the production schedule indicates the types and estimated amounts of material to be produced for a day . the production schedule is received electronically from the host computer 11 , but may also be entered locally . the production schedule consists of production orders . a production order may contain the following information : production date , production line , batch sequence , sku , feature ( such as price ) and estimated units . the system arranges production orders by date , line , and batch sequence into the production schedule . the production schedule may be modified at any time , from either the host computer 11 or local entry . examples of modifications include : changing the estimated units , removing a batch sequence , inserting a new batch sequence , splitting a batch sequence into two features and moving a batch sequence from one production line to another . as material is received into inventory by the auditors 49 , the following information may be updated per batch sequence : actual units and batch sequence complete . the production schedules are maintained for up to 40 days . actual batch counts may be transmitted to the host computer 11 for further archiving . the system includes screens for viewing and changing the production schedule . it also includes reports for printing the current and historical production schedules . actual line counts may be detected automatically at various points in the production line 41 , such as the dividers or ovens . a programmable logic controller ( plc ) is included with the system . the plc is supplied with sensors which may be mounted on the production line 41 to count loaves . the plc accumulates those counts automatically as the loaves pass the sensors . six sensors are supplied . additional sensors may be supported by adding more counting cards to the plc . line changeovers are entered at vt220 - compatible terminals located near the sensors . the terminals indicate when batch sequences are complete . the computer then uploads the accumulated count from the plc , loads the actual count into the database , and resets the plc &# 39 ; s counter in preparation for the next batch . six vt220 - compatible terminals are supplied , along with twelve line drivers that permit the terminals to be located up to 2000 feet from the computer . the communication wire ( containing two twisted pairs ) or installation labor is not supplied . configuration screens permit multiple counting points per line to be configured . the vt220 screens are compatible with the rf terminals , so that rf terminals may be used to detect line changeovers , if desired . the vt 220 terminals may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : view current status , batch complete and manual batch complete . the view current status transaction allows the operator to view the status of a production line 41 and count point ( such as divider , oven , etc .). it prompts for the production line ( which - may be scanned ) and the count point ( which may be scanned ). it then displays the current batch sequence , the expected count ( from the production schedule ), and the most recent actual count from the plc ( which is automatically updated every 20 seconds ). the batch complete transaction allows the operator to tell the computer that the current production batch sequence is complete . it prompts for the production line 41 ( which may be scanned ) and the count point ( which may be scanned ). it then displays the current batch sequence , the expected count ( from the production schedule ), and the most recent actual count from the plc ( which is automatically updated every 20 seconds ). it then prompts the operator for confirmation . the most recent actual count from the plc is then copied into the database , the current batch sequence is incremented to the next batch , and the plc &# 39 ; s count is reset to zero . the manual batch complete transaction is similar to the batch complete transaction but prompts the operator for the actual count instead of getting it from the plc . additional transactions permit the following operations : view the previous batch , view the next batch , and set the plc &# 39 ; s count to zero . the shipping schedule indicates the types and amounts of material to be shipped to the various destinations . the shipping schedule consists of shipping orders . a shipping order includes the following information : shipment date , shipment id ( depot number ), description , shipping sequence ( within the shipment date ), and individual line items . each line item may contain the following information : sku , feature and ordered quantity . the system arranges shipping orders by shipping date and shipping sequence into the shipping schedule . the shipping schedule may be modified at any time , from either the host computer 11 or local entry . examples of modifications include : creating a new shipping order , changing the shipping sequence of the shipping orders , adding a new sku to a shipping order , and changing a skus ordered quantity . as material is assigned to shipping orders by the auditors 49 , checkers 55 , and shippers 53 , the following information is updated per shipping order : shipped quantity , rack id assignments , rack id complete , and order complete . the shipping schedules are maintained for up to 40 days . actual shipped quantities and rack id assignments may be transmitted to the host computer 11 for further archiving . the system includes screens for viewing and changing the shipping schedule . shipping orders may be added , modified , and deleted , and the shipping sequence may be changed . shipped quantities and rack id assignments