchase goods from the store.

Settlement Adjustments

A settlement can be increased or decreased manually by entering an amount in the Additional Amount or Deductions. Settlement totals will be adjusted accordingly. Use 'Payment Notes' (not shown on printed Settlement Form) and 'Additional Notes' (shown on the Settlement Form) to notate the manual entries.

Note that neither individual nor batch settlement will take account balance adjustments (pluses) nor account balance credits (minuses) into account. The settlement will be exclusively for amounts owed consignors for inventory sold. To clear a negative consignor account balance, process a settlement amount for credit. To clear a positive account balance left after all settlements have been processed, process a consignor Credit Purchase, or adjust the balance away in the consignor edit screen.

Correct a Settlement

A settlement can not be changed after it is saved. To correct a settlement, delete the existing settlement and create a new settlement by choosing New Settlement on the Lower Tool Bar.

Delete a Settlement - Click to select the settlement from the list of settlements in the Settlements Work Area. Either RIGHT-click and select Delete Settlement or select Delete Settlement from the Lower Tool Bar. The item is deleted from the list.

When a settlement is created, a disbursement record is auto-created in BCSS. The disbursement document is not deleted when a settlement is deleted. Go to the Disbursements Work Area and mark affected disbursements as canceled. If this is not done and the settlement is regenerated, two disbursements will appear in the list of disbursements.

Batch Settlement - Settlements Work Area - Aged Batch Settlements

This feature is available only in BCSS Deluxe or Diamond. The Information for this feature appears below for reference.

Select Aged Batch Settlements. The screen lists all consignors who have settlements due along with a variety of information including Settlement Amounts.

Aged Batch Settlements includes only sales for prior months. Use Batch Settlements in the Consignors Work Area for sales in the current month.

Check all consignors whose accounts are to be settled. (Use 'Check All' and 'Check None' for convenience.) Select a Payment Method. If groups of consignors are to be paid by different methods (Cash, Check, Credit, Gift Certificate), select the payment method and only select consignors who are to be paid by that method. Ignore the check # if consignors are being paid other than by check.

Click OK. The Batch Settlement screen will close leaving the Settlements Work Area in view. In the background BCSS will make the necessary calculations and adjustments to accounts. Proceed from here to Disbursements to print checks, to Employees to pay commissions, or do these at another time.

Print Settlement Checks Automatically

This feature is available only in BCSS Deluxe or Diamond. The Information for this feature appears below for reference.

In the Main Menu, select Consignors, Batch Settlements (or 'Aged Batch Settlements' in the Settlements Tool Bar). Select the consignors to be settled. Complete the batch settlement document. Make sure your hardware is ready and click on Print Checks.

It is advisable to test print to assure checks are printing properly before doing a batch print.

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Disbursements

A 'Disbursement' is money paid out in any form for any reason. In BCSS Disbursements (or payments) are categorized as Bill (utility bill e.g.), Cash Withdrawal or Other. (BCSS uses Other for Settlements and Commissions that are not paid by cash.)

Disbursements can not be deleted, but they may be edited and set to be cancelled. Doing so will prevent them from appearing in reports.

Press These Buttons for:
Check Setup Process a Check Cancel a Check Print a Check
(Use the browser Back Button to return to this location.)

Checks

Buy blank check stock at the local office supply and have them printed with your shop name, address, bank information, routing number and account number. Three checks per page is the most common format. If not already done, go to File, Program Setup, General and select either one check per page or three.

Things to Know about Checks:

Check Setup

Process a Check

Cancel a Check

Select the check from the table, select Edit Disbursement and select Not Approved, then OK. Cancelled checks do consume a check number, but do not affect store income.

Print a Check

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Employees Work Area

This feature is available only in BCSS Diamond. The Information for this feature appears below for reference.

Employees and Consignors are similar in BCSS accounting, except mainly that employees are assigned commission %s and receive commissions while consignors agree to consignment %s and receive settlements.

Things to Know about Employees:

Familiarity with the Consignors Work Area and its functions pretty much assures an understanding of BCSS accounting for employees. Please read the Consignors Section if necessary.

BCSS Employee Data Includes:

Employees Reports

Report Filters are located under 'Define the Report' at the top. These filters define the information to be included in Printed Reports and Displayed Reports. Choosing fewer filters and/or wider date ranges can increase the number of entries included in reports.

