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
Future Pricing
What is this?
The Future Price Panel is where you define what the future price of a product (or group of products) should be. It appears within pricing strategy steps and SKU-level exceptions. You select a base price level, optionally add a plus/minus adjustment, apply rounding, and configure advanced options like price decrease prevention and min/max constraints.
Walk through it in the app: lesson 1009 — Future Price panel. Margin Master can walk you through these steps live: turn on Training / Guide Mode from the Help menu, then type 1009 into the Lessons & Guides box — or ask Margin Master support to run it with you.
The Future Price Panel
The panel has three tabs: Future Price, Rounding, and Advanced.
Tab 1: Future Price
Set Future Price To (Left Section)
A list of price levels to base the future price on:
| Price Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Not Set | No future price action |
| Retail | Current retail price |
| Level 1 through Level 5 | Vendor-defined price levels |
| Retail Zone | Zone-specific retail price |
| Level 1 Zone through Level 5 Zone | Zone-specific price levels |
| Current Price | Whatever the current selling price is |
| Future Price | The already-calculated future price (for chained steps) |
| Remove Change | Clear any pending future price change |
| Store Cost | Base on the store's cost |
| SKU | Base on a specific SKU's price (enter SKU number) |
| Margin | Calculate from a target margin percentage (enter %) |
| Fixed Retail | Set an exact dollar amount (enter amount) |
| Cost Break | Use a cost break model (select from dropdown) |
| Comp 1 through Comp 5 | Competitor price levels |
| Ace MSU Retail | Ace Hardware MSU retail price |
| Ace MAP Price Amount | Ace Hardware Minimum Advertised Price |
| Ace IMAP Price Amount | Ace Hardware Internet MAP price |
| Margin Snapshot | Margin captured at a point in time |
Special input fields appear for certain selections:
- SKU: Text field with mask (alphanumeric, 2-25 characters)
- Margin: Percentage field (e.g., 35.00%)
- Fixed Retail: Currency field (e.g., $9.99)
- Cost Break: Dropdown of saved cost break models + Edit button to open the cost break editor
Plus or Minus (Right Section)
Add an offset to the base price:
Plus/Minus selection (three icon buttons):
- Forbidden icon -- No Plus/Minus (default)
- Plus icon -- Add to base price
- Minus icon -- Subtract from base price
Units spin edit (0-999): Number of units to add/subtract.
Unit Type (four icon radio buttons):
| Type | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Percent | % | Percentage of the base price |
| Rounding Points | Rounding icon | Rounding scheme point increments (only available when rounding is enabled) |
| Cents | ¢ | Fixed cents amount |
| Dollars | $ | Fixed dollar amount |
Example configurations:
- "Retail Plus 5 Percent" = Retail price + 5%
- "Level 1 Minus 10 Cents" = Level 1 price - $0.10
- "Store Cost Plus 3 Dollars" = Cost + $3.00
Action Buttons
| Button | Icon | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Apply | Green checkmark | Apply the future price configuration to the step |
| Save | Camera | Take a snapshot / save the configuration |
Tab 2: Rounding
Current Scheme
- "Current Scheme" label with dropdown showing available rounding schemes
- "Apply Rounding Scheme" checkbox -- toggle rounding on/off
If full rounding editing is available, a "Change/Edit" button (equalizer icon) opens the full Rounding Editor (see Rounding Schemes).
If editing is not available in this context, informational text reads: "Rounding Schemes can be edited from the Main Window"
Action Buttons
Same Apply and Save buttons as Tab 1.
Tab 3: Advanced
A small green dot indicator appears on the tab when any advanced option is active.
Price Decreases
- "No Decreases" checkbox -- when checked, prevents any price decrease for affected SKUs
- Info button -- displays this warning:
"Although there are legitimate reasons to disallow price decreases, doing so has inherent risks. It is strongly suggested that rules blocking any price decrease should be periodically reviewed to make sure no pricing errors are introduced over time."
Minimum/Maximum
- "Apply" checkbox -- enable min/max constraint
- Min/Max Strategy dropdown -- select from saved strategies (only enabled when Apply is checked)
- Edit button -- opens the Min/Max Strategy editor (see Min/Max Strategies)
- Instructions text -- describes the selected min/max rule in plain English (e.g., "Maximum of Future Price and 'Cost Break' Plus 5% with [Scheme] rounding.")
Margin Control (Hidden)
A margin adjustment section exists but is currently collapsed/hidden in the UI:
- "Apply Margin Adjustment" checkbox
- Options: "Set/Apply Minimum Margins", "Set/Apply Fixed Margins", "Set/Apply Maximum Margins"
- Info text warns that margin controls are time-specific and should be periodically reviewed
Action Buttons
| Button | Icon | Action | Enabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply | Green checkmark | Apply the configuration | When a price level is selected |
| Save | Camera | Save/snapshot | When CanSave is true |
Tips
Tip: The "Not Set" option means no future price will be calculated for this step. Use it for steps that only need to apply conditions without changing prices.
Tip: "Remove Change" is useful when you want a step to clear future price changes for certain SKUs (e.g., undo changes made by earlier steps).
Tip: Zone pricing levels (Retail Zone, Level 1 Zone, etc.) use zone-specific prices from your vendor data. Standard levels use the non-zone prices.
Common Questions
Q: What's the execution order when multiple options are set? A: The future price is calculated in this order: (1) Base price level selected, (2) Plus/Minus adjustment applied, (3) Rounding applied, (4) Min/Max constraint checked, (5) No Decreases check.
Q: What happens if I select "Margin" and enter 35%? A: The future price is calculated as: Cost / (1 - 0.35), resulting in a 35% gross margin.
Q: What is "Rounding Points" in the Plus/Minus unit type? A: It adds/subtracts in increments defined by your rounding scheme, rather than fixed amounts. This keeps the result aligned with your rounding rules.
Q: Can I set a fixed retail for all products? A: Yes, but it applies the same dollar amount to every SKU in the step. This is typically used for SKU-level exceptions, not bulk strategy steps.