are normally assigned automatically via the rf terminals but may be manually changed using a pc . a variety of shipping reports are available , including the following : shipping order report , shipment manifest , shipment transaction detail , and current shipping progress . auditing is the process of removing material from the production lines 41 and presenting it to the pickers 55 and parkers 51 for assignment to orders . an auditor 49 keeps the line 41 supplied with empty racks for filling . he takes away full racks and places them in a holding area 35 , where the order pickers 55 take them for distribution among the orders . each auditor 49 wears an rf terminal 13 . the rf terminal 13 may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : create unplanned rack , line changeover , undo planned rack , and undo line changeover . the create unplanned rack transaction creates an unplanned rack in inventory . it prompts for the production line 41 ( which may be scanned ). it then displays the current sku , sku description , and feature . it then prompts for the rack id ( which is scanned ), the number of trays and units on the rack ( which defaults to a configurable sku - dependent value ), and the rack storage location ( which defaults to a configurable value ). the rack is created in inventory , and the production batch sequence &# 39 ; s actual units is incremented . the line changeover transaction tells the computer that the current production batch sequence is complete , and all subsequent material comes from the next batch sequence . it prompts for the production line ( which may be scanned ). it then displays the current batch &# 39 ; s sku , sku description , and feature , along with the next batch &# 39 ; s sku , sku description and feature . it then prompts the operator for confirmation . the current batch &# 39 ; s production order is marked as complete , and the next batch &# 39 ; s production order is considered the current one . the undo unplanned rack transaction deletes an unplanned rack from inventory . it prompts for the rack id ( which is scanned ). it then displays the rack &# 39 ; s sku , sku description , feature , and quantity . it then prompts the operator for confirmation . it deletes the rack from inventory , searches for the nearest production batch sequence of that sku and feature , and decrements the batch &# 39 ; s actual units . the undo line changeover undoes a line changeover . it prompts the operator for the production line ( which may be scanned ). it then displays the current batch &# 39 ; s sku , sku description , and feature , along with the previous batch &# 39 ; s sku , sku description , and feature . it then prompts the operator for confirmation . it resets the current batch sequence to the previous one , and re - opens it . additional transactions permit the auditor to perform following operations : query the contents and status of a rack , browse among the production schedule , add and remove product from a rack , and move product from one rack to another . some orders require sufficient quantities to fill one or more shipping racks with a single sku and feature . when that happens , it is more efficient to build the rack during the auditing process rather than assembling it later . when an order is added to the schedule , the system searches for any sku and feature whose quantity is large enough to permit planned racks . it then builds a list of the potential planned racks . each entry in the list may include the following information : shipment date , order id , sku , feature , and number of planned racks . the rf terminal 13 may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : view planned racks , create planned rack and undo planned rack . the view planned racks transaction displays the potential planned racks available for the sku and feature currently being produced on a line 41 . it prompts for the production line 41 ( which can be scanned ). it then displays the current sku , sku description , and feature . it then displays a list of the orders ( in shipping order sequence ) which have potential planned racks , and the number of potential planned racks for each order . the create planned rack transaction creates a planned rack in inventory , and assigns it to an order . a screen similar to “ view planned racks ” appears , but with the ability to choose an order from the list . if the auditor 49 chooses one , he is then prompted for the rack id ( which is scanned ), the number of trays and units on the rack ( which defaults to a full shipping rack ), and the rack storage location ( which defaults to a configurable value ). the rack is created in inventory , the production batch sequence &# 39 ; s actual units is incremented , the rack is assigned to the order , and the number of potential planned racks is decreased . the undo planned rack transaction undoes a planned rack . it prompts for a rack id . it then displays the rack &# 39 ; s sku , sku description , feature , quantity , and assigned order . it then prompts the operator for confirmation . it deletes the rack from inventory , searches for the nearest production batch sequence of that sku and feature and decrements the batch &# 39 ; s actual units , and increments the number of potential planned racks for the order . additional transactions permit the auditor 49 to perform following operations : release a planned rack without removing it from inventory , change a planned rack &# 39 ; s assignment from one order to another , and convert an unplanned rack to a planned rack . when a planned rack is created , the auditor 49 attaches a small order identification label to the rack which indicates