Importing Supplier Catalogs into RFMS – RFMS Help Desk

Applies to: RFMS E-Commerce (EC)
Use this article to review, tag, import, and verify supplier catalog updates from the Product Catalog Download screen.
This article covers the import process, not detailed troubleshooting for missing catalogs or supplier connection issues.

After you connect to one or more suppliers, catalog updates appear in Product Catalog Download for review. You choose what to import by tagging records, then import those tagged items into your RFMS product file.

Important: Every item must have a valid Product Code before it can be imported. Product Codes are often assigned through Material Classification, but any missing codes must be added before you process the import.

Step 1: Open Product Catalog Download

Go to: E-Commerce > File > Product Catalog Download

Step 2: Review the downloaded records

Review the records in the download list and decide what you want to bring into RFMS. This screen can include new products, pricing changes, color additions or removals, and description or attribute updates.

The Product Catalog Download screen is divided into three areas:

the top section shows product headers
the middle section shows pricing
the bottom section shows colors

Step 3: Assign product codes if needed

If Material Classification is already set up, many items may already have a Product Code assigned. If any records are missing a Product Code, assign one before importing.

To assign or update a Product Code:

edit product code in download screen.png

Select the record.
Click Edit, or double-click the record.
In the Product - Change window, stay on the Product Information tab.
Enter the Product Code, or press F8 to search for one.

Step 4: Make any allowed edits

If you need to correct or complete information before import, open the record in Product - Change.

You can do this by double-clicking the product or by selecting the line and clicking Edit. Only fields marked as editable can be changed from this screen. Fields that are not editable are controlled by the supplier catalog data and cannot be changed here.

Note: For a deeper explanation of supplier-controlled fields see Understanding Supplier Catalog Data > Controlled and Read-Only Fields.

Step 5: Tag the records you want to import

Only tagged records are included in the import.

Use Tag to mark selected records, or use Tag All to tag all currently visible records. If you only want to import certain records, filter the list first so you do not tag more than intended.

Step 6: Import the tagged records

Click Process Products/Import to Products, to import the tagged records into RFMS.

During processing, RFMS will look for matches in your existing product list, update matching items, and add new products that do not already exist.

Step 7: Print and review the Post-Import Report

After the import finishes, click Print Reports and run the Post-Import Report.

Use this report to review what was added, updated, or dropped during the import

Before You Begin

Before importing supplier catalogs, confirm that your supplier connection is active in E-Commerce, Material Classification is set up so items map to a valid Product Code, and catalog updates are appearing in Product Catalog Download. If you want to see when a vendor last pushed an update, go to E-Commerce > Utilities > Last Download Information.

When you import tagged items, RFMS matches them to your existing product list, updates matching items, adds new products, and gives you reporting options so you can review the results afterward.

Toolbar Reference

Icon	Menu name	What it does / when to use
	Edit/Select	Opens the selected record in Product - Change so you can review the tabs and edit allowed fields.
	Tag	Tags the selected record or records for import.
	Untag	Removes the tag from the selected record or records.
	Tag All	Tags all records currently visible on the screen.
	UnTag All	Removes tags from all visible records.
	Tag Sku Matches	Tags records that match SKU criteria.
	Delete Tag Product(s)	Deletes tagged records from the Product Catalog Download list.
	Range Edit Product(s)	Makes bulk updates to multiple records at once.
	Process Products/Import to Products	Imports or updates tagged records into RFMS.
	Force Match	Forces an incoming record to match an existing product record when a match is not being detected automatically.
	Assign Product Codes	Assigns Product Codes, usually through Material Classification.
	Print Reports	Opens the available reports for this process, including the Post-Import Report. Reports include: Downloaded Products Report, Post-import Report, and Duplicate Products/SKU Report
	Find/Filter	Helps you locate specific styles, SKUs, suppliers, or groups of records.
	Reset	Clears filters and returns the list to the default view.

What you can edit before import

You can review a record in Product - Change before importing it. Editable fields are identified visually in the screen. The current article lists these as editable from the download screen: Product Code, Supplier Name, Manufacturer Name, Private Style Name, Private Style Number, and Collection Name.

If a field is not marked as editable, it is controlled by the supplier catalog data and cannot be changed from this screen. For product setup changes such as units of measure and other product details, use the Products module instead.

Remove unwanted records you do not plan to import

If there are records you do not want to bring into RFMS, you can remove them from the Product Catalog Download list after identifying them.

Assign the appropriate product code to the records you don't want to import. In many cases, companies use Product Code 79 as a do-not-import bucket, but your company may use a different code.
Tag those records.
Use Delete Tagged Products, to remove them from the download screen.