Important notice: in the March 2022 release, we introduced the Cloud Product Catalog (see Using the Cloud Product Catalog). This will allow for the addition of products on demand and will remove the need for importing bulk vendor products into Ascend. We are starting with Trek products, but will be including other vendors in the months to come. Importing products via spreadsheet is the most efficient way to add a large number of products to your system.

Choose which vendor products to import carefully. For every 1,000 products imported, your database size increases by approximately 1MB. Larger database sizes can significantly impact performance.

Always verify product information is correct before importing. And if you're updating pricing for products already in your database, you must uncheck the Import Only New Option before importing your spreadsheet. Please remember to re-enable this option after the import is complete to avoid unwanted changes.

Make sure to create an Ascend database backup before importing any spreadsheets. Some critical information cannot be recovered without it!

If your shop is part of a multi-store chain, make sure the spreadsheet is only imported once from a single location (using any workstation).

Considerations for items ordered in bulk (case quantity)

Some vendors/suppliers may provide MSRPs for only the entire case – not individual items. Always check pricing information for these products prior to importing.

1. After downloading the appropriate vendor/supplier list, open the spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel (or other spreadsheet program) and sort the CaseQty column by Largest to Smallest values (this brings all “bulk” products to the top of the list).
   Note: Be sure to sort the entire spreadsheet – when prompted, select the Expand the selection option.
2. For each product, verify the MSRP value is accurate for individual items.
3. Adjust MSRP values as needed, or remove the row from the spreadsheet and update the product manually.
   Note: Be sure to remove the entire row – if there’s a blank row in the spreadsheet, the import will stop at that row, and any products after it will not be updated.
4. Save and close the spreadsheet.

Importing vendor product lists

1. Download the product spreadsheet from www.ascendrms.com. Numerous vendors provide Ascend with product information on a regular basis.
   Note: If a current spreadsheet is not available, ask the vendor(s) to participate in Ascend's Vendor Update program. For more information on the program, email lists@ascendrms.com.
2. Ensure the Import Only New feature is always checked in your app options before importing any spreadsheet, unless you intend to overwrite ALL products included in the spreadsheet.
3. From the Ascend Desktop, select the File menu > Import > Vendor Products.
4. Navigate to the location where you saved the file and double-click it.
5. Click the appropriate vendor.
6. Double-check your vendor selection, and then select OK.
7. Select the fields you wish to import and click OK.
8. On the confirmation prompt, click OK.
9. The import progress displays. Click OK when complete.

If your shop is part of a multi-store chain, contact your other locations to verify changes if you suspect an issue after importing a spreadsheet.

KB22-109