Margin Master Handbook

Introduction

How Margin Master Thinks

Part I · Installing

Installation and First Launch

Part II · Introducing the Main Window

Part III · Initial Configuration

Store Manager: The Hub of Data Processing

Part IV · Customizing the Workspace

Part V · Basic Application Functionality

Rounding Schemes

Part VI · Learning Margin Master

Future Pricing

Part VII · Advanced Topics

Part VIII · Updates, Troubleshooting & Help

Appendix

Bistrack POS Import

What is this?

Bistrack is the most feature-rich POS import in Margin Master, supporting five different import variants to accommodate different store configurations. It can import from comma-delimited files or connect directly to a live Bistrack SQL Server database.

Walk through it in the app: guide 4006 — Importing your BisTrack data. Margin Master can walk you through these steps live: turn on Training / Guide Mode from the Help menu, then type 4006 into the Lessons & Guides box — or ask Margin Master support to run it with you.

Import File Format

Property	Value
Delimiter	Comma (`,`)
File pattern	`.txt` or `.csv`
Header row	Yes (1 row)
Variants	Standard, a reduced 16-field layout, two further file layouts recognized automatically, and DirectConnect

Standard Variant (37 fields)

#	Field	Description
1	Sku	Item SKU
2	AltSku	Alternate SKU / UPC
3	Store	Store identifier
4	Dept	Department
5	Class	Class
6	Description	Item description
7	Desc2	Secondary description
8	Location	Bin/location
9	CurrentPrice	Current retail price
10	OnHand	Quantity on hand
11	PrimeVendor	Primary vendor
12	AVendor	Alternate vendor
13	ProductGroup	Product group
14	OrderMultiple	Order multiple
15	RetailUnits	Retail units (ignored)
16-28	H0 - H12	Monthly sales history (13 months)
29	COST	Item cost
30-34	Comp1 - Comp5	Competitor prices 1-5
35	CompA	Competitor price A
36	CompMemo	Competitor memo
37	sVelocity	Sales velocity

Reduced Variant (16 fields)

A reduced format without Location, PrimeVendor, AVendor, ProductGroup, or competitor fields:

#	Field	Description
1	Sku	Item SKU
2	AltSku	Alternate SKU
3	Store	Store identifier
4	Dept	Department
5	Class	Class
6	Description	Item description
7	CurrentPrice	Current retail price
8	OnHand	Quantity on hand
9	OrderMultiple	Order multiple
10-22	H0 - H12	Monthly sales history
23	COST	Item cost

DirectConnect Variant

Instead of importing a file, DirectConnect reads your live Bistrack SQL Server database directly:

Reads your items, stock and supplier costs from Bistrack
Only includes items your Bistrack administrator has flagged for export to Margin Master
Calculates pricing inside your Bistrack database

How Import Works

File-Based Import

Bistrack file imports run in two phases:

Preload phase — Margin Master reads all import files and loads the raw data in one pass. This step handles all files together, so multi-file imports are processed efficiently regardless of the number of stores.
Build phase — The preloaded data is used to build the final per-store tables. Because the preload is already done, this step does not re-read any files.

The progress bar reflects both phases, so you see accurate progress across the full import rather than restarting at 0% per file.

DirectConnect Import

Bistrack tab

Open Store Manager... - POS/vendor store matchup.
Use Bistrack Direct Connect? - switch from file import to the live database.
Connection String for the Bistrack SQL Server.
Test Connection.
Restore from Cloud...
Margin Master connects to your Bistrack SQL Server using the connection string configured in Options.
It reads your items, stock and supplier costs, including only the items flagged for export.
Pricing is calculated within the Bistrack database.
The results are loaded into Margin Master's database in bulk.

Pricing a Purchase Order

You can price just the items on one open purchase order. Export the PO from Bistrack in the same layout as your normal catalog export and name the file PO followed by the purchase order number - for example PO1015900.csv.

Put the file wherever your other Bistrack exports go: your Import Path (Tools > Options > Miscellaneous), a yard folder under your Network Import Root, or a sub-folder of the Import Path. Purchase order files are the one exception to the current-folder-only rule - Margin Master looks in sub-folders for them.

