Front Register

This chapter 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…

The Tender Screen

Title for this screen displays your Invoice Type, but this is referred to as the "Tender Screen." This is where you choose how the customer is paying, the amount tendered and, depending on your configuration, possibly several other options. 

Here is an example of the basic Tender Screen (without some of the additional features) and a brief rundown of how to process a sale (see Figure 5-3):

1. Starting from the Front Register, press or click on F9 to get to the Tender screen.
2. Select the tender type that the customer will be using on the right-hand side of the screen.
3. If the customer is not using exact change then change the amount in the "Amount 1" box.
   • If the customer is giving you more than the total, the change will be displayed in the lower-right hand box.
     • Change the tender type for the change if needed (usually not necessary).
   • If the customer is giving you a partial amount of the total (to split the tender) than you will be prompted to choose another tender type for the remaining total.
4. Click OK to finalize the sale and print a receipt.

Figure 5-3

 Figure 5-4

The following is a list of every possibly accessible feature on the Tender Screen (see Figure 5-4) and what each does:

1. Total – a large and easy to read display of the total for this sale.
2. Amount 1 –the amount tendered by the customer (amount they are giving you, before change is made)
   • This figure can either be the full amount of the sale, a higher amount (if the customer requires change), or a partial amount, so multiple tender types and/or currencies can be used.
3. How Paid 1 –the number here corresponds to the tender type selected from the window on the right (see step 9 in this list).
   • It is not necessary to type the number in. Just click in this window, then click on the desired tender type from the list.
4. Tender 2 –the remaining amount tendered by the customer.
   • This figure can either be the remaining amount of the sale (which is displayed here by default) or a higher amount if the customer requires change.
   • An amount less than the remaining amount due cannot be entered here.
5. How Paid 2 – the number here corresponds to the tender type selected from the window on the right for the "Tender 2" amount.
6. Invoice Printer Names – if enabled under Printer Settings, you can select from two different printer/invoice types here.
7. Initials – the initials of the clerk or salesperson for this sale. This is used for tracking invoices and commission.
8. Order # -this is a completely optional field for users who want an additional identifier (other than the Invoice Number) for various purposes.
   • Some, but not all invoice types will print this value on the receipt.
   • This figure is also stored in MicroBiz, should you need to refer to it or search for it using a Query.
9. Tender Type List –a listing of all currently available tender types.
   • The background color of this frame indicates if you are currently looking at a list for "How Paid 1" or "How Paid 2."
     • Green background: you are selecting the tender type for "How Paid 1."
     • Yellow background: you are selecting the tender type for "How Paid 2."
     • To switch between the two, just click in the respective field on the left.
10. How Paid 3 and Change Due – these windows display the change due to the customer and the tender type selected for this.
11. OK/Cancel/Additional Options –aside from clicking OK to finish or Cancel to go back, there are a few quick options you can choose from at the bottom of the Tender screen:
    • Waiver – for the Service Module users, you can edit and enable/disable a waiver here.
    • Invoice Type – this is a quick way to get to the Print Settings window, should you need to change an invoice or other option right away.
    • OK – click here to process the invoice!
    • Cancel – click here to go back to the Front Register!
    • Ship To – allows you to change the default shipping address of the customer quickly.
    • This option only appears when you have loaded a customer before completing the sale.
    • Options –displays a shortcut to some options you may want to change at the time of sale.
      • Packing list – this option allows you to print a copy of the invoice with different information on it called a "Packing List," as it is usually used for shipping.
      • E-Mail – check this box to e-mail the invoice to the customer.
      • Always prompt for printer – with this on you will be prompted each time you complete a sale to select the printer you wish to use.
      • Clear notes after printing… – these "notes" appear on your invoice and if you want what you enter below to appear each time then leave this unchecked. If you use notes on a per-transaction (or special situation only) bases, you probably want this option enabled.
      • Always make change in cash – enable this option if you want MicroBiz to force clerks to use "Cash" as the tender type for giving change.
      • Do not use signature pad… – this can be checked if you have a digital signature capture device but you wish to have your customers sign a paper copy instead (the signature pad can still be used as a PIN pad for debit transactions).
      • Default Payment Mode 1 – select either "Always Cash" or "Last Payment Mode" depending on what you want MicroBiz to default to next time.
      • # Copies – the number of receipts you want to print.
      • Notes – additional notes that can appear on the printed invoice.
      • Banner – additional information you would like on the printed invoice.

Closeouts

Usually at the end of each business day, you will process a "closeout" to total up the day's sales and prepare your deposits, etc. This process will differ between MicroBiz users depending on a few key settings.
40-Column Closeout vs 80-Column Closeout
Depending on your hardware setup and/or preference, you can choose to process your closeout report on either a 40-column (small receipt sized) printer, or a 80-column (regular report sized) printer.
You can switch between these two options by clicking on Management | Custom System Settings | Print Settings, then choosing the desired option in the lower-right hand corner.

