are  listed  in  table  8-1.  Refer  to  this  table  carefully for the purpose of the information in this chapter and  for  future  use. Table  8-1  has  been  provided  for  your  infor- mation and to assist you with patron’s requests. Table 8-1 should help you to answer some of the questions you may have in the future from patrons concerning  when  a  particular  stock  item  will  be carried  by  the  commissary. STOCK  CONTROL  SYSTEMS The   maintenance   of   accurate   stock   control information  will  be  important  to  you  for  many different  reasons.  As  a  supervisor  of  a  com- missary,  you  must  have  accurate  stock  control information  to  obtain  merchandise  for  resale,  to maintain   a   satisfactory   in-stock   position   for merchandise,  and  to  have  the  right  amounts  of merchandise  on  hand  at  the  right  times  for displays,   paydays,   and   seasonal   periods.   You must  also  have  accurate  stock  control  informa- tion to maintain control over the inventories you have  on  hand  so  that  you  will  not  exceed  the inventory  levels  established  by  NAVRESSO.  With accurate  stock  information,  you  can  prevent  the buildup  of  excess  stocks  that  will  result  in  poor inventory  control  and  outdated  stocks. Currently  there  are  three  authorized  stock  con- trol  systems  in  use  in  Navy  commissaries. 1. Manual system—The manual stock control system is used in small regions in overseas loca- tions  that  do  not  have  computers.  The  manual system  is  also  used  in  CONUS  stores  whenever requirements must be determined for stock items that  are  procured  by  the  short-cycle-weekly- delivery  method. 2.  Apple  IIE  computer  system—This  Apple system is used in larger regions in overseas loca- tions.  The  Apple  IIE  is  a  small  minicomputer  that performs  calculating  and  printing  functions  for a  commissary’s  stock  control  system.  The  pro- cedures used by the computer are very similar to those  used  in  the  manual  stock  control  system. 3.  Automated  Commissary  System  (ACS)— The ACS is currently being installed in all CONUS regions  to  replace  the  outdated  Monrobot  X1 system and the L2000 system. The ACS is a com- puterized stock control system developed to pro- vide   data-processing   support   for   procurement, stock   control,   merchandising,   accounting,   and management   information   functions   for   com- missary  stores  in  CONUS.  The  system  uses  a mainframe  computer  based  at  NAVRESSO.  The computer  is  connected  by  telephone  lines  to Remote  Job  Entry  (RJE)  terminals  at  the  field support  offices  (FSOs)  or  regional  offices.  Data is  prepared,  encoded,  and  transmitted  by  the  field activity  to  the  mainframe  at  NAVRESSO  where it is processed, then transmitted back to the field, where  it  is  printed  and  distributed  for  use.  The ACS  provides  a  commissary  with  the  ability  to manage  inventory  by  service  levels,  which  are assigned to items based on their importance. The ACS  also  provides  the  controls  the  Navy  needs to establish systemwide in-stock positions based on   available   inventory   dollars   and   manpower allowances. The ACS allows the individual com- missary   to   eliminate   excess   safety   stocks,   to increase order sizes, to provide improved services and  lower  selling  costs  to  the  patron,  to  reduce inventory levels, and to increase labor efficiency. The information above provides a mere over- view  of  the  systems  that  are  available  to  the individual  commissary.  It  is  your  responsibility to  dig  out  current  NAVRESSO  instructions  so that  you  can  stay  abreast  of  what  stock  control systems  are  available  for  your  commissary. STOCK  REVIEW  AND CUSTOMER  REQUESTS Your knowledge of stock review will help you to  answer  questions  from  customers  and  to  satisfy many  of  your  customers’  requests.  One  of  the most  frequently  asked  questions  will  be:  “When will  this  commissary  start  carrying (a  specific  item)?”  Requests  will  usually  involve an item patrons have seen through an advertise- ment of some sort. Table 8-1 shown earlier in this chapter   should   provide   you   with   enough knowledge  about  the  requested  item  of  stock  so that  you  will  be  able  to  answer  patrons’  questions. Your knowledge of the table will save you many embarrassing  moments  and  will  keep  you  from having to say the famous five words: “Let me ask the  boss.” The  most  important  person  in  your  com- missary is the customer. To treat the customer like a VIP, you must stay abreast of commissary pro- cedures. You will find that the customers will leave in a happy mood most of the time when they can get  answers  to  questions  that  assist  them  in planning  their  shopping.  Remember,  you  do  not really  need  to  try  to  remember  the  commodity groups  or  to  memorize  the  months  or  ranges  of line item numbers. You just need to keep the list available  to  help  you  give  your  customers  fast service   and   correct   information.   Review   the 8-10