V9 - Introduction to Operations mode: main menus and display area

Upon logging in to SOS Inventory, the user is directed to the Home page. It contains an area displaying messages from the SOS team that includes important information for users. Users with a trial SOS Inventory account may convert their account to one of the paid subscription plans by selecting Click here to subscribe on the home page. 

The Operations mode has four main areas of interest: the Company menu, Task bar, Operations menu, and the Page display area.

Each area combines functionality with making SOS Inventory easy to learn and use. Please note that the operations and features accessible to an individual user are dependent on the privileges granted to that user by a company administrator.

Company menu

Located in the upper right corner of the screen, the Company menu includes the company name, as well as the following information in the dropdown:

Account number. Your company's SOS Inventory customer account number.

Account information. Provides information on your company’s SOS Inventory subscription expiration date, payment method, subscription plan, current charges, annual billing, payment history, and terms of service. The third segment of the account number is the account ID, and you will need to provide this to the Support desk when contacting it.

Users. Allows company administrators to manage users and their permissions in accessing features of SOS Inventory. This link serves as a shortcut to the Users list, which is housed under the Configuration menu (Tools & settings > Configuration > Company > Users). 

Change companies. Allows SOS Inventory customers with multiple companies that use our software to switch easily between companies and to set a default company to go to upon logging in to SOS Inventory.

Task bar

In the upper right area of the screen is the Task bar. Its icons represent a set of menus and functions:

search Global search. Allows for extended search of objects throughout SOS Inventory. The Global search page contains specific information on refining global searches in SOS Inventory. 

add_circle Quick add. Opens a new transaction, item, customer, or vendor, allowing the user to bypass navigating to its list page first.

settings Tools & settings. A list with two functions: a link to Configuration mode, as well as links to Import data, Export data, Data utilities, and the Activity log.

forward_circle Sync. Gives a user full control over synchronization between SOS Inventory and QuickBooks Online. When a sync with QuickBooks Online is executed successfully, this icon changes to a done_outline. This checkmark will remain until the user navigates to another page. But if the sync has one or more errors, a error icon will display until the sync issues have been resolved.

print Print. Opens a print window to print or make a PDF of the current display area.

notifications Notifications. Allows users to see if any notifications have been sent to them and provides access to viewing past notifications or add new ones. Tasks pertaining to the notifications can be created as well.

help  Help. Provides a wealth of resources to assist SOS Inventory users. Includes links to:

• Help center. Takes you to the home page of this resource. The Help Center can also be accessed online at help.sosinventory.com.
• User guide. Goes directly to the landing page of the SOS Inventory user guide in the Help Center.
• Frequently asked questions. Located under the Support knowledge base section of the Help Center, Frequently asked questions covers popular topics about using SOS Inventory.
• Video tutorials. Explanatory videos that walk you through a topic, step by step.
• How-to guides. Step-by-step instructions for performing common functions in SOS.
• Customer training. View the calendar of and register for free SOS Inventory training classes.
• What's new. Lists improvements covering each software update.
• Feature requests. Gives you the opportunity to suggest a feature and vote on proposed ideas. 
• System status. Provides the operational status of the web version of the SOS Inventory application, as well as that of our integrations with QuickBooks Online, Shopify, UPS, and our customer portal (Orderfacts.com). Also provides the system's response time, and a history of past incidents.
• iOS Mobile app. Provides information about or iOS app and a link to download it.
• Contact us. Submit a Support ticket from within the software.
• About. Incldes the most recent version of our software, the API version, and links to or Terms of service and Privacy policy.

User. The User menu icon is the user's initials in white, enclosed in a gray circle. The dropdown menu includes links to the Tasks list, User settings, and Change password. The Sign out feature logs the user out of SOS Inventory.

Operations menu

The Operations menu is used frequently in daily operations. It allows the user to access the lists containing all existing transaction records, as well as the page for selecting and running reports. In the screenshot to the left, the dropdown arrow of the Sales menu has been opened to show its available list options, with the link to the Sales orders list highlighted.

Dashboard. Shows the status of orders and other transactions, the most recent sync date, and the transactions sent and to be sent to QuickBooks Online.

Calendar. A configurable calendar that can be used to keep track of task and transaction due dates, as well as lot expiration dates.

Inventory. Contains links to the Items, Adjustments, Transfers, Serial inventory, Lots, and Bins lists.

Purchasing. Contains links to Vendors, Purchase orders, Item receipts, Returns to vendors, and Reorders lists.

Sales. Contains links to Customers, Estimates, Sales orders, Invoices, Sales receipts, Payments, Returns, and RMAs (return merchandise authorizations) lists. 

Fulfillment. Contains links to Pick tickets and Shipments lists.

Production. Contains links to Builds, Processes (process transactions), Jobs, and Work orders lists.

Rentals. Contains links to Rentals and Rental returns lists.

Reports. Links to a one-stop page for all reports available in SOS Inventory.

Operations menu toggle. Located at the bottom of the Operations menu, this toggle allows you to contract the menu to display icons only (keyboard_double_arrow_left) or to expand it to the menu’s regular width (keyboard_double_arrow_right). If the Operations menu toggle is contracted to display icons only, the width of the page display area expands, allowing more space for viewing columns of data on lists.

Page display area

The Page display area is the main section of the screen and is used for displaying lists of transactions, items, customers, vendors, and other data records.