MI9 POS Import

What is this?

MI9 is a retail management system used by larger multi-store operations. Margin Master imports MI9 data files and builds team-based pricing analysis tables, supporting the most fields of any POS system at over 75 fields.

Import File Format

How Import Works

The export file is read from the Import Path set under Tools > Options > Miscellaneous:

1. Use a single main table (one row per SKU per store) — the main-table processing mode (see below).

2. Place your MI9 export files in the configured import folder. Files follow the MM*.txt naming pattern.

3. Margin Master reads each file using the SepReader library for high-performance parsing.

4. Each row is mapped to the Margin Master data model using hardcoded field mappings (no external .map or .fmt files).

5. Data is bulk-merged into the database using Z.BulkOperations in batches of 10,000 rows.

6. Files are processed in batches of 50,000 records at a time for memory efficiency.

7. If a batch fails, Margin Master retries up to 5 times with increasing wait times between attempts.

8. After the import, the main tables are rebuilt in whichever processing mode is selected on the MI9 tab (below). The import itself is the same in both modes.

Main Table Processing Mode

The MI9 tab under Tools > Options > POS / Connections has one setting, Use a single main table (one row per SKU per store). It chooses how the main tables are laid out; it does not change what the strategies do or the prices they produce.

• Off (the default) — multi table processing. Margin Master builds one main table per team (for example StoreGroup_Core_mainTable), with one row per SKU per team: cost is averaged and on-hand is summed across the team's stores. Selecting a store picks that team's table.
• On — single main table processing. Margin Master builds one table, Mi9_mainTable, with one row per SKU per store. Selecting a store filters that table by store number instead of choosing a table. This is what makes store-level pricing possible, and it keeps one set of indexes instead of one per table.

Changing the setting does nothing until you close the Options window. You are then asked to confirm, and the confirmation names every main table that will be replaced. If you answer Yes, Margin Master builds the new tables first and removes the old ones only once the build has succeeded, so a failed rebuild leaves everything as it was. No keeps the current mode; Cancel returns to Options.

Either way the rebuild reads every store's point of sale data, can take several minutes, and discards all current pricing work — future prices, applied rules and locks. Re-run your strategies afterwards.

Field Mapping

Core Fields

Pricing Fields

CurrentPrice cascading logic: MI9 uses a priority-based approach to determine the current price from multiple price level fields.

Sales History Fields

Ace-Specific Fields

Status Fields

Status codes include: A (Active), B (Blocked), C (Clearance), D (Discontinued), N (New), R (Return), S (Seasonal), W (Warehouse), X (Inactive).

Tips

• Team-based tables: MI9 groups stores into teams. Margin Master builds a separate main table for each team (e.g., StoreGroup_Team1_mainTable) rather than one table per store.
• Store configuration: Each MI9 store is configured in the Mi9StoreManager table with a BranchCode, GroupName, and Excluded flag. Stores marked as Excluded are skipped during import.
• AceSku priority: For Ace Hardware stores, MI9 files include an AceSku field. When present, this takes priority over the standard SKU field for vendor catalog matching.
• Large file handling: MI9 files can be very large. Margin Master processes them in 50,000-record batches and bulk-merges in 10,000-record batches to manage memory.
• Ace Hardware pairing: MI9 supports Ace Hardware vendor pairing through the VendorOwner, VendorNumber, and VendorName fields.

Common Questions

Q: What do the Team1, Team2, and Unsequenced file names mean? A: These correspond to store groups configured in your MI9 system. Each group gets its own main table in Margin Master. Stores not assigned to a specific team appear in the Unsequenced file.

Q: Why is my store not appearing in the import? A: Check the Mi9StoreManager configuration. The store may be marked as Excluded, or its BranchCode may not match the data in the import file.

Q: What happens if an import batch fails? A: Margin Master automatically retries up to 5 times with exponential backoff (increasing wait times). If all retries fail, the error is logged and the remaining batches continue processing.