What features would you like in an offline inventory app, like BrickStore specifically for BrickOwl?

rjmorton

Hi everyone,

First, let me introduce myself; my name is Richard Morton and some of the old timers among you may remember the (now long retired) BrikTrak application that I originally developed in 2001.

If you have never heard of BrikTrak, it was an offline inventory manager application for Windows that enabled you to easily manage the items in your Bricklink store, part out sets, update pricing and much more. If you have ever used Brick Store, it offers features similar to the original BrikTrak. Here's a screenshot of BrikTrak from 2003: http://web.archive.org/web/20040731202213/http://www.briktrak.com/images/ScreenshotsBT2004/2005_ss1.jpg

Anyway, I have decided that now is the time to bring BrikTrak back. This will be a brand new version, written from the ground up with a modern UI. Above all else, it will be built specifically for BrickOwl sellers and buyers and will use the BrickOwl catalog natively.
I approached Lawrence a few days ago with my idea to do this and he has been very receptive to the idea. I want BrikTrak to make it super easy for sellers to list items for sale, manage pricing and update their inventory. There will also be plenty of features for buyers as well.

In order to get this done as quickly as possible, I will be splitting the tasks into 2. Version 1 of the app will have the following features:

Native support for BrickOwl catalog and store inventories,
Download your stores inventory,
Allow you to edit items in your inventory - price, qty, tiered pricing etc etc...
Allow you to easily part out LEGO sets, choose which items you wish to list and for how much,
Add new lots to your store by browsing/searching the BrickOwl catalog, assigning qty, price etc,
Easily save your changes back to your store,
Show price guide information when you select an item in your Inventory - allow you to easily select pricing from the price guide, allow you to automatically reprice multiple items based on price guide information,
Allow easy ways to assign and administer tiered pricing to one or many items at a time (I actually have some very slick tiered pricing functionality already done and will preview this in a video later).
It will have the option to automatically change existing tiered pricing if you change the base price of an item.

Once I have the key basic functionality done and I release version 1 of BrikTrak, I will then work on additional 'nice to have' features for BrikTrak - things like allowing BrikTrak users to create new LEGO set inventories and upload them to BrickOwl, build wanted lists, maybe some order processing features etc.

My question to the BrickOwl community is, firstly - what do you think? Is this something that would be useful for you?
If so, what other features would you like to see? Of those features, which are 'nice to have's' and which are absolutely essential? I'm not saying that every suggestion will make it into the product, but I'm very keen for BrikTrak to be designed by the community, for the good of the community!

To manage expectations, there is quite a lot of work to do, both from myself to build the client, but from Lawrence as well to expand the API. I have been extremely impressed in how open Lawrence is to doing this and how quickly he is updating things. He has already started putting API changes in place that I will be using and we have a lot more to discuss. I will build BrikTrak as quickly as possible, but I do also have a full time job - so we are at least a few weeks and possibly a few months out!

Here's a few very early screenshots, showing what BrikTrak will look like:
http://blob.endlessbricks.com/btpreview/screen1.JPG

http://blob.endlessbricks.com/btpreview/screen2.JPG

http://blob.endlessbricks.com/btpreview/screen3.JPG

(Please bear in mind, that these screenshots use Bricklink data, not BrickOwl data - originally I was developing BrikTrak for Bricklink use, but this project is now on indefinite hold. I don't want to get into the politics of Bricklink vs BrickOwl, but I have no current plans to support Bricklink at this stage).

Look forward to your feedback,
Richard.

DagsBricks

I like Brickstore and I use it occasionally but I'm also old school and don't have too much issue with either of the online UI (BL, BO). I think the biggest problem will be waiting for any meaningful price guide data from BrickOwl for a couple of years or so.

Brian

catbricks

No specific feedback, but +1 for an offline app!

emilewski

Sounds great! I will definitely use it.

Plastic-Paradise

You are now my hero. I have lived by Brickstore. That's all I use to upload. I guess my only request you already shot dead near the end of your post. That would be to have it based on Brick Owl but to be able to use it to add, edit, update, etc... across multiple platforms such as Brick Owl, Bricklink, and even eBay and Amazon. One platform for everything would make things so much easier. I don't do much listing on either Amazon or Ebay anymore but I know there is plenty that do and anything that simplifies the listing process would be welcomed by all.

PP

Lawrence

I'll just chime to say we will support amazon syncing, and possibly eBay in the future. It's hard to sync with someone who specifically forbids it though

steendorp

Perfect idea.

theHellmouth

+1 for the app and your efforts!

I've used BrickStore extensively to part sets, adjust prices, quantities and then easily upload them.

