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Essendant Market Xpert YouTube Video Series

Video 4: Bid Wizard – Excel File Preparation

  • This guide covers how to prepare your Excel file for importing into Bid Wizard. What to do, and what not to do before you import an Excel file.
  • Watch the video

Outline

Ø  These instructions apply to any Excel file you wish to upload to Market Xpert

Ø  The very first row of your Excel file needs to contain column headings

·         Some examples of Column headings are "Item Number", "Description", "Unit" and "Price"

Ø  If your Excel file contains a logo, you need to delete it

Ø  If your Excel file contains other rows above the column headings, you need to delete them

Ø  If your Excel file does not contain column headings, you need to add them

Ø  The column heading names must be unique. You cannot have two column headings named "SKU" for example

Ø  Do not use special characters in column headings, no dashes, slashes, periods, pound signs, or percent signs. Using nothing but letters is recommended

Ø  It is best practice to use short, common column headings such as "SKU", "Prefix", "Number", "Description", "UM", "Price", "Cost", "Usage", etc.

Ø  Check for columns that contain numbers only in the first few rows and then contain alphabetic information further down the column

·         This usually occurs in the item or SKU column that may begin with 6-digit numbers with some alpha stock numbers mixed in

·         This must be corrected or the import will stop at the first alpha entry

§  To correct, sort the file using the problem column from Z-A. This places the alpha numbers at the top of the list

§  An alternative, if you do not want to re-sort your list, is to add a Dummy row at the top of your file with an alpha field

·         To create a dummy row, insert a new row in your Excel file right below the Heading row. Type in alpha characters in the item number column

Ø  After making changes, save your Excel file, a different name from the original, and in a location you can remember

Ø  Files that you receive may contain item numbers that are formatted differently and with the item number in more than one column

Ø  Market Xpert Bid Wizard can import two different formats of item numbers

Ø  SKU formatted item numbers consist of a single column in your Excel file containing an item number

Ø  Prefix-Number formatted item numbers consist of two columns in your Excel file with one column containing the Prefix and a separate column containing the item number

Ø  You will need to tell Market Xpert how the item numbers in your Excel file are formatted, one column or two column, when you import your file