it &# 39 ; s shipping order . split planned racks are racks that are assigned to an order upon production , but have two skus on them instead of one . it is still more efficient to build split planned racks than to pick a split rack manually . split planned racks may be created from two skus on the same production line 41 , or from two independent production lines . since some skus ship on different types of shipping racks , such as bread vs . cakes , the skus “ shipping rack type ” is checked to determine the potential split planned racks . when an order is added to the schedule , the system searches for any sku and feature whose quantity is large enough to permit split planned racks . it then builds a list of the potential split planned racks . each entry in the list may include the following information : shipment date , order id , sku # 1 , feature # 1 , sku # 2 , and feature # 2 . the creation of split planned racks involves two steps : the creation of the rack and the addition of the first sku , and the completion of the rack and the addition of the second sku . those two steps are usually completed by separate auditors 49 . the first auditor 49 puts the first sku on the rack and stores it in the holding area 15 . the second auditor 49 takes it from the holding area 15 , adds the second sku , and returns it to the holding area 15 for shipment . the rf terminal 13 may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : view split planned racks , begin split planned rack , and finish split planned rack . the view split planned racks transaction displays the potential planned racks available for the sku and feature currently being produced on a fine . it prompts for the production line 41 ( which may be scanned ). it then displays the current sku , sku description , and feature . it then displays a list of the orders ( in shipping order sequence ) that have potential planned racks , including both the racks that have been begun and those which have not . the begin split planned rack transaction creates a split planned rack in inventory , and assigns it to an order . a screen similar to “ view split planned racks ” appears , but with the ability to choose an order from the list . if the auditor chooses one , he is then prompted for the rack id ( which is scanned ), the number of trays and units on the rack ( which defaults to a full shipping rack ), and the rack storage location ( which defaults to a configurable value ). the rack is created in inventory , the production batch sequence &# 39 ; s actual units is incremented , the rack is assigned to the order , and the number of potential split planned rack is updated . the finish split planned rack transaction completes a split planned rack in inventory . it prompts for the production line ( which may be scanned ). it then displays the current sku , sku description , and feature . it then displays a list of the partially - completed split racks which require this sku . the auditor 49 chooses one , and then confirms it by scanning the rack id . he is then prompted for the number of trays and units on the rack ( which defaults to one - half of a shipping rack ), and the rack storage location ( which defaults to a configurable value ). the split rack is added to the inventory , the production batch sequence &# 39 ; s actual units is incremented , and the split planned rack is marked as complete . additional transactions permit the auditor 49 to perform the following operations : undo the creation or completion of a split planned rack , release a split planned rack without removing it from inventory , and create a split planned rack from unplanned material . when a split planned rack is created , the auditor 49 attaches a small order identification label to the rack which indicates its shipping order . checking is the process of taking material from the production holding area 35 and distributing it among the orders . a checker 55 takes an unplanned production rack from the production area 35 and takes it to a picking rack 39 assigned to the first shipping order . the checker 37 moves the amount of material required by the order from the production rack to the picking rack 39 . he then takes the production rack to a picking rack assigned to the next shipping order and repeats the process . when the production rack is empty , he takes another and continues the process . each checker 55 wears an rf terminal 37 . the rf terminal 37 may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : choose production line and checking zone , check next item , look ahead , look back , undo last check , and shipping rack complete . the choose production line and checking zone transaction lets the checker 55 tell the computer 11 which production line 41 and checking zone the checker is working on . since a checker 55 generally works one production line 41 at a time , entering the production line once speeds the entry of the remaining transactions . the checking zone refers to a group of orders . some orders may be checked in a different location than others . that permits multiple checkers to be checking the same sku on the same production line simultaneously , while checking separate groups of orders so that they do not interfere with each other . the check next item transaction is the basic transaction for checking orders . the system searches for the first order in the shipping schedule which requires the first sku that has been produced on that production line 41 . if no order is found , it repeats the process for the next sku which was produced on the line . when it finds the first sku and order combination , it displays the sku , sku description , feature , order id , and the number of trays and units required by the order . it then prompts for the rack id of the production rack ( which is scanned ) and the rack id of the shipping rack ( which is scanned ). if the shipping rack is not already assigned to the order , the checker is notified and told to attach a small order identification label to the shipping rack . it then prompts for the number of trays and units actually moved ( the default is the required value ). the system then moves the inventory from the production rack to the shipping rack , decrementing the production inventory and crediting the order . the look ahead transaction previews the next five “ check next item ” prompts which will appear on the checker &# 39 ; s rf terminal for that production line 41 and checking zone . the look back transaction recalls the previous five “ check next item ” prompts that were entered on the checker &# 39 ; s rf terminal 37 , for that production line 41 and checking zone . the undo last check transaction undoes the previously - entered “ check next item ” transaction . the inventory is moved back onto the production rack , and the order is debited . the user is shown the transaction , and prompted for confirmation . the shipping rack complete indicates to the parkers 51 that a shipping rack is complete and ready to be moved to the shipping dock . it prompts for the rack id ( which is scanned ). it then prompts for confirmation . it then marks the shipping rack as complete , which causes it to appear on the parker &# 39 ; s 51 list of outstanding work . additional transactions may permit the checker 37 to perform the following operations : query the contents and status of a rack , browse among the production schedule , manually add and remove product from a picking rack , move product from one picking rack to another , assign a picking rack to an order without placing any material on it , remove the “ complete ” status from a picking rack , and display a list of the available unplanned racks ( and their rack ids ) for the sku . during the “ check next item ”, the computer displays the quantity of trays and units to check , and prompts for the quantity of trays and units actually moved . the computer suggests the proper values . if the checker 55 changes the value to something larger , there may be several reasons for that : it was deliberate or it was a mistake . in that instance , the computer 11 tells the checker 55 that he checked too much , and displays the following selections : continue anyway , and undo and return . the continue anyway transaction means that the larger amount was deliberate , and that the transaction should be processed as entered . the undo and return transaction means that the larger amount was a mistake , the transaction should be undone , and the screen returned to the checking transaction prompt . during the “ check next item ” transaction , the computer 11 displays the quantity of trays and units to check , and prompts for the quantity of trays and units actually moved . the computer suggests the proper values . if the checker 55 changes the value to something smaller , there may be several reasons for that : it was deliberate , it was a mistake , there wasn &# 39 ; t enough material on the production rack and checking will continue with another production rack , there wasn &# 39 ; t enough room on the shipping rack and checking will continue with another shipping rack , and the sku will be produced again later but there &# 39 ; s none available now . in that instance , the computer tells the checker 55 that he didn &# 39 ; t check enough , and displays the following selections : continue anyway , complete later , and undo and return . the continue anyway transaction means that the smaller amount was deliberate , and that the transaction should be processed as entered . the complete later transaction means that the smaller amount was deliberate , but that the order should remain open for completion at a later time . the undo and return transaction means that the smaller amount was a mistake , the transaction should be undone , and the screen returned to the checking transaction prompt . parking is the process of taking racks from the production holding area 15 or the picking rack 39 and moving them to the shipping dock 39 . a parker 17 takes completed checked racks from the picking rack 39 to the shipping dock 19 . the parker 17 also takes completed planned and split planned racks from the production area 15 to the shipping dock 19 . each parker 51 gears an rf terminal 17 . the rf terminal 17 may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : choose parking zone , view zone workload , view total workload , and move rack . the choose parking zone transaction lets the parker 51 tell the computer which parking zone the parker is working on . multiple parking zones may be defined , and may include the production area ( for planned racks ), as well as the various areas used for checking . since a parker generally works one area at a time , entering the parking zone once speeds the entry of the remaining transactions . that permits multiple parkers 51 to work simultaneously without interfering with each other . the view zone workload transaction displays a summary of the outstanding work for the current parking zone . it displays a list of each shipping order ( in shipping sequence ) that has completed racks ( either planned or checked ) currently stored in the parking zone , along with the number of completed racks per order . the view total workload transaction displays a summary of the outstanding work for all parking zones . it displays a list of each parking zone , along with the total number of completed racks currently stored in the parking zone . the move rack transaction is the basic transaction for parking completed racks . it prompts for the rack id of a completed rack ( which is scanned ), and verifies that the rack is complete and assigned to an order . it then displays the assigned order id and the assigned shipping dock . when the rack has been moved to the shipping dock 19 , it prompts for the shipping dock location . the system then moves the rack from the original location to the shipping dock 19 . additional transactions may permit the parker 51 to perform the following operations : query the contents and status of a rack , move a rack from a shipping dock back to a checking or production location , and undo the last parking transaction . shipping is the process of taking racks from the shipping dock 19 and placing them onto the trucks 23 for shipment . a shipper 53 takes completed checked racks from the shipping dock 19 to a truck 23 . he loads the racks onto the truck 23 , and enters the truck id and rack location within the truck . once an order is complete , both paper and electronic manifests may be generated . the electronic manifest may be generated either immediately when an order is shipped , or may be held for a daily batch upload . each shipper 53 wears an rf terminal 21 . the rf terminal 21 may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : choose order , view dock summary , view dock detail , ship rack , order complete , and truck complete . the choose order transaction lets the shipper 53 tell the computer 11 which order the shipper is working on . since a shipper 53 generally works one order at a time , entering the order once speeds the entry of the remaining transactions . a list is displayed of the outstanding orders , sorted by shipping sequence . the shipper chooses one . multiple shippers 53 may work on the same order simultaneously . the view dock summary transaction displays a summary of the outstanding work for the current order . it displays the total number of completed racks assigned to the order which have not yet been loaded onto a truck . the view dock detail transaction displays a detailed list of the completed racks assigned to the order that have not yet been loaded onto a truck . it includes each rack &# 39 ; s id and location . the ship rack transaction is the basic transaction for shipping completed racks . it prompts for the rack id of a completed rack ( which is scanned ), and verifies that the rack is complete and assigned to the currently - selected order . when the rack has been moved into the truck , it prompts for the truck id and the location within the truck . the system then moves the rack from the location to the truck . the order complete transaction signifies that all racks for an order are loaded onto trucks , and that they may not be recalled . the order is considered shipped , and a manifest is automatically printed . the truck complete transaction signifies that all racks for a truck have been loaded . that transaction must be performed before the order complete transaction . additional transactions may permit the shipper 53 to perform the following operations : query the contents and status of a rack , move a rack from a truck to a shipping dock , move a rack from a shipping dock back to a checking or production location , and undo the last shipping transaction ( order complete transactions may not be undone ). the following shipping documents may be created : truck detail , order summary , and order detail . the truck detail transaction contains a detailed list of the racks on a truck , including each rack &# 39 ; s rack id , assigned order , location in the truck , and optional inventory detail . the order summary transaction is a summary quantity of each sku and feature shipped with the order . the order detail is a detailed list of each rack of an order , including , each rack &# 39 ; s rack id , truck id , location in the truck , and optional inventory detail . some material is received from other plants , and immediately cross - docked for shipment . that material must be received into inventory , tracked , and shipped just like any internally - produced material . it must appear on the manifest , and must be transmitted to the host computer 11 as a shipment . a receiver 57 takes racks from incoming trucks 45 and attaches permanent barcode stickers to them if they don &# 39 ; t already have them . he then identifies each rack &# 39 ; s order , and receives the material into inventory 29 . each rack is received into inventory 29 as a completed rack which is assigned to an order . from this point on , the parking and shipping process may proceed as normal . each receiver 57 wears an rf terminal 43 . the rf terminal 43 may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : set receiving location , receive rack , and look back . the set receiving location transaction prompts for the location of the receiving dock . that needs to be done only once , when receiving begins . it determines the location of any racks which are received using this function . the receive rack transaction is the basic transaction for receiving completed racks . it identifies a rack , its order , and its contents to the computer . it prompts for a rack id ( which is scanned ) and an order id ( which must be in the days shipping schedule ). it then prompts for a upc code or sku ( and a feature , if desired ), and tray and unit quantities . if the rack is not in inventory , it is automatically created , assigned to the order , and the first sku is created in inventory . it then prompts for a second upc