Do you have a demo?
Yes! You can download the full function demo. The
demo
is the EX Edition of the program and is limited to 60 part numbers, 6
vendors and 6 P.O.’s. Upon request we can provide a license number that
will enable the demo as the ECO Edition (6 ECOs maximum), so you can
explore those features. If you decide to purchase P&V, the License
will enable the features you paid for and clear the demo limitations.
What is the difference between P&V and
inventory software?
The Parts&Vendors program is a set of tools for
engineers and technical staff concerned with developing specs, parts lists
and documenting sources of supply for the components designed into new
products. While P&V does perform simple manipulation of inventory, the
program does not significantly overlap with the functions of manufacturing
or MRP (materials, resources, & planning and variations on that theme)
software. Those programs usually have functions for tracking work orders,
allocating inventory for a future build, accounting for work-in-process,
scheduling/accounting of labor resources and extensive accounting
functions.
Parts&Vendors will tell you
what items are needed, what’s available and what’s short for a build
of your product, and what they will cost. P&V will also adjust order
quantities for overkitting, maintaining stock minimums, and take
"already on order" into account. It will generate Kit Lists to
prepare for your prototype or production run.
What is your upgrade policy?
We are dedicated to refining and improving the
Parts&Vendors program, and send notifications of significant upgrades
as they become available. We strive to hold the upgrade cost to a minimum.
Minor updates (bug fixes and operational improvements) are available free
from our web site, so you can always download the most current release of
the program. Information to access the User Area of our web site is
included with the software.
What is your tech support policy?
Technical support is free. We ask that you pay for the
phone call, however, and not call the 800 sales line. When trying
to determine how to perform certain operations with the software, we
request that you consult the manual or On-line Help first, before calling
Tech Support.
What if I buy the PV-SE license and then later
decide that I should have bought the PV-EXtended edition?
While the major version number (e.g., 6.0) of the
program you have is still current, we will credit your purchase of the SE
Edition against an upgrade to the EXtended Edition. Similarly, we will
upgrade your copy(ies) of the program to the ECO Edition by charging you
only the difference in price.
Can I use Parts&Vendors on a network?
Yes, P&V is designed to be used in small workgroups
as well as stand-alone. However, the program itself is NOT run from across
the network. Instead, the program is installed on each workstation as
though it is going to be stand-alone. Create a new data file at one
position. Then, move that data file onto the network (onto a server or
wherever it will be backed up daily). From each workstation where P&V
is installed, go to the menu and choose File...Open... and browse for your
"workgroup-common" data file. Click "Open" and you’re
there.
What is the file format?
The Parts&Vendors data file format is Jet 4.0,
compatible with Microsoft Access® 2000/2002. One data file
contains your entire resource of all projects, items, lists, and vendors.
The single file is easy to maintain and back up, and keeps all relational
integrity in one place. For experts wanting to perform "special"
operations or create tools to transfer data to/from other systems, the
file can also be opened with a retail copy of Access 2000 or newer.
Parts&Vendors stands alone, and does not require that you have Access.
I have lots of data in another database format. Can
I transfer it into Parts&Vendors?
If you can get your data into a comma- or tab-delimited
text format, then P&V has easy-to-use import tools. Microsoft Excel®
will save worksheets in this format. Since Excel will also open some other
database files (dbf, fixed width text, etc.) it can function as a
versatile conversion tool. This can be helpful for starting up your
P&V database from your existing data, while avoiding a lot of manual
data entry.
Will P&V work with my schematic or PCB layout
software?
OrCAD®, Altium® and others
export their parts list information as a delimited text data file.
Depending on how much effort you have put into organizing these programs’
internal databases, you may have only marginally useful reporting
functions directly from that program. P&V helps you bring in the data
that you have, and enhance it as a parts list with linked suppliers,
costs, links to CAD files and other supporting information.
What other software will P&V work with?
P&V will link path and file names of other files to
each item in the Item Master. Then, from P&V, you can run the native
application(s) for those other files directly from P&V without having
to hunt for the file and its location from the other program. P&V also
provides a place to specify all the other viewers and/or editors you have,
and you can choose which one to run from a pop up list.
When printing RFQs and POs, Parts&Vendors can send a
whole group (or just one) to the vendor(s) via Winfax®.
P&V sends the respective vendor fax number to Winfax®
via a Windows DDE connection.
Can I mix different versions of Parts&Vendors when
sharing a data file?
No. When sharing a data file, all copies of the program
must be the same version number (i.e. 5.0, 6.0, etc.).
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