Keep master data healthy
Lesson 24 of 24 6 min read
Build simple habits that stop master data errors before they reach a Document, from launching a new product to onboarding a new trading partner.
Master data isn't a one-off job. Products launch, customers arrive, warehouses change. Each change is a chance for a gap to open. This lesson gives you a set of habits that keep your Documents flowing, and ends the course with a checklist you can reuse.
Make changes in the right order
Every time something changes, follow the same build order as when you started:
The most common mistake is switching on the sales channel first and the master data second.
Checklists for common changes
Launching a new product
- The product exists in your ERP or inventory system's item master, with the same SKU your channels will use.
- The Supply Lens Product has its default unit, tax code and default fulfilment Location.
- Barcodes are added, with the case barcode marked as standing for a case.
- Conversions exist for every pack size any partner orders in.
- Partner-specific codes and prices are added, scoped to the partner.
Onboarding a new trading partner
- Search first: is the partner already a shared Party?
- The Party exists with every identifier its Documents will carry (inbound) and every code your other systems need for it (outbound).
- Your organisation party carries the code the partner uses for you.
- Its delivery points exist as Locations, with customer-linked codes where needed.
- Its product codes are on your Products, scoped to its Party.
- Its pack sizes have conversions.
Changing warehouse
- The new Location exists with every system's code for it.
- Products' default fulfilment Location points at the new Location.
- Any Mapping filtered by ship-from Location is updated.
Habits that prevent trouble
- Never put the same code at the same scope on two Products. It makes incoming matches ambiguous. Use the identifier filter on the Products list to check before adding a code.
- Scope partner codes. Unscoped codes are for things everyone agrees on, such as your SKU and printed barcodes.
- Keep an export. Export your Products to CSV before a big change. It's a snapshot you can compare against, and the same file can be edited and imported back.
- Delete with care. When you delete a Product, Party or Location that something still uses, Supply Lens tells you what uses it and where to change it. Read that list rather than working around it.
- Write it down. Products, Parties, Locations and Units of Measure all take notes. Record why an unusual code or conversion exists, so the next person doesn't "tidy" it away.
- Teach the system as you go. When comparing Documents shows a line that didn't match a Product, link its code to the right Product so it matches next time.
Hilltop, three months on
Hilltop now has two wholesale customers and a seasonal gift box. Priya's routine: every new product goes into Unleashed first, then into Supply Lens with its barcodes and case conversion, then a test order through the Unleashed sandbox before it goes on sale. Failed Documents have dropped to a couple a month, and each one takes minutes to fix because she knows where to look.
Recap
- Treat every change as a mini set-up: item master, Parties, Locations, units, Products, then test.
- Use checklists for new products, new partners and warehouse changes.
- Avoid duplicate codes at the same scope, and scope partner-specific codes.
- Export before big changes, read the usage list before deleting, and leave notes on unusual records.
- When a line doesn't match, link its code so it matches next time.
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