This article will familiarize you with the many functions and features of the Register menu ( Formally the Daily menu), including using the Front Register and closeouts.

Figure 5-1

The Front Register is where you will do much of your work, as it is the screen that allows you to ring up sales. You can also store and recall Invoices In Progress (IIP) or Works In Progress (WIP) from the Front Register. In addition, many functions that are in other parts of the program may also be accessed from here so that you can use your time more efficiently.  To open the Front Register start MicroBiz, and from the Main Menu select Register, Front Register, or click on the Front Register button on the main menu.

Signon Window

At the Signon window, enter your initials, code name or identification. These initials will be used for tracking commissions and sales reports.
The MicroBiz Signon window has a button for "Front Register" and one for "Main Menu." Once you choose Front Register, you will not be able to access any of the Main Menu options until you have properly closed the Front Register by selecting F2 – Menu.
Once you have clicked on the Front Register button, the Front Register will be presented for activity processing. The Front Register can be easily driven using a mouse, but a mouse is not required. You may operate the Front Register completely using only the keyboard, or a touch screen.

Front Register Layout

The following is a detailed guide to everything on the Front Register with and without a customer.

Figure 5-2

1. Company Name Header
   • This panel displays the company name you have entered in the Shop Name/Ship-To Data customization window. This header is also a shortcut to that customization window, so you can change the company name and shipping data by clicking here.
2. Item Image
   • You can associate an image file with each one of your items, if desired. If you have done this for an item, that image will be displayed here once the item is loaded to the Front Register.
3. "Click for Customer" Panel
   • This panel will display the customer name and number once a customer is loaded to the Front Register. If a customer is not yet loaded and you click on this panel, the window to select and load a customer will appear. If you have already loaded a customer and you click on this panel, the window to edit the customer's information will appear.
   • You can right-click here to change the foreground/background colors of this panel.
4. Customer Image/Service Notes
   • For users of the Retail Module:
     • Just like the Item Image feature, you can set an image file for each one of your customers. The image file will be displayed here once the customer is loaded to the Front Register.
     • You cannot change the customer image here. Instead, click on the customer panel to edit the customer information and click on the Picture button in the lower-right corner.  Customer Data will display when a customer is loaded.  Without a customer, you may see Item information instead.
   • For users of the Service Module:
     • This window displays data on the current service order. You can click on the Edit/Add button to view other service orders, or of course edit/add data.
       
       
5. Extended Customer Information
   • This panel contains some extended customer information including:
     • Tax Rate – displays the current tax rate. This will be your default rate, unless you have a special rate for your customer and the customer is loaded to the Front Register.
     • Phone Number – the home phone number of the currently loaded customer, if applicable.
     • Work Number – the work phone number of the currently loaded customer, if applicable.
     • Discount – the discount rate for the currently loaded customer, if applicable.
     • Balance – the current Balance Due for this customer. You can double-click in the Balance field (the text box) to re-calculate the Balance Due for this customer only (as opposed to all customers via the Management menu).
     • Credit – the current Store Credit for this customer. Just like the Balance window above, you can double-click on this field to re-calculate.
     • "Clerk:" – the Signon initials of the clerk using the Front Register.
   • You can double-click on any of these options (you can double-click directly where it says "Tax Rate," for example) to change the text displayed for each option. This may be useful to you if your customers can see the Front Register and you want to change the term "Discount" to something else, so at first glance they don't see that nice discount you are giving to a friend and get jealous!
     
     
6. Invoice Grid
   • You can right-click on the Invoice Grid to change the Foreground/Background colors.
   • This is the main part of the Front Register, which displays information on the items you are working with. There are several columns here:
     • Key – this is the "item number" for this invoice, used to group, define and refer to "key lines" on the invoice grid. If you want to delete an item, for example, after clicking on the F5-Delete button you will be prompted to enter the "Key#" for that item, which you will find in this column.
     • SKU – Stock Keeping Unit, or product code for the item.
     • Description – displays extended information for this item. For most items, this will be the contents of the Description field, but other information such as the serial number or data from the "More Description Lines" area will also show up here.
     • Percent Discount – if applicable, shows the discount percentage on each item.
     • Quantity – displays the number of items loaded for each SKU.
     • Price –displays the price of the item loaded to the Front Register.
       • If "Show/Report discounts from Suggested Price" in Customize Transaction Settings (Misc. tab) is checked, then the Price column will display the Suggested List Price.
       • If "Show/Report discounts…" is unchecked, then the Price column will display the actual price that the customer is to pay.
     • Total – this is the "extended price" of the item listed. This would be the final price before tax, which includes the actual price the customer is paying multiplied by the quantity of the item on this line.
       
       
7. Profit & Margin Line
   • Profit – the price the customer is paying minus the cost of the item.
   • Cost – the cost of the item.
   • Margin – the profit as a percentage.
   • Hide – click here to hide this bar. This is a good idea if your customers can see your Front Register and you don't want them to see this data.
   • If you can't see this bar, it is most likely because it was hidden. To turn this feature back on, go to Management, Customize, Transaction Settings and uncheck "Hide Profit/Margin Data on Front Register."
     