My main issue would be: make sure the applications is cross-platform: windows, mac osx at least. Possibly release it as an app for android and ios too.

walstib

Thank you, you have any support I can give.

I am too new school to have used the old one, but use the offline capabilities of Brickstore daily.

A first "nice to have" list

multi-level filters similar to brickstore

A definable cache destination with an SDD friendly system I could look at and understand. Tell when to do what.

Android.

Quantity per set a part it is contained in.

Compare two files to see differences in quantity and existence.

I'll stop there...

Again, thank you. If you want testers I volunteer.

Joe

rjmorton

+1 for the app and your efforts!

I've used BrickStore extensively to part sets, adjust prices, quantities and then easily upload them.

My main issue would be: make sure the applications is cross-platform: windows, mac osx at least. Possibly release it as an app for android and ios too.

iOS/Android/WP8 are all distinct possibilities for future 'mobile/tablet' versions - I already have some ideas for these, but they'll probably come later, once the main version is out.

osx is a bit trickier at least for me - While I am a Windows and Mobile developer, I'm not an osx developer, so I'm probably not going to be the best person to do a version for that. However, I am more than willing to share ideas/BrikTrak data formats and all other relevant stuff with any osx developers who want to do their own version so it is compatible with the Windows and mobile versions. The other nice thing is Lawrence is creating a great API for Brickowl and that API will work just as well for BrikTrak on other platforms (and other applications that developers can think of).

Loremonger

I have a few:

1. A paid version to help support the developer.
2. An XML conversion feature to change things from/to BrickStore and BrickLink formats for updating inventories only.
3. A local cache for images.
4. A comparison tool to view similarities and differences between set inventories.
5. The ability to download orders, shopping carts, and wanted lists.
6. The ability to create or edit catalog inventories, and then upload the results as a catalog submission.
7. Drag-and-drop from one inventory to another. This would be particularly helpful for pulling minifig inventories out of set inventories.
8. Documentation. I would be happy to help with this. I am a professional technical writer specializing in software documentation.
9. If it could brew my coffee, that would be nice, also. I brew mine at 100 degrees C, 16 oz water, 1/4 cup beans, course ground, light roast, in a French press for 4 minutes.

Enoch

rjmorton

I guess my only request you already shot dead near the end of your post. That would be to have it based on Brick Owl but to be able to use it to add, edit, update, etc... across multiple platforms such as Brick Owl, Bricklink, and even eBay and Amazon.
PP

I will definitely add eBay and Amazon to the 'nice to have in version 2' list - that's a really good idea and not one I would have thought of.

I'm not saying never to Bricklink support but, well - it's a huge mess right now and that's a real shame - especially as BrikTrak started life back in the day as a Bricklink offline manager...

giser

I have a few:

1. A paid version to help support the developer.
2. An XML conversion feature to change things from/to BrickStore and BrickLink formats for updating inventories only.
3. A local cache for images.
4. A comparison tool to view similarities and differences between set inventories.
5. The ability to download orders, shopping carts, and wanted lists.
6. The ability to create or edit catalog inventories, and then upload the results as a catalog submission.
7. Drag-and-drop from one inventory to another. This would be particularly helpful for pulling minifig inventories out of set inventories.
8. Documentation. I would be happy to help with this. I am a professional technical writer specializing in software documentation.
9. If it could brew my coffee, that would be nice, also. I brew mine at 100 degrees C, 16 oz water, 1/4 cup beans, course ground, light roast, in a French press for 4 minutes.

Enoch

I literally had 7 out of 9 suggestions written out when I read your post that match EXACTLY. And I'm going to add the coffee one, but medium roast.

I'm up for beta testing!

Cory

Badlove

Love this idea.
James

johnsma2000

Would be nice to be able to add all the same part in multiple colors on the same screen instead of each color of that part individually. We often sort through massive bins on mixed, used Lego. So this would save me time adding to my inventory. It would be nice if the prices are there automatically, but changeable, too.

johnsma2000

I forgot. If an Android App, for when in stores shopping Lego - UPC Code scanning to determine Lego MSRP, Brick Owl Current price as a set, Brick Owl Part out value. >-

rjmorton

I forgot. If an Android App, for when in stores shopping Lego - UPC Code scanning to determine Lego MSRP, Brick Owl Current price as a set, Brick Owl Part out value. >-

Ha - you have quite literally exactly described a separate app that is currently number 3 on my to-do list (Number 1 being an app to submit product images to BO and number 2 being BrikTrak)
It's definitely on the list - no estimates as to when I will get to it!

