====== How to Enter Items Faster ======

Entering large amounts of text and data into a computer program is a keyboard centric operation. **The less you have to use the mouse, the better**!

The good news is that the inventory entry process (and Point of Sale) in Liberty are designed to be **Mouseless**. You will dramatically speed the rate at which items are entered by avoiding use of the mouse and by using other techniques described below.

===== Tips And Tricks To Shortcut Your Way Through The Item Entry Process =====

  - Keep your hands on the keyboard, using the “**Enter**” key to move from field to field. Liberty is specifically designed to operate in this fashion. Not only does the cursor advance from field to field when you use the “**Enter**” key, when you are finished entering information and press “**Enter**” the “Save” button will usually be highlighted. Pressing “**Enter**” again will both save the item and start you adding the next item. In short, you should rarely have to use the mouse when adding inventory.
  - You can customize the item entry screen by reordering the fields to suit your preferences. For details, please see [[setup:optionsmenu:itementryoptions|Set Item Entry Field Preferences]].
  - When entering the price, if the item is priced at a flat dollar amount (e.g. 10.00), just type the dollars (10) and press “Enter” - the decimal and the cents will automatically be entered. For more details see the paragraph entitled Price Extension in[[setup:optionsmenu:accountdefaults1| Define Default Information for Accounts.]]
  - Liberty remembers the Category of the previously entered item, so entering like types of merchandise in batches (e.g. all dresses, then all blouses, etc.) will allow you to save time.
  - Use the <**Tab**> key to advance the cursor from any Attribute directly to the Description field. This lets you skip Attributes you don't wish to fill in. Using the “**Enter**” key while in Attributes moves the cursor to the next Attribute.
  - Use the <**Shift**> <**Tab**> key combination to move the cursor back to the previous field without using the mouse. <**Shift**> <**Tab**> is the opposite of the <**Tab**> and <**Enter**> keys: press the <**Tab**> key while holding down the <**Shift**> key.
  - Many stores carry two or more items with identical Level 3 Category names that belong to a different Category Level 1 or 2. \\ **Example**: a clothing store might carry Blouses for both children and women. As a result, when **Blouse** is typed, the first blouse to appear is the Children's **Blouse**, because the C in Children comes before the W in Women's. \\ This is fine if you are entering a children’s blouse, but how do you avoid using the mouse to choose the women's blouse? \\ **Simple: press the down arrow key**! This will cause the next Category to show in the Category field. If you go too far, use the up arrow key to go back.
  - Make sure the [[setup:requiredsetupsteps:inventorymodule:taxcodes:settinguptaxcodes|Tax Codes]] are set up properly using Product Lines and Categories. This way you don't have to enter or change the Tax Type each time an item is entered.
  - Make sure all unnecessary [[setup:requiredsetupsteps:inventorymodule:categories:categoriesoverview|Categories]] are either inactive or invisible.
  - If you change the date, the new date will carry forward until you either change it again or Close the screen.
  - Use the F2 Description Popup to create shortcuts for entering frequently repeated information.
  - When entering similar retail items, add them one after another and use the Duplicate button.
  - Don't go overboard - enter information only into the fields you need, and don't be redundant by, for instance, entering a color attribute and then repeating the color in the Description.
==== Next Article In Section ====

Click the following link to move to the next article in this section: \\ [[:inventorymanagement1:speedingitementry:pricingafterwards|Adding Items Without Prices, Then Pricing Later]]

==== Related Topics ====

[[inventorymanagement1:speedingitementry:enteritemsfaster]]
[[inventorymanagement1:speedingitementry:keyboardshortcuts]]
[[pos1:overview:entersalesfaster]]
[[inventorymanagement1:speedingitementry:pricingafterwards]]
[[inventorymanagement1:customerwishlist:usingwishlist]]
[[inventorymanagement1:customerwishlist:wishlistcrossreference]]
[[inventorymanagement1:customerwishlist:wishlistmatches]]
[[inventorymanagement1:customerwishlist:wishlistoverview]]
[[inventorymanagement1:findingitems:findingitemsinacct]]
[[inventorymanagement1:findingitems:findingitemsneedsinfo]]
[[inventorymanagement1:findingitems:itemlooup]]