Example: Selecting View All will show all employees in the table. Checking Last Sale under Define the Report and setting the date range to the last 2 weeks and clicking on New Sales Count > 0 will show only those employees who have made sales within the past 2 weeks.

Editing an Employee Record

Highlight the employee whose record you want to edit and click on the Edit button in the Tool Bar. Make changes and Click OK.

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Customers Work Area

This feature is available only in BCSS Diamond. The Information for this feature appears below for reference.

Things to Know about Customers:

Customer tracking is simple and straight forward. Essential information is displayed in the Details Area at the bottom of the work area screen: Name, Customer ID, Address, Phone Numbers, Email Address and Date of Last Purchase. (Use Edit on the Lower Tool Bar to change customer information.)

Customer information may be recorded at the point of sale by completing the Bill-To Fields on the New-Sales Screen, or customer information may be added in the Customers Work Area using the New button on the Lower Tool Bar. When adding a new customer, check Send Mailings if the customer is to receive mailings.

Find a customer by using the blue left and right arrows on the Lower Tool Bar, or by using the Search Function. Select Name or ID from the drop-down menu. Enter the first or last name and click on the binoculars.

Bad Check List

This feature is available only in BCSS Deluxe or Diamond. The Information for this feature appears below for reference.

The View Invoice screen has a button labeled 'Bad Check'. If payment was not made by check, this button has no effect. If payment was made by check, all amounts paid by check on the invoice will be displayed with a line drawn through them. Bad-check sales are not included in sales reports unless the 'Report should only include bad checks' filter is checked. They do appear if 'View All' or one of the time periods in the Lower Tool Bar are selected.

If a customer has a bad check, the invoice number will appear on the general tab at the bottom in the box labeled 'Bad Check' in the Customers Work Area.

Customer Reports

Data related to customers may be Printed or Displayed (in the table) as reports. Set report filters under Define the Report to include only desired information in a report.

Print Reports

These reports may be printed:

Example: To generate Mailing Labels (a form of a report) for all customers who are to receive mailings,

Display Reports

Reports may be 'displayed' in the table. Use the View All button to view all customers. Use filters under Define the Report and the buttons under Send Report to Screen to select information to be displayed. The types of reports available are:

Example: To view only those customers who have made a purchase within the past month who are currently Active and who are to receive mailings, and to have the list presented in order of dates of last purchases:

See Group Mailings for procedures for sending mail to select groups of customers.

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Printer Setup

Things to Know about Printing:

Printing with BCSS Basic:

Printing with BCSS Deluxe and Diamond:

Reference Chart for BCSS Printing
To Print: Use:
Address Labels (automatic) BCSS Deluxe/Diamond
Address Labels (manual) Brother QL-550 Label Maker
or Basic
Bar Codes Diamond
Hang Tags (Print directly on hang tags.) Deluxe/Diamond
Hang Tags (Print labels to stick on hang tags.) Brother QL-550 Label Maker
or any BCSS Edition
Notes All Editions
Price Labels (automatic) Deluxe/Diamond
Price Labels (manual) Brother QL-550 Label Maker
Basic
Reports Any BCSS Edition
Sales Invoices Any BCSS Edition
Two-Ply Receipts Deluxe/Diamond


Press these buttons for help on printing:
Address Labels Bar Codes Checks Hang Tags Price Labels Receipts Reports
(Use the browser Back Button to return to this location.)

BCSS is compatible with any laser, inkjet, bubblejet or dot matrix printer.

On the Inventory tab in Program Setup (under File in BCSS), for small labels only (1/2" x 1-3/4"), check 'Wide Format' for laser printers or 'Narrow Format' for Ink/Bubblejet printers. These options change the distance between columns printed. (Some laser printers need more space between columns.) The only way to determine which is right is to try both and see which works best. To avoid wasting labels, print on a white sheet of paper and hold the sheet and a sheet of labels together up to light.

Most laser-style printers use margin settings (Left) 350 and (Top) 800. For 'All-in-One' fax/printer/copier/scanners, try settings of (Left) 350 and (Top) in the 1900 to 2100 range (Hewlett-Packard: 1500).

Please note: If Windows is reinstalled, printer settings must be restored. Reset them in Program Setup, Sales Tab. This does not apply if BCSS is reinstalled.

Labels

Things to Know about Labels:

Press These Buttons for Labels Help for:
Address Labels Hang Tags Price Labels
(Use the browser Back Button to return to this location.)