SilentMode

I've not used BrikTrak before (I'm new school), but as long as it's relatively quick to search for parts (by name or part number) I'll be happy. That's one major disadvantage of BrickShelf.

figbits

Some things I'd like to see for seller's tools.

Not just the ability to download orders, but to have BrikTrak automatically sync and track my inventory and orders. Right now with BrickStore, I need to tell it that I want to load a particular order, and it fetches it from BL. Rather, I would like to have all orders stored offline. When I launch BrikTrak, it would ping BO to see if I've had any transactions since I last used it, and it would download them all.

Support for "My Cost" (which BrickStore lacks).

Cost allocation when parting out a set. I tell BrikTrak what the set cost me, and it calculates the cost per part based on criteria that I select. Factors that could be selected include the price guide data, my previous sales, my current prices, and manually selected over-ride allocations for particular parts or categories.

Sales history analysis. If all of my orders have been downloaded, I want to be able to harness the power of that data. What are my bestselling items? What are my most profitable items? What sold the fastest? What have I not been selling? The ability to export details of all those orders to Excel, in a format amenable to creating pivot tables.

Price Guide analysis. BrickLink's PG is more detailed than BO's, so maybe this wouldn't work here, but something I've wanted to have automated is a way to compare my prices to both the sales history AND the current items available, so I can get an idea of how quickly an item might sell based on the price I set.

DagsBricks

Cost allocation when parting out a set. I tell BrikTrak what the set cost me, and it calculates the cost per part based on criteria that I select. Factors that could be selected include the price guide data, my previous sales, my current prices, and manually selected over-ride allocations for particular parts or categories.

And further, having the option to consolidate uploaded parts with existing lots basing the new price on existing lots, new lots, highest, lowest, average, or weighted average. This per lot, not per upload.

Brian

minithingsforlife

One that I do not think has been mentioned.

A stock checking system with the ability for a global stock take, a partial stocktake (single parts, categories, or own bin location), and a perpetual stocktake (BrickTrak, informs you of a part that hasn't been checked for a while.

Once the stock check has been entered back into the software it should allow an XML output of the differences to be output.

rjmorton

These are all fantastic ideas everyone, keep them coming - I am reading every one and making notes.

To answer monochrome and DagsBricks question, support for MyCost is something I definitely want to support - pretty much everything you mention in your postings. BrikTrak will allow you to add XX parts with a mycost of YY value. It would look to see if you already have this item in your inventory and if so, if the existing mycost is different, then it would calculate the new mycost ((existing cost x existing qty) + (new cost X new qty) / overall qty).

When parting out a new set, it will give you the option to automatically set my cost either as a straight calculation (cost of set / number of items) as well as a calculated cost where it examines the price guide for each item and applies a weighted cost accordingly. The latter option is probably much more useful, but may not be truely useful until the price guide has a few more months of activity.
I would also have to cope properly with any items that currently have no trading activity and thus a zero selling price. Maybe a way to allow BrikTrak users to override mycost figures and then reapply the calculated costs on the rest of the inventory?

Seller tools is something else I am keen to support, including a screen that shows you all open orders that can be processed. The reason Brick Store requires that you enter each order number is that Bricklink doesn't have an API for this stuff, so the author of Brick Store does some fairly clever (but entirely unsupported) screen scraping of HTML pages to provide this feature. With BrikTrak I want all interaction to go through the API with no dodgy screen scraping at all. Lawrence does provide a good API for this stuff and has offered to put any new API methods in that may be needed, so I should be able to do all this. In order to get a release out as soon as I possibly can, I doubt that version 1 of BrikTrak will have the order processing tools in there, but I will look to working on these once the first release is out (can't do everything in version 1 otherwise it will take too long!)

BWA

We (for one more) would love a (PC) application like discriped...., we are very familiar with Brickstore and miss it dearly... (for obvious reasons... ).

A syncing mechanism within this software to other sales venue's would be great but prob. not likely to happen under current circumstances....
(we have build a XLS compare sheet, but are a bit stuck).

Plastic-Paradise

I do think the ultimate inventory software will have the capabilities to work across ALL platforms not excluding any of them, even Bricklink. After all isn't that what we are trying to avoid here? They will come around. Right now they are just trying to bully the little guy. Eventually they will have to adapt to survive. I think it would be better considering the majority of the user base will still be involved in both to build in the capabilities up front.

DagsBricks

What updates have you on this piece of software?

