Westlake POS Import

What is this?

Westlake is a point-of-sale system used by Ace Hardware stores. Margin Master imports the Westlake export file to build your pricing analysis tables, and brings across the richest data set of any point of sale it reads -- including Westlake's additional pricing tiers and competitive price fields.

Margin Master reads the standard export your point of sale produces; support confirms the layout with you at setup.

How Import Works

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

1. You place your Westlake export file (a .txt file with "Westlake" in the name) in the configured import folder.
2. Margin Master reads the file, validates it, and loads the data into its database.
3. From there, Margin Master joins the store data with vendor catalog data to build your main pricing analysis table.

If part of the file cannot be written to the database, the import stops and shows the reason, rather than building your groups from incomplete data. Lines too short to read are counted in the log.

Stores and Groups

• Store numbers: each store keeps its Westlake store number as its POS Store # in the Store Manager - Westlake sends it on every import and needs it back on the price file. Its Ace store number is its Vendor Store #.
• Matching stores to Ace: the export carries each store's Ace store number on every item. Margin Master pairs each Westlake store with the Ace number on most of its items, so a few items carrying another store's number cannot pair a store with the wrong Ace store. Those items are listed in the log. An Ace number is paired with one Westlake store: when the import finds it on a second Store Manager row, that row is removed and its group, zone override and RSC are kept on the right store.
• Groups: stores are grouped in the Store Manager (Store Group and Excluded columns). The first time an updated Margin Master opens the Store Manager or builds your groups, the grouping set up under Tools > Options > Store Grouping is copied into the Store Manager, so the same stores price in the same groups. See Store Grouping.
• The price file: a store is in the price file when it is in a group and not excluded in the Store Manager, the same stores its group was built from.
• Older store rows: a store whose name shows as a single character, or that has a second row with no Ace number, is left over from an earlier version. Margin Master clears the name and removes the second row; type the store's name in the Store Manager.
• Zones: a group prices at the Ace zone all of its active stores share; a group whose stores are in different zones prices at the national zone.
• Stores with no group: a store with no Store Group in the Store Manager is imported but not priced, and its items are not in the price file, until you give it a group.
• Prime Vendor: a group's Prime Vendor for an item is the one most of its stores send.

Troubleshooting

Every import failure shows one error dialog; the log under File > Utilities > Show Log Files has the detail to send to support.

Tips

• Ace Hardware pairing: your Westlake export carries your Ace store and zone numbers, so Margin Master pairs your store data with the Ace Hardware catalog and zone pricing automatically.
• Export layouts: Westlake has produced more than one export layout over time. Margin Master recognizes which one it has been given, so an older export still imports.
• Pricing tiers: Westlake's additional pricing tiers import alongside the current price. If your export does not include them, those columns will be empty in Margin Master.

Common Questions

Q: My file is not being detected. What should I check? A: Make sure the filename contains the word "Westlake" and has a .txt extension, and that it is the export Margin Master support confirmed with you.

Q: Why do I see Westlake-specific values in the user fields of the main table? A: Margin Master places a few Westlake-only columns into general-purpose user fields so they can be displayed and filtered in the main table.