Clean data before anything else
The import will faithfully copy every mistake in your spreadsheet into the POS. Start by putting everything into one file with one row per product, or per size and colour for variations. Sort by name and remove duplicates. Make category names consistent ('Soft Drinks' and 'Soft drinks' become two categories). Strip trailing spaces and odd characters, which often come from copying out of PDFs.
Check that every row has the essentials: name, category, unit, selling price and tax. Cost price is optional for an import but needed for profit reports, so add it if you have it.
SKUs, barcodes and the leading-zero trap
Every product needs a unique SKU. If your old system did not use them, build a simple pattern now, such as category code plus number. Barcodes go in their own column. Spreadsheets love to turn barcodes into numbers, which strips leading zeros and turns long codes into scientific notation. Format SKU and barcode columns as text before you paste anything in, and check a few UPCs against real packages.
Match the template, then test small
Every POS has its own import template with fixed column headings. Download it, keep its headings exactly, and paste your data under them. Set up categories, units, brands and tax rates in the POS first so the names in the file match records that exist. Then import five to ten rows that cover the tricky cases: an item with variations, a tax-exempt item, an item sold by weight.
Check those rows at the till: the button appears in the right category, the price is right, the tax is right, the barcode scans. Fix the file, delete the test products if needed, and only then import the full list.
After the import
Spot-check twenty random products by scanning or searching at the till. Then enter opening stock, either through a separate stock import or by counting and entering it per product. Keep the cleaned spreadsheet: it is the easiest way to make bulk price changes later.
Doing it in SeroPOS
SeroPOS imports products from an Excel template, either in the app or in the web back office.
- In the app: Admin, then Tools, then Download Excel gives the product template (.xls); Import Products uploads the filled file.
- In the back office: Products, then Import Products uploads a spreadsheet of products.
- Products, then Import Opening Stock loads stock quantities by location after the products exist.
- Leave SKU blank to have one generated from the SKU prefix in Business Settings, then Product.
- Use Products, then Bulk Edit afterwards to change prices, categories or taxes on many products at once.
- If the import goes wrong, Products, then List Products has mass deactivate and mass delete to clear test rows.