Then choose Data > Import Bistrack Data (Ctrl+I) as usual. Margin Master reports what it did with each PO.

Purchase order files are never listed in the Import Bistrack Data window - that list is for yard exports only. If there are no new yard files but a purchase order is waiting, the window tells you which orders it found, which yard each belongs to, and whether that yard is ready. A ready order is applied when you close the window.

What happens to a purchase order file:


The purchase order number	comes from the file name - `PO1015900.csv` becomes `1015900`
The yard	comes from the file's own Store column, not the folder it sits in. The export must include that column
The tag	every item on the PO is tagged `{yard}-{PO number}` - for example `23-1015900` - in the PO Number field
New items	items on the PO that are not in the yard yet are looked up in the Do it Best catalog and added so you can price them. Items the catalog does not have are reported and skipped
The catalog	is never rebuilt from a purchase order. A PO lists only part of a yard, so it only ever adds and tags - it cannot replace the yard's items

To price the order, pick its number from the PO Number selection box, then price and export as you normally would.

The PO Number tag clears itself. Once Bistrack exports one of those items in a normal catalog export, the item comes back untagged. Price a purchase order before the yard's next export, or re-apply the PO file.

The purchase order file is not renamed .BAK after it is used, so it is re-applied on every import while the order is open. Delete it once the order is closed.

A purchase order for a yard with no data in Margin Master cannot be tagged - there are no items to tag. If that yard was imported before, its last export is waiting as a backup: under Files to show choose Backup Files, tick the yard's most recent file and click Restore, then tick it and click Import. The purchase order is applied straight after that yard imports.

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 (purchase order files are the exception - see above)
No New Files to Import, but a purchase order file is in the folder	Purchase orders are not listed in the import window - only yard exports are	Close the window; the purchase order is applied then. The Purchase Orders message says what happened
A purchase order is not tagged, and the message says the yard has no data	That yard has no items in Margin Master	Restore the yard's most recent file from Backup Files and import it (see above), or import a fresh export of that yard
A purchase order says its yard is unknown	The export is missing the Store column, so Margin Master cannot tell which yard the order belongs to	Re-export the PO including the Store column
A PO Number you priced has disappeared	The yard was exported again, and the tag cleared as designed	Re-apply the PO file, or price the order before the yard's next export
Stores you did not import are listed after an import	Normal when you import one yard at a time - their data is left untouched	Nothing. To remove a yard permanently use Store Manager
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 the field lists 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

If you are unsure which Bistrack variant to use, start with the Standard variant. Your Bistrack administrator can confirm which export format your system produces.

For DirectConnect, make sure the items you want to analyze in Margin Master are flagged for export in Bistrack. Items without the flag are skipped. Margin Master support can tell your Bistrack administrator exactly which flag to set.

The reduced 16-field variant is a simplified format with fewer fields. Use it if your export does not include location, vendor, or competitor data.

Configure Bistrack settings in Options > Bistrack tab, including the connection string for DirectConnect mode.

Common Questions

Q: Which Bistrack variant should I use? A: Your store's Bistrack export format determines the variant. If you have a 37-column CSV with competitor prices, use Standard. If you have a 16-column file, use the reduced variant. Your Bistrack administrator or Margin Master support can help identify the correct variant.

Q: What is DirectConnect and when should I use it? A: DirectConnect queries your Bistrack SQL Server in real time instead of importing a file. Use it if you want the most current data without manually exporting files. It requires network access to your Bistrack database and Use Bistrack Direct Connect? switched on in Options.

Q: My DirectConnect import is very slow. Is that normal? A: DirectConnect calculates pricing inside your Bistrack database, which can be slower for large catalogs. Loading the results into Margin Master is fast, but the pricing step depends on your Bistrack database size and server performance.

Q: File-based imports seem faster than they used to be. Why? A: Margin Master now reads all import files first and then builds all stores in one pass, which is significantly faster for multi-store setups.

Q: What does the RetailUnits field do? A: In the Standard variant, RetailUnits (field 15) is read from the file but ignored during import.