code or sku . the process may continue without interruption until a blank upc code is entered . the look back transaction displays the previous five skus received , along with the rack ids and orders . additional transactions may permit the receiver to perform following operations : query the contents and status of a rack , move a rack from the receiving dock to another location , view the detailed contents of a rack , one sku at a time , and undo the last receiving transaction . if the software is installed at multiple locations , future extensions may permit the ability to transmit expected receipts from one location to another , eliminating the need to enter skus and quantities . some material may not be assigned to an order when it &# 39 ; s received . in this case , it may be received into inventory 29 in a way similar to produced material , and then checked in the normal manner . to accomplish this , the rf terminal 43 may include the following transactions , selectable at any time : receive unplanned rack , and check unplanned rack . the receive unplanned rack transaction is the basic transaction for receiving racks that are not assigned to an order . it works in the same way as “ receive rack ”, but does not prompt for an order . when it is finished , the rack is in inventory , but available for checking . the check unplanned rack transaction provides an efficient method for checking a received rack that has multiple types of material on it . it prompts the rack id ( which is scanned ). it then searches through each order , beginning with the first , looking for any material on the rack which may be sent to the order . if it finds any , it continues in the same manner as the “ check next item ” transaction . that transaction is repeated until the rack is empty . if too little of a product is produced , it is sometimes desirable to deduct smaller amounts from each order , instead of deducting all of it from the last one . likewise , if too much of a product is produced , it is sometimes to distribute the excess among all the orders . shortfalls or excesses are not distributed equally among orders . an allocation table specifies the percentage of each shortfall or excess that is applied to each order . the determination of those percentages is performed automatically , using the allocation table . the default allocation table is a list of orders , with a percentage applied to each order . those percentages add up to 100 %. an example is given below : additional allocation tables may be specified for any specific sku , or sku and feature . the system compares the daily production schedule to the shipping schedule to determine shortfalls or excesses . the details of the triggering , timing , and personnel allocation involved in allocation are not known at this time . however , a cost allowance has been built into the proposal to cover the design and implementation of allocation . the system architecture is a mixture of host - based and client - server computing . at the center is a hewlett - packard unix server . client pcs are connected to the server via an ethernet network , and operate as remote clients . the rf terminals are also connected to the server via the ethernet - based base radios , but operate as local clients . if a pc doesn &# 39 ; t have access to the graphical programs , the system supports telnet - based vt220 access to the application . because the rf application is written as a generic vt220 terminal application , most rf equipment vendors supply compatible rf terminals and base radios . symbol and norand equipment have been quoted separately . 2 - user hp - ux operating system license ( rf terminals use a license , remote pcs do not ) 3 client pcs , each containing ( minimum ): 133 mhz pentium , 32 mb memory , 1 . 0 gb disk drive , 17 ″ monitor , ethernet connection , keyboard , and mouse the two disk drives mirror each other . if one fails , the other automatically takes over . a dedicated telephone line available to the computer is required . this line will be used to perform remote diagnostics and provide software support . that telephone line must be ( or simulate ) a direct dial - in line . the symbol hardware assumes that 28 rf terminals are purchased , and 5 base radios are required . 28 ws 1000 wearable terminal system with 8 - line display and trigger scanner the norand hardware assumes that 28 rf terminals are purchased , and 5 base radios are required . no allowance has been included for network wiring or for network hardware such as hubs or repeaters , for the following reasons . it is not yet known whether the pcs and printers may use the existing network infrastructure or not . no rf site survey has been performed , so the amount of wire required by the base radios is not known . the location of the server is not known . both the norand and symbol equipment require a thinnet ( 10base2 ) wiring system . the pcs and printers may use either 10base2 or 10baset . once the wiring and networking requirements are known , a quote on the necessary wire and network hardware may be made . alternatively , the wire and network hardware may be purchased through any third party . the automated production count option includes the following hardware and purchased software : the appearance of the screens is consistent throughout the application . data entry and display use the microsoft windows 95 ( or windows nt client ) graphical user interface on pcs , and is consistent with commonly - used windows operational standards . prompt lines and error messages always appear in the same places and manner on the screen . all application software is menu - driven . no knowledge of unix