Plan your master data
Lesson 3 of 24 7 min read
Master data records depend on each other, so the order you build them in matters. Work out what you need, gather it, and set it up in a sensible sequence.
You could start adding Products the moment you log in. But a Product's default fulfilment Location has to exist before you can pick it, a customer-specific price needs the customer Party, and a conversion needs the units it converts between. A little planning saves you from going back over every record twice.
By the end of this lesson you will have a build order and a short list of what to gather before you start.
How the records depend on each other
Reading the diagram from the top:
- Parties first. Your own business already exists as the organisation party, created automatically. Add the customers, suppliers and partners you trade with.
- Locations next. Every Location needs an owning party, so the Parties must exist first.
- Units of Measure before Products, so the units are there when you add conversions and defaults.
- Products last, because they point at all of the above: a default unit, a default fulfilment Location, and prices that can be specific to a customer.
You don't have to finish each step before starting the next. The point is simply that a Product can only point at a Location, Party or unit that already exists.
Decide what you actually need
Not every business needs every feature. Ask these questions before you start.
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Do any of your systems or partners count the same product in different units (bags vs cases)? | Turn on Units of Measure and add conversions. | Leave Units of Measure off. Supply Lens recommends not configuring them when they are not needed, because it adds an extra checking step to every order. |
| Do partners refer to your products with their own codes or barcodes? | Add those codes as Product identifiers. | Your own SKU may be all you need. |
| Do you ship from more than one place? | Add Locations and set a default fulfilment Location on each Product. | One Location may be enough. |
| Do some customers pay different prices? | Add customer-specific prices. | A default price per Product is enough. |
| Do you send or receive EDI? | Expect to add GLNs and partner codes to Parties and Locations. | Fewer Party identifiers are needed. |
Gather before you build
Collect these into one spreadsheet before you open Supply Lens:
- Products: name, your SKU, barcodes (GTIN-13 for a single item, GTIN-14 for a case), tax code, the unit you normally sell in, and the price.
- Pack sizes: how many singles are in each larger unit (for example 6 bags per case).
- Partner codes: each trading partner's product codes for your items, and their own identifiers (GLN, VAT number, the customer or supplier code they have in your ERP).
- Places: each warehouse and delivery point, its address, and the code each system uses for it.
Priya's master data plan
Priya lists what Hilltop needs for the move to Brookside and the Greenleaf account:
- Parties: add Greenleaf Wholesale (customer) and Brookside Fulfilment (3PL).
- Locations: add Brookside Warehouse, owned by Brookside Fulfilment, with the code Unleashed uses for that warehouse and the ID the 3PL's system uses.
- Units of Measure: turn them on, and add Bag and Case.
- Products: for each coffee, add the GTIN-14 for the case and Greenleaf's product code, a conversion of 1 case = 6 bags, Brookside Warehouse as the default fulfilment Location, and Greenleaf's wholesale case price.
She notes that Shopify only ever sells single bags, so Shopify orders should be read as bags whatever happens. You will see how to make that a rule in the Units of Measure module.
Start small, then widen
Set up a handful of your best-selling Products completely, run a test order through, and only then load the rest. A mistake found on five Products is a five-minute fix. The same mistake found on five hundred is an afternoon.
Recap
- Master data records point at each other, so build Parties, then Locations, then Units of Measure, then Products.
- Your organisation party is created for you; every Location needs an owning party.
- Only turn on the features you need: Units of Measure add a checking step to every order.
- Gather product codes, pack sizes, partner codes and locations into one sheet before you start.
- Prove your setup on a few Products with a test order before loading everything.
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