Margin Master Handbook
Introduction
Part I · Installing
- 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
- Database Connection Setup
- Database Creation
- Database Restore
- Transfer Settings from Database
- Connecting a Second Computer
Part II · Introducing the Main Window
- A Tour of the Main Window
- The Menus
- The Button Row
- The Main Data Grid
- The Summary Section
- Banners and Badges
Part III · Initial Configuration
- 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
- 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
Part IV · Customizing the Workspace
Part V · Basic Application Functionality
Part VI · Learning Margin Master
- 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
Part VII · Advanced Topics
- Importing from Excel
- Cost Break Analysis
- Cost Break Strategies
- Min/Max Strategies
- Strategy Backup & Restore
- Add Items from Catalog
- Store Grouping
Part VIII · Updates, Troubleshooting & Help
- 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
- Chat with Support
Appendix
- 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
Part VI · Chapter 15 — Building Pricing StrategiesUpdated 2026-09-15
Strategy Execution Cloud Tracking
What is this?
Every time you execute a pricing strategy in Margin Master (Strategy > Execute Strategy), the application automatically sends a detailed record of the execution to the cloud. This includes a snapshot of each step's configuration and its results -- how many SKUs were affected, what price changes were made, and whether any errors occurred.
This cloud tracking gives your support team full visibility into your strategy history. They can see exactly what ran, when it ran, and what it did -- without needing to be on your machine. It also lays the groundwork for future features like restoring a strategy from a cloud snapshot.
Key behaviors:
- Runs in the background -- Cloud tracking never slows down or delays your strategy execution. It happens after the strategy finishes, in a separate background task.
- Silent on failure -- If the cloud is unreachable (no internet, server down), the strategy still completes normally. A warning is logged locally but nothing interrupts your workflow. Cloud tracking failure never causes a strategy to fail.
- Automatic retention -- Only the last 5 executions per store are kept in the cloud. Older executions are automatically removed.
- Per-step detail -- Each step's full configuration (pricing rule, rounding scheme, Min/Max settings) is captured as a snapshot so support can reconstruct exactly what happened.
- Local logs -- In addition to cloud tracking, each execution writes local log files for offline review (see below).
Local Execution Logs
Each strategy execution also writes two local log files to disk, independent of cloud tracking:
| File | Content |
|---|---|
{StoreName}_Detail_{timestamp}.log |
Per-step detail: rule text, SKUs affected, timing, Min/Max impact, and any errors. Also includes a performance analysis section appended automatically after execution. |
{StoreName}_Summary_{timestamp}.log |
High-level summary: strategy name, total steps, total SKUs affected, duration, and completion status. |
Location: C:\ProgramData\RetailerSoft\MarginMaster\Logs\StrategyExecution\
These files are useful when you need to review a specific execution offline, share results with support, or analyze performance of individual pricing steps. The performance section in the detail log is especially useful for diagnosing slow strategy executions.
Who is this for?
- Users -- No action required. Execution tracking is automatic and invisible. You benefit indirectly because support staff can diagnose strategy issues remotely without asking you to reproduce problems.
- Support staff -- Review execution history, diagnose pricing issues, and verify that strategies are running as expected.
How It Works (User Perspective)
- Execute a strategy normally via Strategy > Execute Strategy
- After all steps complete, the execution record is sent to the cloud automatically
- If the upload succeeds, a confirmation message appears in the local log: "Strategy execution tracked to cloud"
- If the upload fails (no internet, etc.), you will see a warning in the local log but nothing else changes -- your strategy results are unaffected
You do not need to enable, configure, or manage this feature. It is always active.