Print Address Labels in BCSS Basic

Address Labels are be printed for Consignors on standard 1" x 2-5/8" labels - 30 per sheet - 3 across, ten down. Before attempting to print in BCSS, test print in another program to assure that the printer is working properly.

Tell BCSS for whom to print labels. Here's how:

1. Click on Reports on the Top Tool Bar then Consignor Reports. Under 'Define the Report' Check any of the options (Birthday, Last New Item, etc.) and enter dates and/or price ranges in the From and To fields. These settings will cause BCSS to include only those consignors who meet the criteria selected.

For example, if you want to send birthday cards to only active consignors with birthdays in April, check Birthday then enter the date range in the From and To boxes.



Boxes must be checked for entered dates to apply.

2. Next, further down, Active is the default setting.

Completing those two steps tells BCSS which consignors are to be included. All other consignors (those who are inactive, those with birthdays in other months, those with no birth date entered in BCSS) are omitted or 'filtered out' of this report (list of consignors).

3. Select Print Mailing Labels under Send to Printer.

When the list of mailing labels is correct, when printing for the first time, print labels on a white sheet of paper and hold the printed sheet and a sheet of labels together up to light to verify that the print aligns with the labels. If so, print only one sheet of labels for a second verification. If that's OK, add more sheets of labels to the printer tray and finish printing.

If labels are not printing correctly, check settings in Program Setup and check Left and Right Margin Settings in the Reports Area. Most laser-style printers use margin settings (Left) 350 and (Top) 800. For 'All-in-One' fax/printer/copier/scanners, try settings of (Left) 350 and (Top) in the 1900 to 2100 range. For the Hewlett-Packard All-in-One: 1500

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Consignor Credit Purchase

Select Consignor Credit Purchase from Sales in the Top Tool Bar. From the list of consignors having a positive Credit Balance, select a consignor and press OK.

Use any of these methods to select items being purchased:

The New-Sales Screen has default entries showing the payment method as 'Consignor', along with the amount of the credit in the 'Paid' field. The balance here will be zero unless a settlement for credit was previously processed. The balance here is the same as Store Credit on the Details tab in the Consignors Work Area.

Change the amount paid to reflect the cost of the purchase.

Inventory is reduced, income for the day is increased and the cost of the purchase is deducted from the Consignor's Account Balance. Consignor purchases reduce Shop Credit. Reducing Shop Credit reduces the Account Balance.

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Wish List

A Wish List is a record of items customers wish to buy.

To enter Wish-List items, select 'New Wish List Entry' on the Top Tool Bar, Sales. Specify a Description, a Category and Item Details plus as much customer contact information as desired.

BCSS will search for items based upon the Description and Details entered so place the most descriptive words first to describe each item in the Wish List. Click OK when finished. When the New Request window closes, the View-Wish-List Screen automatically opens. [didn't open]

The View-Wish-List Screen has two tables:

Below the lower table are two radio buttons. When the dot is in the 'Match Categories' choice, the lower table will show items in the database with the same category as the chosen request in the table above.

Similarly, when the dot is in 'Match Description and Details', the lower table will display items in inventory that match the text in both the description and the details records of the selected request. Matches returned might contain more than the search text, but they will at least contain all of it.

Select a request in the upper table after changing the matching choice to see the lower table list changed to reflect the new choice.

Use buttons labeled Edit/View Selected Request and Delete Selected Request if needed.

To sell a selected match, select the item and press Sell Selected Match (at the bottom). Follow the procedures for completing the New-Sales Screen. the item and customer contact information will be pre-entered. More items can be added to this New Sale by entering in Item # or selecting from the Item List.

View the Wish List by selecting View Wish List under Sales in the Top Tool Bar.

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Exporting Data to Other Programs

Data may be exported from BCSS to CSV files to be used in other programs for group mailings or data manipulation.

To Export Data:

The CSV file will contain all fields included in BCSS. The vendors.csv file, for example, will contain fields (columns) named Consignor, ID, Name, Street1, Street2, City, State, etc. The sales.csv file will contain customer information.

Open the CSV file in Excel (or any spread sheet program). Delete unwanted columns and rows. Save the file.

This completes the export of data from BCSS to a usable form with other programs. Please refer to the documentation of other programs to learn how to use the data. Instructions for some of the more common consignment shop tasks appear below.

Group Mailings

Refer to the paragraphs just above for outputting data from BCSS to be used in group email and snail mail.