     
8. Function Buttons
   • You can right-click on any of these buttons to change the "Label" (the display name of the button).
   • You can toggle the pictures on these buttons on/off by going to Management, Customize, Transaction Settings and clicking on "In Front Register, show buttons with pictures."
   • Most of these functions can be activated by either clicking on the button desired, or pressing the "function key" (F1-F12 at the top of your keyboard) that corresponds to each button. The functions include:
   • F1-Help – displays useful information about the Front Register. Note that Help is available from anywhere inside MicroBiz by pressing F1.
   • F2-Menu – closes the Front Register and takes you back to the Main Menu. If you have any items loaded to the Front Register, they should still be there the next time you return. If you have a customer loaded, you will have to re-load them upon returning. Either way, it's best to finish or save your invoice to an IIP/WIP before leaving the Front Register.
   • F3-Items – displays the Product Lookup window, where you can find and select an item to load to the Front Register.
   • F4-Clear All – clears the Front Register. You will have the option to clear just the customer or everything from the Front Register.
   • F5-Delete – deletes a "Key" (line) from the Front Register. You will be prompted to enter the "Key #" of the item you wish to remove.
   • F6-Edit – edits an item on the Front Register. Depending on your transaction settings, you may be able to edit the Price, Cost, Quantity, Discount, Description and more of the item specified.
   • F7-Tax – allows you to edit the tax rate for all or a single item on the Front Register.
   • F8-Customer – loads a customer to the Front Register. If you already have a customer loaded this will open the "Edit a Customer" window.
   • F9-Pay – brings you to the Tender screen to finalize the sale and print any receipts, if applicable.
   • F10-Blank (Item) – allows you to add an item to the Front Register that is not in your inventory. This can be useful if you want to sell an item but do not have the ability to load it by SKU.
   • F11-WIP – displays the IIP Form to select an IIP or opens the IIP Other Entries window if you have product loaded to the register.
   • F12-Parts/Services – Toggles between Parts and Services when running RV Module
   • Return –allows you to process a "return" on a specific item. First load the item to the Front Register, then press Return and specify the Key #.
     • Although this button doesn't have a function key associated with it, you can also activate it using the keyboard by pressing Alt+U.
       
       
9. Totals Windows
   • The first window will display the pre-tax total and the total tax before summing them up in the Total window. You may also see other charges displayed here, if applicable.
   • The second window displays the "grand total" that the customer will actually pay once the invoice is completed in a large and easy to read font.
     
     
10. Input Box (SKU box)
    • You can change the Foreground/Background colors by right-clicking in this box.
    • The SKU box is almost always "in focus," which means that if you are on the Front Register and you scan a bar code or type something on your keyboard, it is going to go here. By default, the SKU box is red then it is not in focus and you should click on it before you scan or type anything there.
    • Various things can be scanned or otherwise entered into the SKU box.
      • Any SKU entered here will load the item to the Front Register.
      • A Customer Number may be entered here to load a customer.
      • Some commands can be entered here to perform various duties. See the next section on "Input Box Drop-Down Menu" for a list of the most popular commands.
        
        
11. Display Controls
    • Click on the Zoom button to display a larger Invoice Grid. This will cover up some of the other features of the Front Register, but you can get them back by pressing the Zoom button again.
      
      
12. Date/Time
    •  Now the date and time is displayed on the Front Register because the Front Register is displayed in full screen mode.

Input Box Drop-Down Menu

The small arrow to the right of the input box will activate a drop-down menu that, when clicked, shows many of the commands that may be input to the system, such as Customer History, Invoices In Progress, Discounts, and much more. A full listing of this menu follows:

Selecting Products

Scan or enter the product/service/rental item etc. You can do this by scanning the item's bar code, manually entering the item's SKU in the top center, or by hitting the F3 key and doing a Product Lookup.
Product Lookup will bring up a listing of all the products that you have entered into your system. Select an item and hit the Enter key. You will then be prompted to enter the QTY (quantity) of the item being purchased unless you have turned this option off in Custom System Settings | Transaction Settings. Once entered, you may select other items in the same manner.
The products you entered should now be showing in the main window of the Front Register, along with the %DISC, QTY, PRICE, TAX and TOTAL.
When you have entered all the items, you can return to the Front Register by pressing Q on your keyboard, the Esc (escape) key or by selecting the Quit button.

Selecting Customers

Selecting customers may be accomplished by using any of these methods:

1. Type in the customer's number in the top center window and hit the Enter key.
2. Hit the F8 key and select the customer from your customer list. Highlight your customer and hit the Enter key to make the selection. This returns you to the Front Register with the customer's information now showing.
3. Click in the customer name and address area (the "Customer Panel" at the right) on the Front Register and the customer list will appear. Select the customer and hit the Enter key. The customer information will automatically appear on the Front Register.

Completing the Sale

When you are ready to complete the sale, collect the money and/or print a receipt, press or click on F9.

• If you are using a Service Module, you may be prompted to enter "Due Dates/Miscellaneous Info" before proceeding. Filling out this form is optional.
• If you have enabled "Enter Shipping Information at F9" under Custom System Settings | Transaction Settings, then you will be prompted to enter Shipping and "How Heard" info before completing the sale.

Next comes the Tender Screen…