Brian

rjmorton

Hi Brian,
Not much to report yet - still in the early stages of converting the Bricklink version of BrikTrak I had been previously working on to work with Brickowl. There's also stuff Lawrence needs to eventually do to expose more of the catalog out through the API to allow it all to work (although he is waiting for me to send in some documentation, which is my bad). Realistically we're probably looking at initial beta releases early next year, rather than anything coming out before the end of this year.
(Plus I have just moved house and currently don't have an internet connection at home - which definitely isn't helping!).
I am however almost finished with my "BrickPic" iOS app though which allows you to take photos easily with your iPhone and submit them to Brickowl. Just waiting for one last API change and need to tidy up a couple of the screens

DagsBricks

Thanks for the update!

Plastic-Paradise

Is there any chance this software will work between multiple venues including BL? I know it wasn't on the to do list but it would be quite nice.

PP

rjmorton

Hi PP
There's probably no way it will support Bricklink unfortunately, not because it can't (it would be very easy to be able to translate between the two in BrikTrak - especially as BrikTrak started out natively using Bricklink catalog data), but because Bricklink won't let you do it.
See this forum thread - http://www.brickowl.com/forum#/discussion/833/removal-of-bl-inventory-import-file-type

And also Bricklinks updated terms of service

"8.User Obligations for the Content/Data:
You acknowledge and agree not to distribute, disclose, upload, or transfer to any third party any content or data you receive from or which is displayed on the Site, which includes but is not limited to the inventory data files in the form of XML, CVS, or Tab-Delimited format, except when this is required for the operation of your BrickLink store. "

It's now against Bricklink's terms of service for you to take your Bricklink store inventory and use it anywhere else. While I could offer this ability, it would probably result in me getting a similar legal threat from Bricklink and that's a whole series of drama I don't want to get involved in.
So, sorry that's not the answer you wanted, but if you don't like it, then go and complain to Bricklink as they are the only ones preventing such features from being available.

Richard.

DagsBricks

I'm sure Brickstore would receive the same treatment except it is no longer supported and likely considered dead. Unless BL can block Brickstore somehow. Maybe they'll threaten Brickforge to remove it from their site.

Brian

johnsma2000

Make the database work primarily on Brick Owl, and link up to all places with the exception of BL. Bl has shot off one foot and can only hop on that one foot for so long. Brick Owl is destined to be THE catalog to reference in the future since the information is open.

Can't wait for Brik Trak and hope it has instructions for its use. I never did figure out how to use Brick Store and the lack of instructions or a help menu made me just give up.
M

hdi1066

Would it also be possible to have some "basic CRM" functions in it so that you can track your "best customers", what they usually buy, sales turnover and other stuff you might have learned from your customers.

Andreas

Graham

OH boy OH boy ~~~ a dream come true??

Please PLEASE make it Mac "friendly" after all we are now quite similar!!

and consider making it subscription based - lower (upfront) cost but steady income (for you!)

... AS long as it's supported and not left to hang in the wind!!

Graham

Timothy_Smith

Subscription? Ugh. Full version for free with a nag screen for donations is the way to do it.
If you update it enough for a new version number, sell it again. Otherwise post patches for free (with a request for donations).

BinOfBlocks

Hi PP
There's probably no way it will support Bricklink unfortunately, not because it can't (it would be very easy to be able to translate between the two in BrikTrak - especially as BrikTrak started out natively using Bricklink catalog data), but because Bricklink won't let you do it.
See this forum thread - http://www.brickowl.com/forum#/discussion/833/removal-of-bl-inventory-import-file-type

And also Bricklinks updated terms of service

"8.User Obligations for the Content/Data:
You acknowledge and agree not to distribute, disclose, upload, or transfer to any third party any content or data you receive from or which is displayed on the Site, which includes but is not limited to the inventory data files in the form of XML, CVS, or Tab-Delimited format, except when this is required for the operation of your BrickLink store. "

It's now against Bricklink's terms of service for you to take your Bricklink store inventory and use it anywhere else. While I could offer this ability, it would probably result in me getting a similar legal threat from Bricklink and that's a whole series of drama I don't want to get involved in.
So, sorry that's not the answer you wanted, but if you don't like it, then go and complain to Bricklink as they are the only ones preventing such features from being available.

Richard.

To be fair that is stating that the site "user" cant do it... Says nothing about "you the developer" making it support it.

BinOfBlocks

Any updates on this?

Plastic-Paradise

I just read the news. I am sorry to here of your passing @rjmorton. I only met you here in these forums but it seemed you had a lot of great ideas. The LEGO community will miss you greatly.

http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/14510/richard-morton

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thenorthwestern/obituary.aspx?pid=170173377

PP

TheBrickMill

He was so generous with his time and talent. What a terrible tragedy.

Lawrence

That's very sad to hear, he was very friendly to talk to and we shared many of the same views regarding open data.