Multiple Location Setup
Multiple Location Setup
OrderTrac can be used with multiple locations. When OrderTrac is first set up, a ‘Primary’ location is created by default. To add another location, click File > Preferences > Store Info and enter a unique name for the new location, such as ‘Main St’, ‘Northside’, ‘#2’, etc in the ‘Location Description’ box, and then click ‘Save as New Location’. The new location is saved and the settings for each location can be viewed and updated by selecting the appropriate location in the drop down box at the top. It is recommended to set up all preferences BEFORE creating a new location. When you create a new location, all settings from the Primary location are copied, which prevents you from having to go update the same data for each location.
Note: If you are importing inventory, note the ‘ID’ field next to the Location Name. This is the ID you will populate next to each item in the ‘Location (ID)’ field on the Inventory import template. Locations MUST be set up in preferences prior to importing inventory to verify the correct location ID is saved for each item.
Network:
An OrderTrac client computer must be on the same local network as the OrderTrac server computer. In order for an OrderTrac client computer from 1 location to connect to the OrderTrac server from another location on a different local network, a VPN connection is required. A VPN connection connects the two locations to appear on the same local network, allowing an OrderTrac client computer to connect to the OrderTrac server computer. To connect an OrderTrac client computer to the OrderTrac server, open the client, select ‘Client’ mode, enter the IP address or computer name of the OrderTrac server, and click connect.
To test your VPN connection: obtain the IP address or computer name of the OrderTrac server. On the Client computer, open the Command Prompt by clicking Start, and typing in ‘cmd’ and press enter. Once the command prompt is open, type ‘ping XXXX’, replacing the X’s with the ip address or computer name of the server. Press Enter. Verify the text appears: Sent = 4, Received = 4, and Lost = 0. If all 4 packets are lost, the connection between the client and server could not be made. If all 4 are returned, the VPN connection is successful.
Alternative multiple store setup:
If a VPN connection is not available or too slow, another option is to operate each location as a separate ‘company’. Each location would have it’s own OrderTrac server. This downside to this option is having to maintain separate customer and vendor lists. The advantage to this setup is a faster response time, with no lag waiting for data to be retrieved through the VPN connection.
