Computerize your gun store?

Shooting Industry, August, 1997 by Cal Stewart

Part of this, Hyatt feels, is the computer. "Yes, I had fear at first, but I've gotten some training and now I at least know what the terms mean," he said.

THE FUTURE

"We'll hire workers in the future who are familiar with computers. They don't have to be experts, but they must know more than we did," said Larry Hyatt.

"We also won't need distributors' help when ordering, because all inventory will be available from the computer," said Hyatt. "What we will need is help with presentations to the customers. I understand this is already available from Winchester via the Internet, but we're not on the Internet yet. That's part of the game plan, too."

Dear Shooting Industry Magazine:

Need some information and hope you can help. Have spent the last two years researching the possibility of scanning UPC codes in order to streamline my operation and give me more time to fix guns and less time spent chasing merchandise.

I sell firearms, fishing tackle and general sporting goods, along with specializing in gun-smithing with the emphasis on repairing and building race guns. We work on every type of shotgun, from Purdeys on down and accurize both rifles and handguns.

I spend more than half of my time chasing merchandise and doing physical inventories and that has to stop.

I am looking for input on what can be found in reference to UPC coding software for my PC and the data for the three areas in which I work: firearms and accessories, fishing tackle and general sporting goods.

Please direct me to any sources of information you think might help.

GLOSSARY TERMS

CRASH - An electronic failure that prevents accessing data in a computer's hard drive. This is why most businesses "back up" or make a copy of each day's transactions, so if the system crashes, data loss will be minimal.

DOS - Disk Operating System. An operating system that is loaded from disk devices each time the computer is started.

DOWNLOAD - Transfering a copy of a file into your computer using a floppy disk or CD - or from a remote computer using a modem or network.

DUMB TERMINALS - Computer workstations with a monitor and keyboard that connect to a mainframe. Because the monitor and keyboard do not have an operating system, or "brain," they are "dumb."

E-MAIL - Electronic mail sent between Internet users.

GIGABYTE - The size of the data storage area on the hard drive. Gigabytes are larger than megabytes (1,000 megabytes equal one Gigabyte).

HARD DRIVE -- The electronic storage area where software and data records are kept

INTERNET - A network or information super highway that enables computers to talk to other computers worldwide.

MAINFRAME - A larger, usually more expensive computer that can serve several computer terminals simultaneously.

PENTIUM - A superfast computing chip. The higher the number following Pentium, i.e., Pentium 100, Pentium 144, etc., the faster the computer functions.

MODEM - Hardware device that permits computers to link with other computers via telephone lines. With newer computers, it's usually a built in feature; on older machines, it's a separate piece of equipment that connects to your computer and telephone line.