SparkShipping Vendor Maintenance Features
This knowledgebase article explains each maintenance feature and what happens when each button is clicked. It's important to note that these maintenance options apply only to the specific vendor whose maintenance page you are currently viewing.
Vendor Maintenance
The Vendor Maintenance section contains several critical functions for managing your product data for the selected vendor:
Run Inventory Now
Purpose: Updates the current inventory levels for all products from the specific vendor you're viewing.
When to use: Click this button when you need to synchronize your inventory with the latest data from this particular supplier.
What happens when clicked:
• Retrieves the latest inventory quantities for all products from this vendor
• Updates your SparkShipping inventory records for mapped products
• Refreshes stock levels on your connected storefronts (e.g., Shopify, eBay, WooCommerce)
Run Catalog Now
Purpose: Synchronizes your product catalog with the latest product data from the specific vendor you're viewing.
When to use: Use this feature when this vendor has updated their product listings, added new products, or made changes to existing products.
What happens when clicked:
• The system pulls the latest product information from this vendor's catalog
• Updates existing product details (descriptions, images, specifications, etc.) for this vendor's products in the catalog if available, not for your listed products already pushed.
• Adds new products from this vendor that weren't previously in your catalog
Run Tracking Now
Purpose: Updates shipping and tracking information for all pending orders from the specific vendor you're viewing.
When to use: Click this button to retrieve the latest tracking numbers and shipment statuses from this particular vendor.
What happens when clicked:
• Connects to this vendor
• Retrieves current tracking information for all pending orders from this vendor
• Updates order statuses in your system
• Syncs tracking details with your storefront
• Triggers any automated customer notifications about shipment updates
Purge Deleted Products
Purpose: Permanently removes products from the selected vendor that have been marked for deletion from your system.
When to use: Use this feature during cleanup operations after you've marked obsolete or discontinued products from this vendor for deletion.
What happens when clicked:
• Permanently removes all products from this vendor that are deleted in your store/site. This option will only remove products when you have deleted/unlisted them. Spark will not delete products on your storefront for you.
SKU Management
The following SKU management options apply only to products from the vendor whose maintenance page you are currently viewing:
Set All SKUs Quantity to Zero
Purpose: Resets the inventory quantity of all SKUs from the selected vendor to zero.
When to use: This feature is typically used before a complete inventory refresh for this vendor or when preparing for a physical inventory count.
What happens when clicked:
• Sets the quantity of all products from this vendor in your inventory to zero
• Updates your storefront to show all products from this vendor as out of stock
• Prepares the system for a fresh inventory count or update
Set All SKUs To Zero
Purpose: Similar to the above, but accessible as a quick-action button for convenience.
When to use: When you need to quickly zero out all inventory for this vendor before a refresh.
What happens when clicked:
• Sets all product quantities from this vendor to zero
• Updates connected storefronts
Unset All SKUs MAP Values
Purpose: Removes Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) values from all products supplied by the selected vendor.
When to use: When you need to clear MAP pricing restrictions for this vendor's products, perhaps due to policy changes or before setting new MAP values.
What happens when clicked:
• Clears all MAP price settings across this vendor's product catalog
• Removes MAP price enforcement on your storefront for these products
• Allows products from this vendor to be advertised at any price point
Unset All SKUs MAP values (button)
Purpose: Quick-action button that performs the same function as described above.
When to use: When you need to quickly remove all MAP restrictions for this vendor's products.
What happens when clicked:
• Clears all MAP values from this vendor's product catalog
Unset All SKUs Cost values
Purpose: Removes cost data from all products supplied by the selected vendor.
When to use: When you need to reset cost information before importing new cost data, or when preparing for a new costing model for this vendor.
What happens when clicked:
• Clears all product cost information for this vendor's products from your database
• Resets profit margin calculations for these products
• Prepares the system for new cost data import
Unset All SKUs MSRP values
Purpose: Removes Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) values from all products supplied by the selected vendor.
When to use: When you need to clear MSRP data before updating with new values, or when changing your pricing strategy for this vendor's products.
What happens when clicked:
• Removes all MSRP values from this vendor's product catalog
• Affects any pricing rules or displays that reference MSRP for these products
• Allows for fresh MSRP data to be imported
Error Management
Return Products to the Catalog
Purpose: Returns products back to the vendor's catalog for the selected vendor.
When to use: Use this feature when you need to reintegrate products that were previously removed or unlisted from the vendor's catalog.
What happens when clicked:
• Restores products to the vendor's catalog
• Updates the vendor's catalog with the returned products
• Ensures these products are available for future catalog updates and synchronization
Clear Product Errors
Purpose: Removes error flags and messages from products supplied by the selected vendor that have encountered issues.
When to use: After addressing product data problems or integration issues that caused errors with this vendor's products.
What happens when clicked:
• Clears all error statuses from this vendor's products in your catalog
• Resets products to a normal state for future operations
• Allows previously problematic products to be processed normally
Vendor Management
Inactivate Vendor
Purpose: Disables the selected vendor in your system without deleting their configuration.
When to use: When you want to pause operations with this specific vendor without losing their setup data.
What happens when clicked:
• Sets the selected vendor to inactive status
• Excludes this vendor from automatic inventory, catalog, and tracking updates
• Maintains all vendor configuration for future reactivation
• Does not affect historical data related to this vendor
Best Practices
1. Backup before major operations: Before using features like Purge Deleted Products or Set All SKUs to Zero, consider backing up your data.
2. Communicate with team: Inform team members before running maintenance operations that might affect their work.
3. Verify results: After running any maintenance operation, verify that the changes have been applied correctly.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter issues with any maintenance function:
1. Check your vendor API connections in the Credentials section
2. Verify that you have the necessary permissions to perform maintenance operations
3. Review the system logs for any error messages
4. Contact SparkShipping support if problems persist
Remember that some maintenance operations cannot be undone, so proceed with caution when using features that permanently delete or reset data.