Margin Master Handbook
- 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
- A Tour of the Main Window
- The Menus
- The Button Row
- The Main Data Grid
- The Summary Section
- Banners and Badges
- 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
- 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
- Importing from Excel
- Cost Break Analysis
- Cost Break Strategies
- Min/Max Strategies
- Strategy Backup & Restore
- Add Items from Catalog
- Store Grouping
- 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
- 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
Paladin POS Import
What is this?
The Paladin import reads a tab-delimited text file exported from the Paladin POS system and loads it into Margin Master for pricing analysis. Paladin uses a BCP staging pipeline to process the data.
Walk through it in the app: guide 4007 — Importing your Paladin data. Margin Master can walk you through these steps live: turn on Training / Guide Mode from the Help menu, then type 4007 into the Lessons & Guides box — or ask Margin Master support to run it with you.
Import File Format
- Delimiter: Tab character
- File pattern:
MarginMaster*.txt - Header row: Yes, 1 row (automatically skipped)
- Total fields: 39 (the last field is optional and ignored)
| # | Field | Max Length | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sku | 25 | Item SKU number |
| 2 | AltSku | - | Alternate SKU number |
| 3 | Store | 10 | Store number |
| 4 | Dept | 50 | Department name |
| 5 | Class | 50 | Class name |
| 6 | Description | 100 | Primary item description |
| 7 | Desc2 | 100 | Secondary item description |
| 8 | Location | 50 | Store location code |
| 9 | CurrentPrice | - | Current retail price |
| 10 | OnHand | - | Current inventory quantity |
| 11 | PrimeVendor | 50 | Primary vendor code |
| 12 | AVendor | 50 | Alternate vendor code |
| 13 | ProductGroup | 50 | Product group code |
| 14 | OrderMultiple | 50 | Order multiple / pack size |
| 15 | RetailUnits | 30 | Retail unit of measure |
| 16 | H0 | - | Current month sales |
| 17 | H1 | - | 1 month ago sales |
| 18 | H2 | - | 2 months ago sales |
| 19 | H3 | - | 3 months ago sales |
| 20 | H4 | - | 4 months ago sales |
| 21 | H5 | - | 5 months ago sales |
| 22 | H6 | - | 6 months ago sales |
| 23 | H7 | - | 7 months ago sales |
| 24 | H8 | - | 8 months ago sales |
| 25 | H9 | - | 9 months ago sales |
| 26 | H10 | - | 10 months ago sales |
| 27 | H11 | - | 11 months ago sales |
| 28 | H12 | - | 12 months ago sales |
| 29 | COST | - | Item cost |
| 30 | Comp1 | - | Competitor price 1 |
| 31 | Comp2 | - | Competitor price 2 |
| 32 | Comp3 | - | Competitor price 3 |
| 33 | Comp4 | - | Competitor price 4 |
| 34 | Comp5 | - | Competitor price 5 |
| 35 | CompA | - | Competitor price A |
| 36 | CompMemo | 255 | Competitor memo / notes |
| 37 | SVelocity | 5 | Sales velocity code |
| 38 | Last52 | - | Last 52 weeks sales (ignored) |
| 39 | Unknown | - | Optional field (ignored) |
How Import Works
The export file is read from the Import Path set under Tools > Options > Miscellaneous:
- Place the Paladin export file (matching
MarginMaster*.txt) in the configured import directory. - Margin Master reads the tab-delimited file, skipping the first header row.
- Sales history fields (H0-H12) are parsed with a special converter that handles thousand-separator formatting (for example,
1,234is correctly read as1234). - The data is loaded through a BCP (Bulk Copy Program) staging pipeline into a staging table.
- From staging, the data is copied to the
[Store]table for main table processing. - Main tables are built using the generic main table builder.
Field Mapping
| Paladin Field | Margin Master Field |
|---|---|
| Sku | SKU |
| AltSku | AltSku |
| Store | StoreNumber |
| Dept | Dept |
| Class | Class |
| Description | Description |
| Desc2 | Description2 |
| Location | Location |
| CurrentPrice | CurrentPrice |
| OnHand | OnHand |
| PrimeVendor | PrimeVendor |
| AVendor | AVendor |
| ProductGroup | ProductGroup |
| OrderMultiple | OrderMultiple |
| RetailUnits | RetailUnits |
| H0-H12 | History0-History12 |
| COST | COST |
| Comp1-Comp5 | Comp1-Comp5 |
| CompA | CompA |
| CompMemo | CompMemo |
| SVelocity | sVelocity |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No Files Found when you choose Get POS Data | The export is not in the Import Path (Tools > Options > Miscellaneous), or its name does not match the pattern above | Check the path and the file name; Margin Master reads only the current folder, not sub-folders |
| The same file is imported again and again | The previous import's file was not renamed | After a successful import the file is renamed to NAME[ext].BAK; a file that keeps its name did not import - read the error dialog |
| 0 records or far fewer than expected | The export covers the wrong store, or the store is not matched in the Store Manager | Open Store Manager and check the store's row; re-export from the point of sale |
| Columns land in the wrong fields | The export layout changed | Compare the file's header row with Field Mapping above; contact Margin Master support with the file |
| Import finishes but the grid does not change | The rebuild was postponed (the Click to update data badge is showing) | Click the badge, or Data > Rebuild Data |
Every import failure shows one error dialog; the log under File > Utilities > Show Log Files has the detail to send to support.
Tips
The file name must start with "MarginMaster". Only files matching the pattern
MarginMaster*.txtare recognized during import. Rename your export file if needed.
The file has a header row. Unlike some other POS imports, Paladin files include a header row that is automatically skipped. Do not remove it.
Sales history handles thousand separators. If your Paladin export formats numbers with commas (e.g.,
1,234), Margin Master will parse them correctly.
Paladin includes competitor pricing fields. Up to five competitor prices (Comp1-Comp5), a competitor price A, and a competitor memo can be imported for competitive analysis.
Last52 is ignored. The Last 52 weeks sales field is present in the file but is not used by Margin Master.
Common Questions
Q: What file name should I use?
A: The file must match the pattern MarginMaster*.txt. For example, MarginMaster_Export.txt or MarginMasterData.txt would both work.
Q: What is the unique key for records? A: Each record is identified by the combination of SKU and Store. Duplicate combinations will be overwritten.
Q: What is BCP staging? A: BCP (Bulk Copy Program) is a fast data loading method. Paladin uses a staging pipeline where data is first loaded into a staging area, then transferred to the main processing tables.
Q: Are competitor prices required? A: No. Competitor price fields are optional. If your export does not include them, they will be empty in Margin Master.
