Bulk Data Imports on Any B2B Platform

Within enterprise eCommerce, the user dashboard is a valuable area to locate some of the key features that the client team needs to implement. It’s vital to do so in a way that allows the client team to have access to certain features based on their role. One of these is the bulk data import feature, which is commonly used to allow customers to bulk import their products. 

The bulk data import features allows any customer to bring in a significant amount of content that can be used in two distinct ways. It can be immediately injected into your marketplace (uncommon) or go through an approval workflow (much more common). This approval will include intelligent mapping of the data whereby the vendor uploads their existing products and SKUs that are already approved. This might include inventory, data pricing data, descriptions, meta information, etc. 

In addition, it’s also common for the bulk import process to be used to bring in order information, and this is also very common as well. Many times, Clarity's clients experience a scenario where a customer will have orders that they've made in the past. This might be orders like parts for a kit that they're building, or maybe they are completing a large order themselves and they know that they need a certain number of items per order that they are completing. The ability to perform these uploads can even be distributed to multiple people within the customer’s business. 

Sometimes a customer is using a warehouse management tool and realizes that they're running low on inventory. They might want to bulk upload to a vendor, but they may not have an EDI, punch-out catalog, CXML, or other format that the website is using to be able to bulk upload their products directly from the warehouse management tool. Customized bulk import software can serve as an intermediate step to allow customers to bulk order without having to manually complete steps. 

Another scenario is when customers have a unique set of purchase items that require quotes. They can bulk upload the request and have access to this interface where they don't have to do things manually. Clarity’s software can dramatically improve their experience on the site. Software like we offer improves the quality of the data and the accuracy of it overall, therefore reducing the number of returns. This, of course, increases client satisfaction. In short, the process is easier, faster, and more reliable and provides eCommerce business solutions that have a high rate of return. 

Offer a Template

Whenever Clarity sets up a bulk import screen for the user, we also include several basic features into that bulk import screen. One is a template file so the user can download an example of what works best for bulk data imports. The most popular is an Excel file, but there can be other formats too. Some customers prefer comma-delimited, flat-file formats or online documents like a Google Doc. 

Templates work well because they can update column header names and format their file so that it is easily integrated into your eCommerce business. If they have those the same, everything comes into the system seamlessly. This is extremely helpful to make sure that the customer does not really have to apply much effort in order to make everything work, letting them get much more work done without having to do things manually. 

Clarity’s B2B platform and software offer another benefit: the ability to take a customer's bulk import and separate the list into what the seller has available and what they don’t. This can be a visual icon indicating what items are purchasable or a list telling them what is not available. (Depending on the way the seller’s B2B platform is set up, replacement items could be offered.) This confirmation screen will give customers immediate feedback so that they quickly know how much the seller can supply. 

Sometimes this feedback must be delivered to the customer very quickly. An example would be at an event where the customer can give a seller a manifest of all the products they need. They may even be receiving payment on-site for an event’s orders. Although this is something that the Clarity eCommerce framework can handle directly, this event-based ordering makes it possible to incorporate external software. In other words, the software being used by your existing team doesn’t have to be abandoned if they’re familiar and comfortable with it. 

Clarity Makes It Happen

Whether you need a bulk import tool for your existing B2B platform or are interested in an entirely new eCommerce framework, Clarity can bring everything together to make the process as easy as possible for you and your customers. Allowing them bulk data import is just one more way to accommodate clients who might then end up sticking around for years 

No matter what your platform needs — shopping carts, bulk import options, wish lists, shopping lists, search functions — Clarity is ready to address all of your B2B eCommerce development needs. Contact us to see a demo of what we can do.