Margin Master Handbook
Introduction
Part I · Installing
- Prerequisites
- Firewall and Network Requirements
- Microsoft Edge Download Block
- SQL Server Authentication Setup for IT Administrators
- Antivirus and Endpoint Security Exclusions
- SQL Server Tools
- Install or Upgrade SQL Server Express
- Install or Upgrade SQL Server Management Studio
Part II · Introducing the Main Window
- A Tour of the Main Window
- The Menus
- The Button Row
- The Main Data Grid
- The Summary Section
- Banners and Badges
Part III · Initial Configuration
- The Options Window
- Store Configuration
- Miscellaneous
- Export Options
- Vendor Settings
- POS / Connections Tabs
- Background Service
- AI Assistant (Experimental)
- How POS Import Works
- Supported Point-of-Sale Systems
- Data Import Workflows
- RockSolid POS Import
- Epicor Eagle FTP Import
- Epicor MySQL Compass Import
- Transact POS Import
- Paladin POS Import
- Falcon POS Import
- Spruce POS Import
- Bistrack POS Import
- RockSolid Max POS Import
- ECS POS Import
- Prosperity POS Import
- Catalyst POS Import
- Westlake POS Import
- MI9 POS Import
- AS/400 POS Import
- CounterWorks POS Import
- Dimension POS Import
- PacSoft POS Import
- ProStix POS Import
- Sympac POS Import
- Propello POS Import
- EagleVision POS Import
- MySQL/Compass Connection Configuration
- ECI VPN Requirement (Spruce, RockSolid MAX)
- Propello POS Integration Guide
- MI9 Data Pipeline — Import to Main Table
- Troubleshooting: Epicor Import Brought In 0 SKUs
- PACE POS Import
- Advantage POS Import
- General Store POS Import
- J-3 POS Import
- KeyStroke POS Import
- AutBusSystem POS Import
- Tomax POS Import
- Enterprise POS Import
- Computakey POS Import
- Redisell POS Import
- DART POS Import
- MIB POS Import
- Substruct POS Import
- DMAS POS Import
- RODS POS Import
- Procom POS Import
- Agility POS Import
- Acumen POS Import
- Cruise POS Import
- LSandE POS Import
- Retalix POS Import
- DIBCorp POS Import
- GMROI POS Import
- ECi Advantage POS Import
- Sunray POS Import
- ActivantAutomotive POS Import
- IBS POS Import
- Versys POS Import
- RMS POS Import
- TAMS POS Import
- Integrasoft POS Import
- Dynamic POS Import
- Microsoft ARS POS Import
- CDS POS Import
- Spartan POS Import
- Nitterhouse POS Import
- Jeds POS Import
- Theisens POS Import
- Emery Jensen POS Import
- SMS Pro POS Import
- Burdens POS Import
- Intact POS Import
- Bloom Retail POS Import
- NCR Counterpoint POS Import
- Horizon POS Import
- Cloud Vendor Data Sync
- Data Aging and Freshness Warnings
- Resetting Vendor and POS Data
- Rebuild Data and Rebuild Selection Lists
- Troubleshooting Vendor Sync
Part IV · Customizing the Workspace
Part V · Basic Application Functionality
Part VI · Learning Margin Master
- Understanding the Strategy Hierarchy
- Pricing Strategies
- Creating a Strategy Step
- Updating and Deleting Steps
- Reviewing a Strategy and Running It
- Shared (Premade) Strategies
- SKU-Level Exceptions
- Manage Custom Groups
- Strategy Execution Cloud Tracking
Part VII · Advanced Topics
- Importing from Excel
- Cost Break Analysis
- Cost Break Strategies
- Min/Max Strategies
- Strategy Backup & Restore
- Add Items from Catalog
- Store Grouping
Part VIII · Updates, Troubleshooting & Help
- Data Diagnostics and Missing Index Recommendations
- System Diagnostics
- Margin Master Cannot Save Settings
- SQL Server 2025 Express vs. Full License
- Support Issue Management
- Catalog Lookup
- What's New After an Update
- Version History
- Documentation and the Help Buttons
Appendix
- CTLD — Do It Best Catalog File
- MARGIN_MASTER — Ace Catalog File
- PCDITEMXREF — Do It Best SKU Classification File
- SAP_ZONE_PRICE_MARGIN_MASTER — Ace Zone Pricing File
- PCDPRODCLASS — Do It Best Product Classification Hierarchy File
- SAP_STORE_DEPT_ZONE_MARGIN_MASTER — Ace Store Zone Assignment File
- Taxonomy — Ace Product Classification File
- Mapp_Pricing — Ace MAP & IMAP Pricing File
- margin_mstr_plano — Ace Planogram File
On This Page
Part II · Chapter 5 — A Tour of the Main WindowUpdated 2026-09-09
The Menus
What is this?
