Supplier Inventory Integration Options
Dsco provides multiple avenues for you to add your SKU information within the Dsco platform. The best option for you depends on a number of factors. You may need to discuss the various options with your IT and operations departments to determine the best option for your needs.
|
Option |
Ease |
Manually Create a SKU through the Dsco Portal |
✪✪✪✪✪ Very Easy |
Upload a SKU through the Dsco portal using a Dsco Excel file |
✪✪✪✪ Fairly Easy |
Upload a SKU using the Dsco Data Mapper tool |
✪✪✪ Somewhat Easy |
Upload a SKU using flat-file exchange |
✪✪ Somewhat Difficult |
Create a SKU using the Dsco API |
✪ Very Difficult |
Create a SKU using EDI |
✪ Very Difficult |
Manually Create a SKU through the Dsco Portal
Ease: 5 Stars
This is the fastest option for those creating only a few SKUs. The Dsco portal enables you to create one SKU at a time by entering the SKU information directly into the portal. As soon as you have selected the Save button, the new SKU will be available to your trading partners.
More information on creating a SKU in the Dsco portal can be found here: Adding Inventory
If you have a lot of SKUs to create you may want to choose one of the following options...
Upload a SKU through the Dsco portal using a Dsco Excel file
Ease: 4 Stars
This is the fastest option for creating a lot of SKUs very quickly. Simply download the Dsco Product Excel Template file (https://app.dsco.io/inventory/upload), enter your SKU information in Excel and then upload the file through the Dsco portal.
If you have a way of providing us with your SKU information in your own CSV or TAB file format, you may want to choose the next option...
Upload a SKU using the Dsco Data Mapper tool
Ease: 3 Stars
This is a great option for suppliers who already provide their retailers with a CSV or TAB delimited file. The Dsco Data Mapper tool will walk you through the process of mapping your data to the Dsco specifications so that you don’t have to build a custom file on your end. Once the mapping has been completed you can upload your file through the Dsco portal and your SKUs will be created.
More information on the Dsco Data Mapper can be found here: Using the Data Mapper Tool
Dsco provides every account with their own SFTP account which can be used with the data mapper tool and the flat-file exchange system.
If you have an IT department that will be building an integration to Dsco using the Dsco specifications, you can choose one of the following options below...
Upload a SKU using flat-file exchange
Ease: 2 Stars
Dsco supports flat-file exchange using a variety of flat-file formats, including CSV, TAB, PIPE and even XLS. Simply follow our Dsco Data Schema guide to build a file that matches our specifications and set up an automated job within the portal to schedule the processing of the files at the appropriate times. You can also run the job manually at any time using the Upload File option.
Dsco provides every account with their own SFTP account which can be used with the data mapper tool and the flat-file exchange system.
If you have programmers who will be building an API integration between your system and the Dsco platform, you can choose the next option...
Create a SKU using the Dsco API
Ease: 1 Star
The Dsco API allows suppliers to create new, or update existing, SKUs. Choose this option if you have programmers on staff who are experienced with REST API’s. This is a very advanced and technical option as your programmers will be creating custom scripts that will interact with your system and Dsco in a programmatic way.
More information on the Dsco API can be found here: Getting Started with the Dsco API
If you currently utilize EDI to create inventory, you may use the final option below…
Create a SKU using EDI
Ease: 1 Star
Dsco supports the exchange of 846 Inventory EDI documents over SFTP and AS2.
This option is perfect for you if you already utilize EDI in your drop-shipping operations but wish to remove the VAN from the equation. If you do not currently utilize EDI, we strongly recommend using one of the previous options mentioned above.
More information on integrating with Dsco using EDI documents can be found here: Using EDI
Update Your SKUs
It is important to keep your SKU information current and accurate. Perhaps you find out that the description of one of your SKUs is incorrect or the inventory levels of your SKUs has changed. Regardless of the reason for the change, it is important that you update your SKU information within Dsco on a regular basis.
How often should you update your inventory levels? As often as possible and as often as is necessary. Some suppliers send new SKUs quarterly or update pricing monthly, so those tasks can be scheduled accordingly.
Inventory levels are a different story. In most cases you should update your inventory levels within Dsco at least daily, but if you have the capability of providing updates more often we suggest doing so.
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