Keep two identifiers, not one overwritten column
Store the supplier's original SKU and your internal item ID in separate fields. Preserve punctuation, spaces, and leading zeros in the source value. A numeric-looking code such as 00712 can become 712 if a spreadsheet treats it as a number. Import the SKU column as text; Microsoft's Excel guidance on leading zeros explains the available methods.
A crosswalk is the confirmed relationship between those two IDs, scoped to a supplier. It needs a review date and enough product context to revisit the decision if the supplier changes its code or packaging.
Use a small matching ladder
- Exact confirmed mapping. Start with the saved supplier SKU to catalog item relationship. Recheck it when the description, manufacturer part number, or pack changes.
- Exact stable identifier. Where no mapping exists, compare verified manufacturer or catalog identifiers. Do not assume different suppliers use the same SKU namespace.
- Candidate review. Similar descriptions, size, material, and UOM can suggest a candidate. A person confirms the match before any cost is approved.
- Hold the rest. Duplicates, retired codes, substitutions, and competing candidates stay unresolved until the supplier or your product team clarifies them.
A plausible description can still be the wrong item
In this fictional review example, a supplier file says “1/2 inch elbow” with SKU 00712-4. Your catalog has both a CPVC elbow and a copper elbow with similar short descriptions. If this supplier code has no confirmed crosswalk, the description alone cannot settle the material. Hold the line and compare material, size, manufacturer part number, and pack before confirming the internal item.
| Field | Supplier row | Reviewer action |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier SKU | 00712-4 | Preserve as text |
| Description | 1/2 inch elbow | Check material and size |
| Catalog candidates | CPVC and copper | Hold until one item is confirmed |
Save the decision, then compare prices
After a reviewer confirms a one-to-one match, save the supplier, original SKU, catalog item ID, relevant pack or UOM, and who approved it. If one supplier code maps to multiple internal items, do not force a single answer without a variant or pack rule. Keep a rejected-candidate reason so the same error is not proposed on the next file.
Only then compare the old and new costs. The Excel comparison guide shows the wider price review, while the supplier file template lists the fields needed to make matches inspectable. RowTune flags uncertain matches for review and can save confirmed mappings; it does not guess a match into an approved export.