SM3 -- difficulty assessing initial inventory and calculator questions

[JayJay]

Hi there!

I am thinking about purchasing the SM3 pro software.

I have a Mac but my husband bought a laptop for a really low price that he so graciously agreed to let met use in order for me to download this software.

I have been reading posts and reviews on SM3 but I still have a couple of questions.

1. I know that it is important to set up the software with proper inventory numbers from the beginning in order to utilize the full functionality of the software. How difficult is it to establish the initial starting point with current inventory? I don't sell, and I haven't kept track of my supplies so far. I don't even have all the invoices. Most of the jars of supplies are half used. Will this be a problem? I am hoping that I could just weigh my containers of supplies and enter them in. But would i have to calculate the price for 1/4 jar of lye, FO etc.? Or, will it calculate it for me based on the price of the full container?

2. Calculator issues -- How many of you use the lye calculator feature? I have read that it differs from soapcalc in terms of water and lye amounts suggested. Which is more accurate? Does SM3 do a better job predicting the qualities of the soap? Does anyone use SM3 for liquid soaps?


Thanks in advance for your help. I don't want to buy this software unless I am sure that it will be accurate. I would be annoyed to no end if I spend $90 only to have things be a little "off" the entire time that I am using it.

Any help that you provide will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dorymae]

Okay I'm not going to lie, it is a pain in the butt to do it however you only have to do it this way once. One of the important and biggest pains is finding the specific gravity of all or most of your products. The internet is a god-sent here.

To try to answer your question, you can make up "fake" invoices for the products you have bought as long as you know what they cost you. Add in approximate shopping if they were shipped to you and make the supplier name as "inventory already aquired" or something similar so you know it is estimated. After you have added all the items you have and use in your recipes you can then go back and adjust you quantity. For example add in your pound of EO at the price it cost you after all other things have been entered adjust you amount on hand to the number of ounces you actually have. It will adjust the asset amount to the value of the current amount of oil. So the answers to #1 is yes it will adjust it for you.

#2 I use the calculator and there is no way of knowing what is more accurate because all SAP values are estimates. There is no easy way to know whether your oil is actually a SAP of 132 or 134. Overall I don't think there is a measurable difference in lye calulators because where one might be perfect for your olive oil, another may be perfect for your coconut, and we rarely make one oil soap. I imagine the same can be said of liquid soaps however I haven't used it yet.

It is a great program and fully worth a few days of swearing to set it up. Good luck to you.

 

[JayJay]

Thank you Dorymae