Here are the differences:

Individual vs Centralized Closeouts

This is a choice that needs to be made by MicroBiz users who will have multiple PC workstations: do you want to process your closeout on each workstation individually or do you want to closeout all sales on just one PC? However, this is usually a simple decision to make, as most Retailers require separate reports for each register and Mail Order companies and Wholesalers will tend to stick to one register for totaling the day's sales.
To change between these two closeout types, go to Management | Custom System Settings | Global Settings and choose between the first two options. The currently enabled option will be displayed at the bottom of the closeout screen once you open it from Daily, closeout.

Closeout Walk Through

The following is a guide to performing closeouts using either the 40 or 80-column (respectively) closeout printer methods.

• If using the Centralized closeout method, make sure that MicroBiz is closed on all workstations other than the one performing the closeout.
• If using the Individual closeout method, MicroBiz does not need to be closed on other workstations during this process.
• Either way, MicroBiz should be closed at the end of each day!

40-Column Closeout

1. Click on Daily, then closeout.
2. If MicroBiz detects the data from the previous closeout, you will be asked if you want to "reprint the previous closeout report." You can click Yes to do so, or to continue with our guide, click No.
3. MicroBiz will present you with a chance to cancel this process by warning you that "this will zero your daily totals." To proceed, click OK.
4. If you would like a Summary of Sales by Department Report, click Yes (or to skip this, click No). This report gives you sales figures broken down by department, if applicable.
5. If you would like a Products Used Report, click Yes (or to skip this, click No). This report gives you details on any activity on items used since the last closeout.
6. You will be presented with the "Sales Summary for End of Day" window, where you can edit some closeout data. See the section on this below for details.
7. Once you click OK, the closeout report(s) should print out, and your closeout is complete!

80-Column Closeout

1. Click on Register, then closeout.
2. Under "Select Reports to Print," you can enable or disable any report as desired. MicroBiz will remember the last selections made here.
3. The "Reprint reports from one of the last x closeouts" (where x is equal to the number of previous closeouts saved by MicroBiz, up to 100) option can be checked to reprint the "End of Day Report" from a previous closeout. Leave this option unchecked to proceed with the current closeout.
   • If you wish to reprint a previous closeout, check the previously mentioned option and select from the drop-down menu, then click on Reprint Old closeout.
   • You can quickly reprint the most recent closeout reports by clicking on the Reprint Last closeout button.
   • You can click on Exit to cancel the closeout process.
4. Click on the Generate Reports button to proceed with the currently selected settings.
5. MicroBiz will present you with a chance to cancel this process by warning you that "this will zero your daily totals." To proceed, click OK.
6. The report preview window will appear, where you can choose a few report output options:
   • Choose either the Printer, or Export to File via Word or Excel or PDF or Exit the preview.
   • You will be presented with the preview for each report selected
   • The last reports to print will be the Ins and Outs report.  Prior to this however you are presented with the "Sales Summary for End of Day" window, where you can edit some closeout data. See the section on this below for details.
7. Once you click OK, the closeouts Ins/Outs reports should print out, and your closeout is complete!

Sales Summary for End of Day
Before the closeout process can be completed, you will be prompted to enter some final details such as payouts, deposits, notes, etc.

Figure 5-5

This window will give you a review of your taxable and non-taxable sales in the upper-left, and let you not only review but edit some of the other closeout data:

• Office Payouts – payments made by the store in which cash is removed from the till (i.e. office supplies).
• Miscellaneous Payouts – payments made by the store in which cash is removed from the till (i.e. cleaning supplies).
• Total Payouts – the sum of the two previous figures.
• Opening Drawer – the amount of money (i.e. cash) that was left in the till after the previous closeout.
• Deposit Should Equal – this adds up the cash and check figures that are to be deposited.
• MasterCard/Visa – the total credit card charges from either of these tender types.
• Discover – total Discover credit card charges.
• American Express – total American Express credit card charges.
• Checks Deposit – the total amount received in checks (listed as deposit because checks won't be left in the drawer).
• Cash Deposit – the total amount of cash taken in that will be part of the deposit.
• Credit/Coupons – the sum of all Store Credit and/or Coupons redeemed.
• Debit Card – total of all debit card charges.
• Charge to Account – total of sales that were paid by house account. (Layaways cannot be charged to account.)
  Pre-payments – the sum of all Store Credits purchased.
  Closing Drawer – the amount of money that will be left in the cash drawer.
• Finance Charges – the total of all finance charges accrued since the last closeout.
• Notes – any extra data you want to include with this closeout.
• Employees – the initials of the employee who processed the closeout, or a list of names of employees who were present.
• Cost of Goods Sold – if you have entered a cost for each of your items, this will tell you the total cost of items sold since the last closeout.
• Cost of Goods Received – as above, if you keep track of costs with MicroBiz, this will report the total cost of items received since the last closeout.

Once you have filled out any applicable fields, click OK to finish the closeout process.

