Cloud Vendor Data Sync

What is this?

Margin Master keeps your local database up to date with the latest product catalog and pricing information from your vendor. This process -- called Cloud Vendor Data Sync -- downloads new and changed records from the Margin Master cloud servers to your local SQL Server. It is incremental, meaning only data that has changed since your last sync is downloaded.

Walk through it in the app: guide 3003 — Updating your Ace Hardware data (Ace Hardware stores) or guide 3004 — Updating your Do-it Best data (Do-it Best stores). Margin Master can walk you through these steps live: turn on Training / Guide Mode from the Help menu, then type 3003 into the Lessons & Guides box — or ask Margin Master support to run it with you.

Supported Vendors

The vendor is chosen once, on Tools > Options > Store Information (see Store Configuration), and everything else - the menu wording, the vendor tab in Options, the columns in the grid - follows from it.

How to Sync

Starting a Sync

1. From the main menu, click Data > Get Vendor Data
   • The menu item text changes based on your vendor (e.g., "Update Ace Hardware Data", "Update Do it Best Data")
2. Margin Master shows a progress screen immediately and connects to the Margin Master cloud
3. Progress is displayed in the splash screen with current sync status
4. When complete, the main data grid refreshes with the updated information

If You Already Synced Today

Vendor catalogs are published once a day, so syncing again the same day usually downloads data you already have and then rebuilds your tables for nothing. If today's data is already in place, Margin Master asks first:

data was already updated today at 8:33 AM.

Updating again downloads the catalog and rebuilds your tables, which can take several minutes.

Are you sure you want to update data again?

Choose Yes to sync anyway -- the prompt never blocks you, it only confirms. The scheduled background update applies the same rule and simply skips a vendor sync that has already been done for the day, so it will not interrupt you to rebuild data that has not changed.

This check looks at your actual catalog tables, not just the date of the last sync. If you reset your data, restore an older backup, or the tables are otherwise empty, no prompt appears and the sync runs normally -- which is exactly when you need it most.

Do-it Best: because DIB publishes Monday-Friday, a Friday sync still counts as current through the weekend.

What Happens During Sync

For each vendor table:

1. Schema Check -- Margin Master verifies your local table structure matches the cloud schema. If your local table is missing or outdated, it is created or updated automatically.
2. Incremental Download -- Only records that have changed since your last sync are downloaded. This is tracked using row version numbers.
3. Data Merge -- Downloaded records are merged into your local tables. New records are inserted; changed records are updated.
4. Soft Delete Tracking -- Records that have been removed from the vendor catalog are marked as deleted but not physically removed from your database.

After Sync Completes

After vendor data is synced, Margin Master runs a post-sync pipeline that automatically:

1. Updates zone pricing on the main table (applies zone-specific price overrides)
2. Updates DIB MSU retail pricing (if applicable)
3. Rebuilds the main pricing tables from updated vendor data
4. Builds the final main table from temporary tables
5. Rebuilds the selection panel filters with new data

This pipeline runs sequentially and automatically -- you do not need to take any action.

Ace Hardware Specifics

Tables Synced

Ace_Current View

After syncing, Margin Master creates or replaces a SQL view called Ace_Current. This view joins catalog data with national pricing (zone 99999) into a single working dataset. Key fields include:

Tip: Zone 99999 represents National Pricing -- the base price before zone-specific adjustments.

Do it Best Specifics

Tables Synced

Sync Frequency

Tip: Sync vendor data regularly -- ideally daily or before each pricing session -- to ensure you are working with the latest catalog and pricing information.

There is no automatic sync schedule. You must initiate syncs manually from the Data menu.

Common Questions

Q: How long does a sync take? A: The first sync downloads all data and may take several minutes depending on your internet speed. Subsequent syncs are incremental (only changes) and are typically much faster.

Q: Do I need internet access to sync? A: Yes. Cloud vendor data sync requires an active internet connection to the Margin Master cloud servers.

Q: My sync seems stuck -- what should I do? A: Check your internet connection. If the connection is fine, wait a few minutes -- large syncs can take time. If it remains stuck, close and reopen Margin Master and try again.

Q: Will syncing overwrite my custom pricing? A: No. Vendor sync updates the vendor catalog and reference data. Your pricing strategies, custom groups, and SKU-level exceptions are not affected.

Q: I see "zone 99999" in my data -- what is this? A: Zone 99999 is Ace Hardware's National Pricing zone. It represents the default retail price before any zone-specific adjustments are applied.