Moving a gold shop from a paper ledger to software, step by step

Many gold shops still record transactions, pawn tickets and stock in a paper ledger. It works while the shop is small, but reconciliation gets hard as transactions grow, as staff numbers rise and whenever an old pawn ticket has to be found.

Moving to software changes the habits of the whole shop. This article breaks the process into steps, each with a checkpoint before moving on to the next.

Step 1: Prepare computers and browsers

Sol26 Gold runs in the browser. The shop should use an up-to-date Chrome, Edge or Coc Coc on the counter computer, and phones and tablets also work because the interface adapts to the screen.

Before entering real data, agree which counter devices will use the software and who may log in on each one.

Step 2: Practise on sample data

On first opening, the system loads sample data: staff, customers, items, sales and purchases, exchange tickets, scrap gold tickets, resizing tickets and pawn tickets. Everyone in the shop should practise on this sample data first and not use it for real bookkeeping yet.

Each person logs in with their own account and changes the password on first login, minimum 6 characters.

Step 3: Enter the opening data

Opening data should be entered in this order:

1. 1Gold types with buying and selling prices per chi
2. 2Catalogues for product groups, labour charges and ticket cancellation reasons
3. 3Actual stock on hand, each item with an item code and label
4. 4Staff list and permissions

After entering stock, use the stock count function to count physical stock and reconcile it with the quantity in the system. Only move on when the two figures match.

Step 4: Clean up customer records

Paper ledgers often record one customer several times under different spellings. In the software, the national ID number and phone number identify the customer: when either is a duplicate, the software warns so staff can check before saving.

• Create records from the ID card with the QR scanner instead of typing
• Do not ignore duplicate ID or phone warnings
• Customers created inside a purchase, exchange, scrap gold or pawn transaction must appear in the shared customer list

Clean records are what make it possible to look up each customer's transaction and pawn history accurately.

Step 5: Connect equipment and train by role

Counter equipment includes the electronic scale, scanner, receipt printer and label printer. For the scale, check that weight converts correctly to chi at 1 chi = 3.75 g and rounds to 3 decimal places.

Training should be split by role. Staff focus on the six counter pages, store managers also learn stock and reports, and the owner learns price updates, catalogues, pawn, settings and backup. The daily routines to master are creating a sale, creating a purchase, writing a pawn ticket, extending or redeeming, counting stock and following the notification bell.

Step 6: Run in parallel, then switch over

During the parallel run, the shop keeps the paper ledger and enters everything into the software as well. At the end of each day, compare cash, stock and pawn tickets across both. The discrepancies to report first are wrong money amounts, wrong stock and access leaks.

Each piece of feedback or defect should record the screen in use, the action taken, the actual result, the expected result and a screenshot. Once consecutive reconciliations match, the shop switches fully to the software.

Backing up data

Transaction, stock and pawn data are business assets of the shop. The owner should go to Shop settings, Data backup, export a backup file regularly and keep a copy somewhere other than the counter computer.

Frequently asked questions

Which browsers does the software run on?

Sol26 Gold runs in the browser, and an up-to-date Chrome, Edge or Coc Coc is recommended. Phones and tablets also work.

How long should the ledger and software run in parallel?

There is no fixed period. The shop switches over once consecutive end-of-day checks on cash, stock and pawn tickets match.

How does the software handle duplicate customers?

The software warns when an ID number or phone number matches an existing record, so staff can check before saving.

Can the software be used on several devices in the shop?

Yes. The number of devices and how data is synchronised between them are agreed during the deployment survey for each shop.