How does importing inventory via an Excel file work in RetailVista?

This document describes how an Excel file with inventory information can be imported into RetailVista. An Excel file can be used to import both inventory levels and inventory settings such as minimum and maximum stock parameters.

The data that can be modified includes:

- Ordering method 

- Inventory administration y/n (Use 1 or 0 to indicate whether or not inventory administration should be conducted on the product)

- Calculated order moment stock (Minimum/Safety stock)

- Calculated desired stock (Maximum stock)

- Use manual stock values

- Limit minimum stock

- Limit maximum stock

- Manual minimum stock

- Manual maximum stock

- Current stock

With the exception of the current stock, all the above data can be found in the 'Store Availability' screen below. The import works on the store selected in the bottom left corner of RetailVista.

The Excel stock import can be started via Start -> Stock -> Import stock Excel file.

The desired order method can be indicated in the preliminary screen and applies to the entire file being imported. For different order methods, the products should be imported in separate files per order method. If no order method is specified, it will not be changed for found products.

Because this import also allows for importing the stock of a product, the stock reference date can be provided.

By default, the system date is used, but by specifying a different date, it is possible to read the inventory level from a few days ago. RetailVista then makes an inventory correction for the specified reference date, and sales after that reference date are correctly deducted from the inventory.

In the screen that follows after clicking 'Next', the inventory fields of RetailVista must be linked to Excel columns. It is mandatory to link the barcode and at least 1 inventory data or the inventory itself. All remaining data is optional.

The setting of the Excel columns differs slightly from other Excel imports in RetailVista, which can be used to import mutations. In a regular Excel import, each column indicates which field the column should be imported to. In the inventory import, on the other hand, the fields are displayed and it must be indicated which column belongs to each field. The reason and advantage of this is that an Excel column can be imported into multiple fields.

To simplify the linking of fields to columns, the content of the 1st Excel row is displayed in the field linking listbox. If the column description is noted in the first row of the Excel file, this description is displayed after the column name (A, B, C, etc.). If no description is provided, only the column name is displayed.

If the field 'Use manual min/max inventory' is not linked to a column, RetailVista will assign a value to this field itself if a manual minimum and/or maximum inventory is used. The field is marked as 'Yes' if a value is found in the Excel sheet for manual minimum and/or maximum inventory. If both the specified manual minimum and maximum inventory fields are empty, 'Use manual min/max inventory' is automatically turned off.

If a field in Excel is empty, the linked data will also be emptied.

This makes it possible, for example, to clear all existing manual minimum and maximum stock data, while also automatically disabling the 'Use manual min/max stock' (see previous paragraph).

By clicking 'Next' again, you will be asked if a test import should be started. By doing a test, it can be checked if the import would proceed without errors. However, nothing will be processed. By starting the import without a test, the data will be actually transferred to the stock and/or stock settings.