Every feature in Margin Master is reachable from the menu bar at the top of the main window. This page lists each menu and what its items do, with the keyboard shortcuts shown next to the items that have one. Items that only appear for certain vendors or point-of-sale systems are marked.
Walk through it in the app: lesson 1004 — Menu bar. Margin Master can walk you through these steps live: turn on Training / Guide Mode from the Help menu, then type 1004 into the Lessons & Guides box — or ask Margin Master support to run it with you.
The menus, left to right: File · View · Strategy · Data · Batch · Tools · Help. Batch appears only for Do it Best stores that submit change batches to the mailbox; a Conversion menu appears only during a Do it Best conversion.
File
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Opens the Print/Export dialog for the current grid - see Printing and Exporting | |
| Strategy ▸ | Backup / Restore your pricing strategies - see Strategy Backup & Restore |
| Database ▸ | Create New Database, Rename Current Database..., Connect to Database, Backup Database, Restore Database, Copy Settings from Another Database... |
| Utilities ▸ | Show Log Files, Clear Log Files, Test RetailerSoft Communications, Manage SQL Scripts, MySQL Query Utility (Epicor MySQL/Compass only), Manage Excel Import Maps, Reset Vendor Data, Reset Point of Sale Data, SQL Server Tools (its own Tools menu holds Rename, Migrate and Delete Database, plus Optimize/Shrink Database, Reset Database and Run Maintenance Scripts) |
| Recent Databases | The databases this computer has opened; click one to switch |
| Connect to Database | Opens Database Connection Setup |
| Create New Database | Opens Database Creation (disabled in Demo Mode) |
| Reconfigure Store... | Re-opens Store Configuration |
| Restart / Exit | Restart or close Margin Master |
The two reset items are named for your vendor - for example Reset Ace Hardware Data. See Resetting Vendor and POS Data before using them.
View
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Edit Sort Order | Choose the sort fields and presets - Edit Sort Sequence |
| Manage Field Names | Rename any column for your store - Field Manager |
| Edit Selection Boxes | Choose which selection boxes and tabs appear - Edit Selection Boxes |
| Edit Columns Displayed | Choose and save column views - Edit Columns |
| Reset Columns | Reload the saved column view - visibility, order and widths - undoing any dragging or resizing |
Strategy
| Item | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy Utilities... | Compare, copy and inspect strategies | |
| Save Current Selection | Saves the current selection boxes and Future Price settings as a named selection (the camera) | |
| Load Saved Selection | Ctrl+L | Reloads a saved selection - Load Saved Selection |
| Ace Critical Pricing | Ace Hardware only - Ace Critical Retail Pricing | |
| Manage Custom Groups | Ctrl+G | Manage Custom Groups |
| Load Custom Group | Selects the SKUs of a custom group in the grid | |
| Add Displayed Sku's to Custom Group | Adds every displayed row to a group | |
| Manage Sku Exceptions | Ctrl+E | SKU-Level Exceptions |
| Load Sku Exceptions | Shows the SKUs that have an exception | |
| Manage Cost Breaks | Ctrl+B | Cost Break Analysis |
| Manage Min/Max Strategies | Min/Max Strategies | |
| Show Skus NOT included in Strategy | Filters to the SKUs no step of the active strategy touched, and stays on so you can narrow it further - choose it again to turn it off. Available once a strategy has run | |
