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Products

Products
You can “build” your products in the Collabox in addition to indicating a price and a description.

As a result, you will save a lot of time for the creation of your service offers and for invoicing.

You can determine the budget items of your products for your accounting (customers will not see them anywhere).

Additionally you can leave a note, this time for clients, to clarify inclusions and exclusions.

When you invoice a product, this information is automatically reflected on the invoice, saving you time and energy.

Product management with Collabox

By Digital transformation, Products, Products and inventory

Collabox has everything to help you manage your products and inventory.

It should be noted that depending on your sector of activity and your management tools already in place, your needs will be specific and different from a company that looks like you. Since Collabox is a customizable software that serves its customers, nothing is impossible!

Collabox adapts to your needs thanks to a team of dedicated programmers. We are also here to guide you and answer your questions.

Management by products.

Here are the main features of the “products” in the Collabox.

1- Establishing your budget items associated with your products and related to your billing.
2- The development of your service offer (tender) by products

3- The detailed “product” sheet

The product sheet allows you to manage the product specifications in addition to managing the inventory. In the same form, information about prices (minimum, list price), commissions and others.

5- Managing your inventory by product
6- The report “history by products” which gives you a display of everything that is active, among other things to manage the inventory.

Managing products is easy with Collabox!

If you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer you! info@collabox.com (418) 907-9274

Shipping Bulletins

By Billing, Digital transformation, Products

Do you run a delivery business and need to print your shipping slips? Collabox prepares them for you in a single click.

Preparing an invoice

At Collabox, we prefer to produce invoices before creating a shipping bill or delivery note. The reason is simple, this document is only a copy of the invoice, without the price! Thus, creating the invoice first saves you from having to make a duplicate entry later on.

First, click on the main Accounting menu.

Image representing the Collabox main menu. The cursor points to the Accounting tab.

Then select the “Add an invoice” link. You can also bill by product, as presented in the blog post here.

Image showing the Invoice List page. The cursor points to the "Add an invoice" link.

Choose a client and a project to invoice, then click on “Continue”.

Image showing the page for creating an invoice from a customer.

Now add your products and notes. Your invoice is complete. Note that you must also add the invoice amount to the correct budget line.

Create your shipping slips

After creating the invoice, scroll down the page until you see the “Print a Bill of Lading” or “Print a Delivery Note” button, depending on your organization’s custom terminology.

Click on the “Print a bill of lading” or “Print a delivery note” button and see a .pdf document open. The latter will have the same relevant information as the invoice, except for the prices of your products.

The shipping note can be printed and glued to the box. The content and quantities are easily validated by your staff.

Watch several videos on our Youtube channel and visit our Tips and Tricks section in the Documentary Blog to continue using the Collabox!

If you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer you.

info@collabox.com (418) 907-9274

Invoice by product

By Billing, Products

Collabox customers who sell products necessarily need to invoice by product as well. Good news, the Collabox billing module allows you to do this.

Configure products

The first step is to configure your products in the Collabox. If you haven’t already done so, please pay close attention to this blog post that guides you through this setup. In short, you need to have entered all the details of each product before you can invoice a customer.

Invoice by product

1. From the project

First, move to a project to bill. To do so, click on the “project list ” function in the left menu of your Collabox.

Left menu where you can find the "Project list" function.

Then select the desired project.

Example of a project to be invoiced in the Collabox project list.

Then go to the “Invoicing” tab. Then, add an invoice

Billing tab in the selected project. The "add an invoice" option is visible.

Now review the billing information. Make sure the client name and project title are correct. You can add a product now, if the invoice contains only one, or continue and add them in the next step.

Visual of the page to add an invoice with several drop-down menus and fields to fill.

In the invoice form, add as many elements as you wish. Make sure you put a description, choose the right product and add the quantity. The configuration of your products allows Collabox to automatically fill in the fields associated with the amounts.

Example of adding a product to the invoice.

2. From the Accounting module

There is a second option to bill by product. First go to the “Accounting” module in the main menu.

Collabox main menu where the modules are shown. The cursor points to the Accounting module.

Then manually add an invoice.

Image showing where to click to manually add an invoice on the "invoice list" page. This is the main page of the "Accounting" module.

Fill in the options available to you, then select a product to invoice or add them directly to the invoice in the next step.

Drop-down menu to select a product already registered.

Finally, fill in the quantities and prices manually or add other products as needed.

Example of adding a product to the invoice.

Now you know how to invoice by product!

Watch several videos on our Youtube channel and visit our Tips and Tricks section in the Blog to continue your Collabox configuration!

