25 Tips for Product Imports

Introduction

Inventory system come as a blank slate with which you load your own organization’s information into, such as the products and materials you will be using the system to manage.

Importing product data into an inventory software is one of the first tasks to implementation of the inventory system. However, this sometimes feels daunting. We have provided some quick tips that will help support you in this activity. Use this list as a brainstorm during the early and crucial point of preparing to upload your own products into your new system.

25 Tips for Inventory Importing

  1. Name and format all your products in a consistent manner.
  2. Consider grouping products into categories and even subcategories.
  3. Double-check that product names/numbers/descriptions are proofread and updated.
  4. Create a list of vendor codes to track the source of each product.
  5. Assign a unique Barcode to each product that best serves your own company.
  6. Identify the product’s primary and secondary pictures to store.
  7. Decide and mark the cost of each item, and multiple cost points if needed.
  8. Identify the product’s units/weight/dimensions.
  9. Link related products, such as its bill of materials or kits.
  10. Mark the product’s specs/prints/terms (if applicable).
  11. Establish the product’s receiving accounts (vendors and suppliers).
  12. Specify the product’s stock availability and order quantities.
  13. List the product’s features popup notes to appear in system, if useful.
  14. Aggregate related product data into bundles/kits/BOM
  15. List the dates and descriptions of certifications.
  16. Attach as notes any image, pdf, docs, or texts.
  17. Consider the products codes/SKUs/Descriptions used by accounts/online.
  18. Calculate the product’s priority levels.
  19. Specify the product’s minimum and maximum ranges for keeping on shelves.
  20. Define the product’s shipping methods or shipping integration keys.
  21. Create a list of product tags and keywords for future easy searching.
  22. List the product’s vendors, suppliers or other contacts associated.
  23. Assign the product to repeating orders and historical data.
  24. Generate product barcodes and QR code labels (barcode label printer).
  25. Establish the product’s return policy and required RMA data upon return.

Conclusion

If you have adopted a new inventory system (e.g., IMS, WMS) or are thinking of doing so, use these tips as a checklist for ensuring a successful import of your products, and other data that will work much the same way. Once you get one, the others will be easier. For a quality system, imports are made speed up the process versus individually keying in what you already have on a spreadsheet before you even bought the new software.

Flowtrac makes imports a collaboration between our client and our CSM (Customer Success Manager). We will make sure your imports are successful. And if they are not, we can try again till you get the data perfect and in the best possible start to your new, better way to manage you inventory.