| Export Skus NOT Priced to Excel... | Writes every item the run left without a price, and why, to a spreadsheet - available once a strategy has run | |
| Manage Pricing Strategy | Ctrl+S | The Strategy Manager - Pricing Strategies |
| Execute Strategy | Ctrl+X | Runs the active strategy |
Data
| Item | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Reset All Data | Clears every future price | |
| Rebuild Data | Rebuilds the main tables from your POS and vendor data - Rebuild Data and Selection Lists | |
| Rebuild Store Groups | Store-grouping stores only | |
| Rebuild Selection Lists | Rebuilds the values shown in the selection boxes | |
| Get Vendor Data | Cloud vendor sync, named for your vendor (for example Update Ace Hardware Data) - Cloud Vendor Data Sync | |
| Manage Mailbox Data | Do it Best mailbox stores only | |
| Add Items from Catalog | Add Items from Catalog (the wording follows your vendor) | |
| Show Data Aging View | Data Aging and Freshness Warnings | |
| Get POS Data | Ctrl+I | Imports your point-of-sale data; the label names your POS (for example Import Epicor Data) - Part III |
| FTP Import From POS / FTP Export To POS | Epicor FTP stores only | |
| Import Excel File | Importing from Excel | |
| Import Competitor Prices... | Import Competitor Prices | |
| POS/Vendor Store MatchUp | Opens the Store Manager (multi-store POS systems) | |
| Ace Zone Pricing Store/Group Assignment | Ace Hardware zone pricing stores only | |
| Delete Selected Sku / Delete Displayed Skus | Removes rows from the main table (not from your POS) | |
| Remove Price Decreases ▸ | Remove ALL Price Decreases / Remove DISPLAYED Price Decreases - clears future prices that are lower than current | |
| Remove CP=FP ▸ | Remove ALL FP = CP / Remove DISPLAYED FP = CP - clears future prices equal to current, so only real changes remain |
Batch (Do it Best mailbox stores)
Create Change Batch, Finalize Batch, Manage Batch, Load Batch - the price-change batches sent to the Do it Best mailbox.
Tools
| Item | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Find Sku | Ctrl+F | Finding SKUs |
| Clear ALL Selections | F12 | Clears every selection box so the grid shows everything |
| Options | Tools > Options - Chapter 6 |
Help
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Live Support | Starts a remote support session |
| Documentation | Opens this handbook in your browser |
| Catalog Lookup | Looks a SKU up in the vendor catalog |
| What's New / Version History / Show What's New at Startup | Release notes - Version History |
| Application Theme ▸ | Switches the visual theme |
| Check for Updates | Automatic Updates |
| Data Diagnostics / Launch Diagnostics / Missing Index Recommendations | Troubleshooting tools - Chapter 20 |
| Demo Mode ▸ | Enter Demo Mode... / Manage Demo Mode... - Demo Mode |
| Support Issues | Support Issue Management |
| About Margin Master | Version and license information |
| Legal ▸ | End User License Agreement, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use |
Keyboard shortcuts at a glance
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+F | Find Sku |
| F12 | Clear ALL Selections |
| Ctrl+I | Get POS Data |
| Ctrl+L | Load Saved Selection |
| Ctrl+G | Manage Custom Groups |
| Ctrl+E | Manage Sku Exceptions |
| Ctrl+B | Manage Cost Breaks |
| Ctrl+S | Manage Pricing Strategy |
| Ctrl+X | Execute Strategy |
Common Questions
Q: An item mentioned here is not on my menu. A: Several items depend on your vendor or point-of-sale system (marked above) or on Demo Mode. Support-only items are hidden on customer computers.
Q: Where is Options? A: Tools > Options.