Closeout Reports

Depending on the closeout method you are using (40- versus 80-column), there are many closeout reports available to you. The following is a list of each report and a brief explanation. Note that all of these totals represent the current amount since the last closeout.
40-Column Reports

• Departmental Sales – gives the total sales separated by Department.
• Products Used – gives a breakdown of each item sold including your profit margin.
• End of Day Report – this is the closeout report for 40-column users. The data reported here includes:
• INS – the first group of data is all about what is coming in.
• Sales – the total sales figure, before tax.
• Taxable Sales – the total sales figure that was considered taxable.
• Non-Taxable Sales – the total sales figure that was considered non-taxable.
• Shop Fees – any shop fees charged.
• Tax – the total amount of tax collected.
• Department Tax – this field will only appear if you have set this up in Management, Customize, Transactions, Taxes (tab). It will not be added to your "Total" after tax but it will appear as part of your Total INS as well as the Total Deposit.
• Total – the grand total of the above INS items, usually considered the total sales for the day.
• Opening Drawer – the amount of money that was in the drawer after the last closeout.
• Paid on Account – the total taken in from house account payments.
• Paid on Layaway – the total taken in from Layaway payments.
• Deposits on IIP – the total taken in from deposits as a part of IIP/WIPs.
• Credits/Prepays – the total taken in from purchased Store Credit.
• Total INS – the grand total of all INS payments.
• OUTS – the second group of data is all about your deposits.
• Layaways Closed – the number of Layaways that have been completed.
• Office Payout – total dollar figure of all Office Payouts.
• Other Payouts – total other (Expense) Payouts.
• Charge to Account – amount that has been added to customers' house accounts.
• Total Deposit – the sum of Cash/Check/Credit/Debit received is included as your Total Deposit.
• MasterCard/Visa – the total payments received within this payment type.
• Discover – the total payments received within this payment type.
• American Express – the total payments received within this payment type.
• Checks – the total payments received within this payment type.
• Cash – the total payments received within this payment type.
• Credits/Coupons – the sum of all Store Credit and/or Coupons redeemed.
• Debit Card – the total payments received within this payment type.
• Closing Drawer – the amount of money left in your cash drawer after the closeout.
• Total OUTS – the grand total of all OUTS payments.
• Monthly Finance Charges – the amount of money accrued from Finance Charges.
• Notes – any notes entered on the Sales Summary for End of Day screen.
• Employees – as with Notes, any employees listed on the Sales Summary screen will appear here.
• Units Sold – total number of items sold.
• Units Received – total number of items received.
• Cost of Goods Sold – the sum of the Cost field from any items sold.
• Cost of Goods Received – the sum of the Cost field from any items received.
• Net Inventory Change – the difference of Units Received and Units Sold (a negative number here means that you have sold more than you have received).

80-Column Reports
There are many closeout Reports available for full-sized printers. Starting on the next page you will find samples of each report.

End of Day Report A breakdown of the activity since the previous closeout, separated by "INS" and "OUTS." Like its 40-column relative, this is considered the closeout Report, and is the most widely used for 80-column printers.  Figure 5-19 Figure 5-20

Today's Sales

The Daily Sales Reports are a quick way to take a look or print out some info for the current day. Note that "the current day" is defined as "since your last closeout" as most users do a closeout each night. To get to the Daily Sales Reports window from the Menu Menu, choose Register, then Today's Sales.
Your options from here:

• Display Sales Figures – Click here for a quick table with a breakdown of the sales for the day.
• Display Cash Figures – Click here for the Currency Totals screen, which will give you info on each tender type accepted.
• Print Sales Figures – With the click of a button you get a printed report on your current sales figures.
• Exit – Exit the Daily Sales Reports window.

Figure 5-21

Reprint Old Invoice

From the Main Menu, choose Register | Reprint Old Invoice. This is a quick and easy way to reprint an invoice copy. Clicking here opens a prompt where you can manually type in the invoice number, or click Browse to see a list.

Figure 5-22

Fill Backorders

This feature is for those have enabled backorders within MicroBiz. To do this, go to Management | Custom System Settings | Global Settings | Backorders, and enable "Allow Backorders on Invoices." Clicking on "Fill Backorders" will no longer open the "Fill Backorders" display from the Daily Menu, but the window is still available by entering the Front Register and typing "FILL" in the SKU box. This will open a display that shows you all outstanding backorders, and gives you the ability to:

• View Pending POs – A shortcut to your Purchase Order screen so you can see if any items on backorder are coming in soon.
• Fill Order – Select a customer and complete the backorder with on-hand items.
• Edit Order – Allows you to change outstanding backorders.
• Cancel Order – Allows you to delete outstanding backorders.
• Exit – Closes the "Fill Backorders" window.

E-mail Old Invoice

Like the "Reprint Old Invoice" feature, allows you to enter or browse to get a copy of an invoice copy. Once selected, MicroBiz will compose a new message in your e-mail client with the invoice saved as an attachment.