Frequently asked questions
What SmokeOps does—and what the store still has to do.
The product is designed to reduce uncertain work, not pretend physical inventory can maintain itself.
Does SmokeOps replace my POS?
No. The POS remains the checkout and payment system. SmokeOps maintains operational inventory from receiving, counts, tablet scans, damages, returns, transfers, and adjustments. Supported POS exports are an optional analytics and validation layer.
Do I need a POS export to start?
No. Create the catalog, complete an opening count, mount the tablet, and begin scanning sold items. A POS export can be connected later to unlock revenue, ticket, discount, and employee-sales analysis.
Can inventory be accurate without cycle counts?
No perpetual estimate stays perfect forever. SmokeOps prioritizes fast movers, negative quantities, stale counts, high-value items, and low-confidence products so limited labor is spent where it matters most.
What if a product has no usable UPC?
SmokeOps can assign and print an internal Code 128 barcode. Employees can scan that label during receiving and counting, while UPC-specific variants remain separate in the catalog.
What if BottlePOS exports only 100 transactions?
Multiple CSV segments can be submitted as one reviewed import. SmokeOps checks overlap, duplicate fingerprints, source totals, and coverage before commit.
Which POS systems are supported?
SmokeOps includes guided normalization for BottlePOS, Square, KORONA POS, Lightspeed Retail, Clover, and mapped generic CSV exports. Export layouts vary, so unfamiliar columns remain reviewable rather than being guessed silently.
Do stores share catalog or inventory data?
Inventory, pricing, and customer identity stay private to each organization. SmokeOps may aggregate an approved UPC’s canonical product identity and confidence across stores, without exposing which store supplied a match.
What does setup include?
The written pilot scope determines setup. Owners are expected to participate in catalog decisions, opening inventory, export validation, schedules, and staff readiness. On-site cleanup or recurring physical counting is a separate service unless explicitly included.