Inventory Control by Wasp Barcode Technologies is an inventory management software solution appropriate for smaller businesses (under 100 employees). Inventory tracking can happen based on various parameters such as by site, location, serial number, PO number, supplier code, date code, lot, pallet, or customer. Inventory transfers between sites can be handled electronically, and the inventory can also be tied to suppliers with detailed supplier information.

Inventory items can be checked in and out, tracking who has what items and when those items are due back. The system also maintains a complete inventory history that includes average, list, and sales cost. Audits, cycle counts, and adding new inventory items are all streamlined for efficiency in the Wasp solution. It includes a Microsoft SQL Express database and more than 30 built-in reports. The company provides both live “getting started” training as well as phone support free of charge. It comes with the items needed for full functionality, including a mobile computer, printer, and supplies.

Pros

Reviewing user comments about this particular inventory management software solution presents an interesting dilemma. Glancing over the information available, users seem fairly evenly divided between those who praise and those who disparage Wasp Inventory Control. Those who praise it seem to need little more than very simple tracking of inventory quantities for re-purchasing needs, such as supplies in a dental practice. There are also many users who say little more than “It’s great,” which not what is usually found in researching consumer opinion. This leaves me with the suspicion that some of the positive user feedback is not only less than thoughtful, but possibly fake. Those users who do provide more thorough and thoughtful information note that data import/export is easy, and that the software can be customized to fit a company’s inventory tracking needs.

Cons

More disturbing are the rather vehemently negative experiences expressed by quite a few users, which is also unusual to find in this kind of consumer research. When multiple users say things along the lines of how they would rather have a tooth pulled without pain medication than use the software or emphatically warn people to run the other way, I naturally am concerned. The crux of the problem with the WASP solution is that both the installation and upgrade process can be incredibly painful. Multiple users noted that upon installation, it somehow disabled some of their other important applications. In other cases, upgrading seems to cause more problems that it solves. Also, as recently as February 2015, users noted that the barcode creation software is incompatible with not just the most recent version of Windows, but several recent versions. The latest version of Windows with which this essential aspect is compatible is Windows 2007. This does not indicate a company that is keeping up with the times.

When it comes to choosing an inventory management software solutions, users should carefully consider what they’re getting into before choosing the Wasp Inventory Control system.