If you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer you.

info@collabox.com (418) 907-9274

Automation of budget items

By Accounting, Products, Tips and tricks, Uncategorized

Automating the selection of budget items for your products saves you time and avoids careless mistakes when invoicing. See how to set it up.

Create products

The first step is to create a product. To do this, follow the guidelines presented in the article “Present your products” .

Automation of product budget items

Assigning a budget line item to your product is the first step.

First, go to the desired product sheet. To do so, go to the list of products in the left menu.

Image showing the left menu and the link to the product list.

Then select the desired product.

Here is an image that shows an example of a product list in Collabox. It shows the name of the product, its quantity in inventory and its unit selling price.

When opening the product sheet, stay on the main “Products” tab and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Example of the product page with the product title.

At the bottom of the product configuration page, your budget items are displayed. Choose the one that suits you for the chosen product. Add the hours or the amount expected for this product in the associated box. That’s it!

Example of the product sheet at the bottom of the page where you can choose the right budget item. Here, the tablet is assigned to the single billing item.

Invoice a product

When you invoice a product, the budget item is automatically displayed. No need to think about it anymore!

Example of an invoice for a tablet. The amount of the product is automatically added to the budget item selected in the product master record. Thus, we can see that the automation of product budget items works.

Watch several videos on our Youtube channel and visit our Tips and Tricks section in the Documentary Blog to continue your Collabox configuration!

If you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer you. info@collabox.com (418) 907-9274

Labels with barcode and QR code

By Accounting, Products

Do you need to label your products with a barcode or a QR code? Create labels from Collabox!

With the new software function, choose barcode or QR codes with complete file or with inventory to create your labels. The principle of these labels is to generate a code which gives direct access to one of your products in Collabox, when you scan it with your phone. You will gain in speed and efficiency.

Create the labels

To create labels, click on the module Accounting .

Menu at the top of the page

Then select Products .

Left menu, under the module Accounting

Check the boxes corresponding to the products for which you want labels, then click Bar code . A subsection will open with the different label settings.

All you have to do is change the settings that interest you, then click on To print ! A PDF page will open with your labels, which you can print later. The sections Start column and Row start allow you to specify precisely where you want to print on the sheet. The box Full page repeat the code (s) on an entire page.

Sub-section Bar code of the page Products List

How to use labels with Collabox

Important: You must install an application on your smartphone (or tablet) that can read barcodes and QR codes if you do not have a scanner capable of reading these different types of codes. This is a prerequisite to be able to use the labels with Collabox.
To read a label, be sure to perform the following two steps in order:

  1. Log into your Collabox account on your smartphone, tablet or computer to which a scanner is connected. This step is essential for you to have access to product information, since we have developed a security system that prevents unauthorized persons from gaining access to it.
  2. Use your app to scan the label you want to read, or your scanner. Your product information page will open.

Barcode

Barcode takes a little more work than QR codes to access a product sheet. Indeed, you must configure your phone so that the detailed sheet of the scanned product opens.

Sample barcode for the product Corn

Here is what page we arrive on after scanning the barcode as an example (with a well-configured phone):

Page Updating a product
Product: Corn

Configure your phone on Android


1. Install the application Barcode Scanner on your phone from your Play Store.

Barcode Scanner app in the Play Store

2. Open the application, then click on the three small dots at the top of the screen to open the settings. Select “Settings”.

Application menu

3. In “Settings”, select “Custom search URL”. This setting allows you to choose which website you will be directed to when scanning a barcode

App settings

4. Write the following link in the URL field: https://www.collabox.com/barcode/%s . The ” %s ” symbols in the URL will be replaced with the value of the barcode you are scanning.

Collabox internet address (URL) to be entered in the application

5. Scan a barcode using the application, then click on “Custom search” at the bottom right of the screen. The application will direct you to the file for your product registered in Collabox.

Scan of the barcode of a product registered in Collabox

Your application is ready to be used with Collabox barcodes!

Configure your phone in iOS


1. Install the application QR Reader for iPhone on your phone from your Apple Store

Application QR Reader for iPhone in the Apple Store

2. In the settings ( settings ) of the application, click on Send barcode to web server.

App settings QR Reader for iPhone

3. Activate the parameter making sure that the control button is Activate be green. Then, enter the following URL address in the field Website URL : www.collabox.com/barcode/[code] .

Server configuration ( Server Setup )

4. Return to the application to scan a barcode.

QR code complete sheet

QR code complete sheet gives you access to the detailed sheet of the scanned product, without you having to configure anything. You will always know what is in the boxes!

