Working with suppliers to get better product data
Most data problems in a supplier-based store are solved not with software but with a conversation. Suppliers rarely know how their price list is used on the other side. Many of them can provide much better data if you ask for something specific. A good working relationship around data is one of the cheapest ways to improve your catalog.
Explain what you need and why
A request like "please improve your price list" leads nowhere. A request like "we need the barcode in a separate column, because we match products by it, and stock as a number instead of 'yes/no'" usually gets results. Be specific, and explain how it helps both sides: fewer errors in your orders mean fewer problems for them too.
Agree on the basics
- Delivery: a permanent link to the file or an API, rather than e-mail attachments.
- Schedule: when the data is updated, so you can plan your imports.
- Identifiers: stable codes that do not change, ideally barcodes or manufacturer part numbers.
- Changes: advance notice before the file structure changes.
- Contact: a person to reach when the data looks wrong.
Give feedback with facts
Keep a short record of problems: late files, wrong stock that led to cancelled orders, products without images. Share it regularly. Facts make it easier for the supplier to justify fixing things internally.
Recognise good suppliers
Suppliers with reliable data deserve priority. Tell them that their data quality is a reason you order from them. It reinforces the right behaviour and builds goodwill.
Make it easy for them
Accept the formats suppliers can realistically produce, instead of insisting on your own template. It is easier to adapt your import once than to make every supplier change their systems.
When a supplier cannot improve
Some suppliers have no better data to give. In that case, fill the gaps yourself: from other suppliers of the same products, from the manufacturer or from the supplier's website. If the supplier's stock data is unreliable, lower their priority for products that others also offer.
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