Email - Create the consignor.csv file as described above. Open consignor.csv in Excel (or a spread sheet program). One of the columns will be email addresses created from consignor records in BCSS. Edit out any undesirable addresses. The email addresses (one per line) may be copied and pasted into the BCC field of an email message. Place your own email address in the To: field of the email. Attach any attachments and write a subject and message in the email then send. To check for errors, send a test email to yourself before sending the email to the group. Caution: Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) may ban your account for sending bulk email. To avoid this, your email program should send your email in small groups, usually 20 or fewer recipients per group.

Snail Mail - Open a database program like Microsoft Access and create a new database. (File, New, Database - Choose a name and save the file.) Select 'Create table by entering data'.

Select File, Get External Data, Import. In the new window, at the bottom, change the file type to 'Text .csv'. Navigate to the location of the saved file. Select it and select 'Import'. Select Delimited, Next, Comma, Next, In a New Table, Finish. A message should appear indicating that the import is finished. Click OK. Close the database. Select File, Open and select the database just created. Keep this open for future reference.

Open Microsoft Word. Select Tools, Mail Merge, Create. Select Form Letters to create the form letter. (Return here later to create mailing labels or envelopes.) Select 'Active Window'.

Select Get Data, Open Data Source. Change 'Files of type' to .mdb (MS Access Databases). Locate the saved database created above. In the Tables tab, select the database by the name selected above.

Select 'Edit Main Document'. Save the file. Write the letter you wish to send to recipients. Insert 'Merge Fields' where the word will vary from one letter to the next. For example, if your letter will begin 'Dear [Consignor's name]', enter 'Dear', a space, then select the 'Insert Merge Field' icon on the Top Tool Bar.

Select the field to be entered at this point in the document. We didn't bother to rename columns in the database before, so the field names are nondescriptive - 'Field 1', etc. Go back to the database and observe the name of the field you wish to enter at this point. The 'name field' is named 'Field 2' so select 'Field 2' to be inserted after 'Dear', space. <<Field2<< will be entered in the document. Place a comma immediately after <<Field2<< and finish the letter, replacing variable words (if any) by inserting other fields. Save Changes.

Preview what the letter will look like with words replacing variable fields by clicking on the 'abc' icon and the left-right arrows on the Lower Tool Bar.

When the document is finished, spell check, then select Tools, Mail Merge, Merge, then Merge to New Document, Merge. All new letters are created and ready for printing.

Repeat this process to create mailing labels or envelopes. Please refer to Microsoft Help on the Top Tool Bar for assistance. Search for 'Mail Merge'.

Exporting Data to QuickBooks

Things to Know about QuickBooks:

BCSS records are exported to a data file then imported into QuickBooks. The columns of records in BCSS for consignors, vendors, employees, sales, inventory and checks are separated in the output data file by commas, so this type of file is commonly called a 'comma-separated' or 'comma-delimited' file with file names ending in .csv. QuickBooks data-file names end in .iif.

First, set up a 'company file' in QuickBooks before importing data. This creates a 'Chart of Accounts' and only needs to be done once. (See QuickBooks Help for details and for setting preferences.)

When BCSS output is imported into QuickBooks, no changes are made to existing accounts and new accounts, if any, are added.

Exporting All Data to QuickBooks

To transfer all records for consignors, vendors, employees, sales, inventory and checks to QuickBooks (for the first time, or to replace a corrupted QuickBooks file) -

Updating All QuickBooks Records

Make sure the option mentioned above is NOT checked (to avoid duplicate records in QuickBooks).

BCSS will export all consignor, vendor and inventory records. QuickBooks will update changed records and add new ones.

The simple way to avoid having to remember exporting consignors and vendors first is to export all data daily (or however often needed).

Updating Select QuickBooks Records

Records for consignors, vendors, employees, sales, inventory or checks may be updated separately.

Be sure to export the consignor & vendor list first if there are new entries.

General Considerations

QuickBooks will not accept a check unless the vendor or consignor payee is already on file, so to write a check for a new vendor or consignor, export the consignor and vendor list first. Otherwise, QuickBooks will give an error message and not import the record. This is most important because checks and sales can only be exported once from BCSS.

Be sure to record both names before exporting. It is possible to edit the iif file and insert a last name if it has been left out. This requires just a little in the way of computer skill. QuickBooks will accept 'Cash Sale' as first and last name. For vendor company names, add Co. or Inc. if necessary.

