PRACTICAL GUIDE

How to prepare a supplier spreadsheet

A representative sample helps scope a small project and check whether the sources are sufficient.

1. Keep an unmodified copy. Identify the supplier, date and file version.
2. Include a stable reference per row. Store EAN and MPN as text to preserve leading zeros.
3. Separate variants and explain what each row represents. Avoid merged cells.
4. Explain column meanings and units. A blank is better than an invented value.
5. Share only necessary, authorised data. Remove purchase prices or contacts if outside the scope.
6. Provide an example output and three difficult cases. Agree exception handling before processing the batch.

These checks help prepare the work; they do not replace category-specific rules.