Check your SKU alignment
Lesson 12 of 21 7 min read
Compare product codes across your storefront and ERP, spot the common format mismatches, and choose between standardising and cross-referencing.
In this lesson you will compare your systems' product lists, find the mismatches, and fix them the right way. All you need is a spreadsheet.
Compare your storefront and your ERP
- Export a list of all active product SKUs from your storefront.
- Export a list of all active product codes from your ERP or inventory system.
- Compare the two lists. Any SKU in one list but not the other will cause an error when that product appears on a Document.
- Resolve each gap by adding the missing product to the right system, or by correcting the format so the values match exactly.
A quick way to compare
Put both lists in one workbook, one column each, and use a lookup formula to flag codes in one column
that aren't in the other. Then sort by the flag. Make sure the lookup is case-sensitive, or convert
both columns to the same case first and review case differences separately, because the systems may
treat Widget-A and widget-a as different.
Common mismatches
| Storefront SKU | ERP SKU | Issue |
|---|---|---|
widget-blue-l | WIDGET-BLUE-L | Letter case |
1234 | 01234 | Missing leading zero |
CHAIR_OAK | CHAIR-OAK | Different separator |
BUNDLE-A | (none) | Bundle SKU not in the ERP item master |
Most mismatches aren't missing products; they're formatting differences that crept in over time. Spreadsheets are a common culprit: they quietly drop leading zeros from codes that look like numbers.
Fix it: standardise or cross-reference
- Standardise the SKU in one or both systems so the values match exactly. This is the cleanest long-term fix.
- Add a cross-reference in Supply Lens to translate between the two formats. This avoids changing data in your existing systems.
If you're unsure which to choose, contact Support before changing live product data.
Bundles and variants
- Variants: each size or colour option needs its own unique SKU, in a format agreed across systems.
- Bundles and kits: either the bundle SKU exists as a single record in your ERP, or you have agreed with your Supply Lens contact how component lines will be handled.
Priya's comparison
Priya exports 64 active SKUs from Shopify and 71 from Unleashed. Her lookup flags:
| Finding | Fix |
|---|---|
| 7 Unleashed products not on Shopify | Wholesale-only lines; no action |
ht-gift-box on Shopify, HT-GIFT-BOX in Unleashed | She corrects the Shopify SKU to match |
HT-SAMPLER on Shopify, not in Unleashed | A bundle of three bags. She agrees with her Supply Lens contact how its components will be handled before go-live |
Everything else matches exactly.
Recap
- Export active SKUs from each system and compare them in a spreadsheet.
- Watch for case, leading zeros, separators and bundles.
- Standardise codes in your own systems where you can; cross-reference where you can't or shouldn't.
- Give every variant a unique SKU and agree how bundles will be handled.
- Talk to Support before changing live product data if you're unsure.
Quick guides for this topic
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