When exporting to QuickBooks, to assure there will never be a sale of non-existent inventory, a check for a payee not in the QuickBooks vendor list, or a transaction for which QuickBooks does not have an account, export files in this order:

QuickBooks does not recognize cash withdrawals from store funds. QuickBooks requires that checks be written for all disbursements so BCSS only exports check disbursements to QuickBooks. This will cause a discrepancy between what BCSS says about current funds and what QuickBooks says. We strongly recommend following the QuickBooks discipline of using checks for everything. This means no settlements for credit.

The one exception to the checks-only rule is that QuickBooks will accept a credit memo where the customer is given cash refund. BCSS does report these to QuickBooks, however, BCSS recognizes the difference between a partial refund where the customer keeps the item and a full refund where the customer returns the item. As far as QuickBooks is concerned, all credit memos are for returned items.

BCSS allows a number of disbursement methods but QuickBooks does not know about settlements for credit or cash.

BCSS will not export voided invoices.

QuickBooks will accept inventory items from BCSS but it will not accept a quantity on hand. That must be input manually. BCSS does pass the quantity for each item as a custom field. To view custom fields for a QuickBooks item, first right-select the item and choose edit from the list. Then select custom fields. On the pop-up screen, select define fields. This generates another popup with a column of five fields. Put a check in the top check box. In the top label window, enter quantity and click OK. The quantity for this item is viewable but the same number for quantity needs to be put in the place where QuickBooks actually expects to find quantities in the item record.

QuickBooks does not know about Consignor ID's so BCSS provides a custom field option for that as well. Right click the consignor. Choose edit. The rest is much the same. Consignors have Consignor IDs. Vendors do not. QuickBooks puts them both in the same list, so be sure to select a consignor to see the Consignor ID in the custom field.

House Account Feature

This feature is included in BCSS. It is not included in some other software programs and costs extra to add.

Use the House Account to sell items belonging to the shop and/or use it to transfer old inventory to the House Account where it may be sold at a reduced price without affecting the original consignor account.

To enable the House-Account feature, go to File, Program Setup, Consignor and check 'Enable the House Account?'. This will add the House Account to the consignor list. This feature may be unchecked later. The House Account consignor record may be edited or the House Account may be marked inactive. Either of those options will have the same effect.

If the House Account is marked as inactive, it will still appear in the consignor list, unless 'Active Consignors Only' is selected, in which case the House Account will not appear. Once the House Account is created it needs to remain in the database for reporting purposes, even if it is inactive.

Use the House Account to Resell

To have a House Account for items purchased from suppliers or other sources, create one or more consignor records and designate them as House Accounts then select the appropriate 'consignor' when entering inventory. Shop owners use such accounts to track inventory for various groups: inventory owned by the shop (perhaps a partnership), owned by individual shop owners, for categories of inventory, for groups of items from the same supplier, etc.

To Transfer Old Inventory to the House Account:

This feature is available only in BCSS Deluxe or Diamond. The Information for this feature appears below for reference.

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Updating BCSS

Every software program is a work in progress. Improvements are made. Bugs are fixed. Special situations are addressed. Updating BCSS is free, and doing so regularly will keep BCSS fresh on your computer with the latest improvements.

It's also a very good idea to perform basic computer maintenance regularly.
See http://www.bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com/pc-maintenance.htm

Perhaps as often as once per month, check for the latest version of BCSS by visiting
http://www.bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com/updates.htm.

Updating BCSS may require that your database be sent to support for upgrading. Please email support support@bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com or call 901-474-2442 to make that determination.

How to 'zip' and email your database to support: Go to C:\Program Files. Right-click on the BCSS folder, then copy. Paste the folder onto the desktop. Open the BCSS folder ON THE DESKTOP and delete bcss.exe. Go up one level, back to the desktop. Right click on the BCSS folder. Select Send To, Compressed (Zipped) Folder. A new file named BCSS.zip will be added to the desktop. Attached the BCSS.zip folder to an email to support.

To Update:

Once finished BCSS will be like new.

Runtime Errors

Runtime errors are often caused by PC resources (clock speed, memory, disk space) depleting. When a runtime error is encountered, please reboot your PC and attempt to run the program again. That usually relieves all non-program-related errors. If the problem persists, please contact support.

The most recent version of this manual is online at
http://www.bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com/intro-manual.htm. (Save the manual to the BCSS folder.) Images will not show as the manual is viewed online but will show when the manual is saved to the BCSS folder.



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