BrokerForce™ provides the most recent inventory data to the user as the order is being entered. So, reps and customers order what is available.
Some of the benefits
Faster, better, cheaper!
It is assumed that you are already providing catalog and pricing data data, if you're not, click here. Inventory information may be provided with your catalog but, updating the inventory data on a scheduled, frequent basis will increase sales!
If one of your trading partners has requested that you send them your inventory data to import into their software program, the following guidelines will help you to collaborate with all of your trading partners. BrokerForce™ has a data import feature that automates the import of your data in a number of common file formats.
No matter what computer system your business uses, you should be able to export your price list in at least one of the following formats:
Any of these file types can be opened by a program such as Microsoft Excel and may be imported by BrokerForce™. DO NOT send an order guide that was intended for printing with graphics and multiple headers or a word processing document. If you are using Excel or ASCII columnar formats, your data should just be organized into uninterrupted rows and columns without any headers other than the optional first row. Each row is 1 record, each column is 1 field.
Avoid: # ' ? " * (asterisk) characters. Use the two letter "in" abbreviation for inches, and "lb" for pound. Do not use asterisks or question marks. All these characters produce unpredictable behavior in different databases and may result in data loss.
Sub-headers should be added as an additional Category column with the category name repeated on each row.
Like this: Uninterrupted columns and rows
| Item# | In Stock | On-Order (WIP) | Begin Date | End Date |
| 1b | 1000 | 2000 | 11/1/03 | |
| 2a | 500 | 300 | 9/1/03 | 12/31/03 |
| 3c | 1000 | 2000 | 6/1/03 |
Click here
for a commented example in Microsoft Excel.
Click here
to download an Excel spreadsheet with pre-formatted columns and rows that you
can fill out if you don't have data export capability.
NOT like this: Order guides designed for printing
| Acme the Best Bet in Widgets |
 |
|||
| Enter the quantity and your order total will be calculated | ||||
| This Month's specials are included with the Super Widget promotion | ||||
| Item# | Description | Price | Minimum | |
| 1b | Widget | $100.50 | Buy 3 get one free | |
| 2a | Smaller Widget | $50.25 | 24 | |
| 3c | Large Widget | $200 | 6 | |
| Special Category | ||||
| 27*** | Plastic "Widget" | 4 for $1.00 | Less than a passel | |
| !3&#%? | Unusual Characters | 2 | Numbers? | |
What information to include
The following fields and data types are desirable for each record - text lengths
are maximum lengths. Only two fields are required however, every field should be
considered in order to import as much data as possible as smoothly as possible.
ItemNumber/StyleNumber - Text 14 characters -
required
BeginDate - Date product is first available, use this instead of
"New", or leave blank if n/a.
EndDate - Date product is no longer available, blank if n/a
InStock - Quantity on hand if inventory updates are provided
OnOrder - Quantity on order if inventory updates are provided
How to send it The resulting file may be e-mailed, sent on disk, or made available for download from your web site. It is helpful for your reps if updates are in the same format including the field sequence. BrokerForce™ can import and use substantially more information but, that is beyond the scope of this FAQ. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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E-mail Support@BrokerForce.com |
DATAFORCE, INC. |
Fax (303) 666-5956 |
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Telephone (303) 665-2344 |
Address |
E-mail
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