# Wine Inventory Software



## midvale (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi All,

Does anybody here have experience with wine inventory software? We don't have a huge wine collection, just a 30-bottle fridge and then a few boxes in the basement, but it would be nice to have some way of keeping track of what is where.

I'm looking for something that will track the inventory using barcodes so you can scan in bottles as you add and remove them. From what I've seen on Google searches, it doesn't look like any support UPC; you need to create your own barcode labels. If there is a database somewhere that links to Canadian wine UPCs, that would be great. It would also be nice to export the list to Excel so I can carry it around on my Palm.

Any info appreciated!

midvale


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

There is Palm software for wine cellaring but I don't think it links back to any particular software on the PC/Mac.

I would try Bento and see what you can create for yourself. Won't have barcode support but that shouldn't be a killer in the long run.


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## johnnyspade (Aug 24, 2007)

Your timing is weird as someone else just asked me about this. With only 30 bottles a spreadsheet may even suffice. You can trial this as well: Wine Cellar


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## Benito (Nov 17, 2007)

I keep track of my wine, I have a 150 bottle cellar, on an Excel spreadsheet. Nothing fancy, but this way I can keep track of when bottles should be ready to drink.


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## limabean (Aug 1, 2003)

*versiontracker*

go to Mac OS X Software Updates and Mac OS X Downloads - VersionTracker (Mac OS X) and do a search using the word "wine", there are pleanty of options there.


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## Lichen Software (Jul 23, 2004)

*Hand held USB bar code scanners*



midvale said:


> I'm looking for something that will track the inventory using barcodes so you can scan in bottles as you add and remove them. From what I've seen on Google searches, it doesn't look like any support UPC; you need to create your own barcode labels. If there is a database somewhere that links to Canadian wine UPCs, that would be great. It would also be nice to export the list to Excel so I can carry it around on my Palm.
> 
> Any info appreciated!
> 
> midvale


You should be able to find a USB hand held scanner that will read the existing bar code. I have one program where clients scan membership cards as people enter the building. The scanner just reads the code and plunks it into the database. It will also plunk it into a word processor or a spread sheet.

Printing your own bar codes is another story. You need the bar code fonts to do it on the computer. My client just bought a bar code lable printer instead. It was simpler and cheaper.

Whipping up a little program for that does not sound like a big deal. What fields of information do you want to capture and what functions do you want to perform? It does not sound like management of a major manor house or anything.

Sadly, we never get to the point of having a collection. We seem to drink it first.


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## viffer (Aug 29, 2007)

a popular free web based system is www.cellartracker.com


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## midvale (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for the ideas. So far, I've downloaded the trial version of Bento and am creating a database. Seems easy enough to use but I'm not sure how easily it will export to Excel. The only minor drawback to Bento or even Excel would be that I have to manually update the quantity.

As far as barcodes go, I would rather not print my own but scan in the existing ones on the bottles and use it to track the inventory. We have maybe 50-60 bottles at one time and at least half of them are in the basement storage room of our condo so I would like to know what is down there before I go digging.

Limabean, I see there are lots of options on the link you suggested; I will look there. Also found other links here


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

I started building my own in FileMaker...even bought a barcode scanner. Worked on it in my spare time, but never completed it. I also had some difficulty with automating the barcode scanning. 

If you have FileMaker and are interested in completing what I started, send me a PM with your email and I'll send you the unfinished file, however, I have to warn you that the database is very rough...and I mean very rough. It would take a good deal of work to get it to full completion. Especially the barcode scanning and some of the more complex inventory management routines.

Here's the main data entry page:


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## midvale (Jan 3, 2008)

kps, what kind of problems did you have with the barcode scanning? I do not have FileMaker but am demoing Bento right now and am trying to come up with a database of my own. Although FileMaker makes Bento, I'm guessing that the files are not compatible. I like the looks of your database, though.

Looks like Cellar Tracker can work with UPCs and will link it to a large updatable wine database, a very handy feature, but it doesn't have all the features I want.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

I wanted the scanning to be fully automated. Basically this:

1- scan a barcode (UPC label)
2-FM captures it and stores it temporarily in a global field
3-FM gives you choices
----a-find matching record
----b-create new record
----c-add to inventory
----d-remove from inventory (decanting)

I could not figure out how to automate it natively in FM, I think I would have had to buy a plug-in from a 3rd party developer in order to get it to do what I wanted. Something I wasn't prepared to do.

It can be done manually, however. I wanted a slicker solution.

Speaking of slick --here's one for PCs only, but looks real good.

Wine Software | Wine Cellar Inventory Management

If you're running Windows on your Mac, it's a possibility.


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

kps said:


> I wanted the scanning to be fully automated. Basically this:
> 
> 1- scan a barcode (UPC label)
> 2-FM captures it and stores it temporarily in a global field
> ...


It is possible to do in FileMaker, but it would require a bit of scripting. Your script would have to prompt you for the UPC, _Enter Find Mode_, place the saved UPC into the UPC of the layout (_Set Field UPC...Global Variable_), turn _SetErrorCapture ON_ (to avoid the FileMaker default "I can't find this" message) then do the _Perform Find_. 

This will do a search of your database. Using an _If-Else-Endif_ in the script, you need to check for something called _Get(FoundCount)_ and if it is equal to 0 then you know it is not in your database and you need to create a new record. The _Else_ part would kick in if the _Get(FoundCount)_ was not equal to 0 which means that it is in the database. Then you would have to prompt the user (_Show Custom Dialog_) to see if they wanted to: 

a) add to inventory (same UPC but adding a second or more bottle)
b) delete from inventory
c) possibly do something else

The Custom Dialog has the ability to enter up to three different buttons of your choice (you could use Add, Delete, Other) and there is something called _Get(LastMessageChoice)_ to find out what the user selected and act accordingly, i.e. _If Get(LastMessageChoice)=1_ ... do this which in this case would be _New Record/Request_.

Now where do I send my bill???


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## Lichen Software (Jul 23, 2004)

*I Like Billing Too*



Oakbridge said:


> Now where do I send my bill???


Alternate method:

Enter a screen that runs in a loop looking for input from the scanner. If it sees input, it exits the loop, commits the upc data to the global field and continues on it's script decidding what to do with the code..

To let the program know what to do, set up a relationship between the global field (scanned UPC code) and the UPC code in the individual records.

If the Global UPC code scanned in triggers a relationship with existing stock, stock is added to the existing wine record. Otherwise a new wine record is created.

Using this approach, a wind is only added once to the database and the running total is kept in that record.

Alternately, the wine is added as a line item, similar to a line in an invoice. If there are no similarly labeled line items, the script would have to create an wine record, parent to the line items, to display the migration in and out of the system of that particular wine.

FileMaker is kind of like playing guitar, there are many ways to do anything.

HTH

Dave


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## 5andman (Oct 15, 2006)

IntelliScanner - Organize Everything

Scan wine, comic books etc.


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## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

Hands scanner? Sounds like a sledgehammer to push a pin in...

I have about 300 bottles on a rolling basis. Excel works just fine ad I can add new columns pretty much anytime without having to worry about dbase structure. 

I agree that file maker/bento makes sense; may give it a try. I downloaded 2 or 3 tryouts of 'pro' wine software: they were all flawed.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Just got home after being away for the weekend, sorry for the delay.

*Steve* and *Dave*, thanks for the FM tips. I did have several different scripts, but something kept failing. I don't remember exactly what, as it was 3 years ago.

I may start on it again and this time, finish it.


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## CanadaRAM (Jul 24, 2005)

I dunno, I think any accounting program that tracks liquid assets and aged receivables would do...


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

LOL

Good one...


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