command level operation is necessary . consistent use of function keys and defaults keep operator keystrokes to a minimum . security is enforced by password control while logging into the system . the user table specifies the users who may access the system . that table includes each user &# 39 ; s name , password , and user type . the user type table specifies the different kinds of users , such as “ picker ”, “ manager ”, “ administrator ”, or “ clerk ”. each individual function or program may be turned “ on ” or “ off ” per user type . passwords are encrypted within the database . even if the encrypted passwords are discovered and displayed , they are of no value . a variety of reports are included with the system . all reports may be directed to either the user &# 39 ; s screen or a printer . reports may be scheduled to run automatically at specified times and days of the week . the exact types and contents of the reports are not known at this time . from past experience , the reports will fall into the following categories : current inventory reports , historical movement reports , production order reports , shipping order reports , and administrative reports . a tcp / ip - based ethernet network is included with the system . this link may connect the computer to a host computer ( supplied by owner ). tcp / ip and nfs networking software is included with the system . the system may perform the following operations via the network : receive production orders , shipping orders , sku definitions , and other owner - specified information from the host computer ; transmit actual production counts , actual shipments , inventory balances , and other owner - specified information to the host computer ; and allow remote users on additional customer - supplied pcs to log into the system ( both gui and vt220 - style interfaces are included ). the file format for sending and receiving data will be agreed upon during the design phase of the project . if the network fails , data may be received and transmitted using 3 . 5 ″ floppy disks . to transmit a file to the system , the host system uses ftp or nfs to copy a file to a directory . the system periodically scans this directory for incoming files , sorts them by date or name , and then processes them . after they are processed , the system automatically deletes them . to receive a file from the system , the host system uses ftp or nfs to copy all files from a directory . the system places all outbound files in this directory , naming them numerically , from 0000000 . out through 99999999 . out ( numbers may be skipped ). if the host computer doesn &# 39 ; t delete them explicitly , the system deletes them automatically after a predetermined amount of time . utilities are included for performing the following functions : starting up and shutting down the database , backing up the database to tape , restoring the database from tape , scheduling daily database backups to occur at a specified time ( the system supports on - line backups of the database , permitting full 24 - hour operation of the application ), accessing the database performance / resource monitor , and monitoring the system &# 39 ; s overall performance . those utilities are menu - driven , requiring no knowledge of the operating system . remaining system administration tasks are performed directly through the computer &# 39 ; s operating system using the menu - based programs supplied by hewlett - packard . a file of key indicators is maintained by the system . the contents of that file are not known , and must be engineered . that provides a mechanism for quickly obtaining summary information without having to calculate it every time it is rewired . key indicators are maintained historically . because the system keeps an exact record of the units that are assigned to each order , exact lot tracking may be maintained . by default , th e system defines a lot to be a sku , and production day . if desired , lot traceability may be extended to include feature and / or batch sequence within the production day . alternatively , the auditing screens may prompt for a lot number when creating inventory . the production day of received material may not be known . the receiving screens may prompt for a production day or lot number , if desired . setup and installation of the server and client pcs will be completed by the inventor . installation of the base radios , and all power and communication wiring , will be completed by the owner . the inventor will work with the owner to verify the proper operation of the wiring . prior to the inventor &# 39 ; s arrival on the site , the following site conditions must be met . electrical power must be available to all locations where inventor - supplied equipment will be located . all construction must be complete at all locations where inventor - supplied equipment will be located . the rf base radios must be installed ( to be supplied by the inventor ), and power and data cabling complete . all network cables must be installed ( certain cables are to be supplied by the present inventor ). upon arrival on the site , the inventor will perform the following tasks . unpack the server , set it up , and verify it &# 39 ; s operation . unpack the pcs and printers , set them up , and verify their operation . assist in verifying the proper operation of the base radios and network . assist in verifying the proper operation of the connection to the host computer . while the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , modifications and variations of the invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention , which is defined in the following claims .