QR code example complete sheet for the product Corn

The page you land on when scanning this code is exactly the same as if you use the barcode for the same product:

Page Updating a product
Product: Corn

QR code inventory

Finally, the inventory QR code takes you directly to the inventory page of the scanned product. No configuration required for this type of code either. You can therefore adjust the inventory of a product in less than two seconds. This is ideal for salespeople on the road or last minute orders.

QR code example inventory for the product Corn

Here’s what page we land on while scanning this sample code:

Page Inventory variation
Product: Corn

Watch several videos on our Youtube channel and visit our Tips and Tricks section in the Documentary Blog to continue using the Collabox!

If you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer you. info@collabox.com (418) 907-9274 ext. 120

Inventory management

By Products and inventory
Image of an employee in a warehouse. Putting the article into context.

Collabox offers advanced configuration for inventory management functionality. It allows each employee to manage the entry and exit of products.

Even set up alerts in case of foreseeable stock-outs.

Inventory management by warehouse

Inventory management is also possible by “warehouse”. Define different warehouses that can be a storage room, a truck in which installation equipment is kept, and even a vending machine. Any place that “keeps stock” can be considered and managed as a warehouse.

List of warehouses

It all starts with the list of warehouses. Go to the Accounting module. This list allows you to list all your warehouses, see the stock level and choose a default warehouse.

Visual showing how to add a warehouse to the list of warehouses.

Then, in your product sheets, you will see a section appear with your warehouses. Write down the inventory, as well as the minimum and maximum of that product that you need to find in each warehouse.

This information appears in the product list in abbreviated form. The quantities are displayed in blue when there are more products than the minimum required, and in red when there are not enough.

Out of stock alert

Activate the alert for exceeding the minimum and maximum products in the Advanced Preferences . Thus,as soon as the system detects a rupture or an overflow in your warehouse, it sends you an alert.

Once these configurations are completed, you can manage the release of your products. Indicate directly the quantities withdrawn or added to the warehouse when invoicing your customers.

Inventory management in the invoice

In an invoice, fill in the Exp Qty field , corresponding to the quantity of product shipped. This is the quantity invoiced to the customer. For example, if you write “5” in this field, Collabox will automatically enter an output of 5 items of this product. The inventory automatically adjusts itself.

Visual showing where to enter the quantity of product to be removed from inventory in the customer invoice.

Compatibility with the mobile device

Easily view inventory on your mobile device. This feature helps your employees on the go never lose control.

Go to a product sheet. Click on the link Inventory Change which leads to a small adjustment sheet for this product.

Visual of the inventory change on a mobile device.

In order to monitor the different movements in the inventory over a given period of time, consult the Product History report in the Reports module. You will even see by which employee the entries and exits were made.

Image showing an example of a product entry and exit history by a given employee.

Watch several videos on our Youtube channel and visit our Tips and Tricks section in the Blog to continue your Collabox configuration!

If you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer you.

info@collabox.com (418) 907-9274


Present your products

By Accounting, Digital transformation, Products and inventory

Knowing how to present your products well is the key to selling!

When selling objects, tangible goods, from a bottle of beer to a bicycle, the presentation of products is familiar to us. Selling products has many advantages: you can easily attach an idea of price, you can easily estimate the value, you know what is included and what is not. It’s easy to explain what is included in the price paid.

With a little creativity, we can take advantage of many of these marketing benefits, even if we are selling services and our delivery is less tangible. A good starting point is to “build” our products in the Collabox.

How to present your products

  • A price and a description, and we will save a lot of time for the creation of our service offers and for the billing.

In our software, you can determine the budget items of your products for your accounting (customers will not see them anywhere) and leave a note, this time for customers, in order to clarify the inclusions and exclusions, between other. When you invoice a product, this information is automatically reflected on the invoice, saving you time and energy.

Go to the products section to see this.

Click on the icon Accounting of the horizontal menu.

Collabox horizontal menu

Open the page Products using the vertical menu.

Collabox vertical menu

Then click on Add a product , at the top of the page.

Page Products List

Section 1 that you see in the image below is for notes only.

Section 2 includes all budget items. If the product is not billable by the hour, do not enter anything in the column Billable hours ! The amount must be reported in the column Amount on the far right.

Section 3 is used to determine the elements that will appear on the invoice. The budget items will not be displayed on this one since you probably want to present the rates differently for your client. Note that the total amount of the invoice must correspond to the total amount calculated according to the budget items. Otherwise, your accounts would no longer balance.

Page Updating a product

Invoice a product

By filling in these fields, the formatting of the invoice is automated. When you add an invoice for this product, you will get a finished document that looks like this:

Sample invoice

Watch several videos on our Youtube channel, and visit our Tips and Tricks section in the Blog to continue your Collabox configuration!

If you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer you.

info@collabox.com (418) 907-9274