Hardware and Software Requirements for Classic Physical Inventory

To use the full range of the classic physical inventory functionality, you need additional hardware and software beyond the standard PeopleSoft system setup. These requirements are listed here.

Hardware

Here are the additional hardware requirements for physical inventory processing:

Term Definition

Portable bar code reader

A handheld unit that you can use to collect asset data.

Bar code scanning wand

A device that you use to physically scan bar codes. The wand is usually purchased along with the bar code reader.

Thermal transfer label printer

A printer for printing labels. If you have a relatively large number of assets (more than 10,000), you should purchase a label printer.

Note:

You can integrate the Physical Inventory feature of PeopleSoft Asset Management with virtually any bar coding hardware.

Software

If you plan to print your own labels, you can use a Windows-based label-printing software package.

To view PeopleSoft Asset Management data on a scanning device while you scan assets, you need to develop your own application for the scanner or use the program that PeopleSoft Asset Management provides. This application reads data from the extract file, displays the data to the operator, and records any data that the operator enters. PeopleSoft has developed a sample application to run on a DOS-based bar code scanner. The program is written in Microsoft QuickBasic, and you can configure it easily. This application (which comprises the files PI.BAS and PI.EXE) is packaged with PeopleSoft Asset Management and resides in the \PI directory.

You need to transfer files between the computer and the bar code scanner. To do this, you can use any communications application transfers information from a computer to a scanning device.

In addition to (or in lieu of) bar coding, you can use an auto-discovery tool from any that are available on the market.

Asset Management comes with a number of programs (in the \PI directory) for physical inventory processing on DOS-based scanners. This table lists these programs:

Program Description

PI.BAS

This is the BASIC source code for the scanner application that you use to perform the physical inventory.

PI.EXE

This is the compiled version of PI.BAS that runs on the scanner. You need a BASIC compiler to generate an executable file if you change this code.

PISORT.BAS

This is a BASIC source code program that sorts the sequential extract file that Asset Management creates. This application creates two random access files—one that is sorted by tag number (EXT.TAG) and one that is sorted by serial number (EXT.SER). These files are read by PI.EXE when the user enters a tag or serial number.

PISORT.EXE

This is the compiled version of PISORT.BAS. It is called from the batch file EXTCOPY.BAT.

EXTCOPY.BAT

This batch file is used to download extract files to the scanner. Edit this file so that it:

  • Calls the communications software to connect to the scanner.

  • Calls PISORT to sort the extract file.

  • Deletes EXT.TAG and EXT.SER from the scanner.

  • Downloads new versions of EXT.TAG and EXT.SER.

You may need to edit EXTCOPY.BAT if you want to copy files to the appropriate drive on the scanner. This requirement may vary among different scanning devices.

SCANCOPY.BAT

This batch file is used to upload the SCAN.DAT file from the scanner to \TEMP\SCAN.DAT. You can modify the program to copy the SCAN.DAT file from the appropriate drive on the scanner.