Vendor SKU intake, without the chaos

Faster time to market through first time data quality and a single source of truth.

SKUboarding enforces data quality at intake, so your teams stop chasing spreadsheets and your catalog goes live on time.

  • Faster time to market because SKUs do not wait on cleanup
  • Clear validation failures with a path for vendors to fix them
  • Consistent, approved data that stays true across systems
What SKUboarding does
Enforces first time data quality
Vendors see clear pass or fail reasons and fix issues before anything moves forward.
Keeps a single source of truth
Approved data stays consistent as it flows into your system of record.
Sits between vendors and internal systems
You stop cleaning spreadsheets downstream and start enforcing rules at intake.
The reality for most retailers

Vendor SKU onboarding still runs on templates and email.

Retailers share Excel templates and clear instructions. Vendors still send files back in different formats, with different vocabulary, missing fields, and incorrect images.

The cost is not the spreadsheet.
The cost is the back and forth, the cleanup, and the missed go-live dates.

If a SKU is not live, it does not sell.

Delays add up across hundreds or thousands of SKUs, and revenue waits.

What breaks in the workflow
Every vendor uses a different format
Even with templates, submissions come back inconsistent.
Attributes have different vocabulary
The same attribute means different things across vendors.
Images are missing or incorrect
Teams spend time chasing files instead of launching products.
Cleanup happens too late
Bad data gets fixed downstream after it already caused delays.
Go-live dates slip
Launches slow down because there is no intake gate.
Why it keeps breaking

Most approaches document the rules. They do not enforce them.

Retailers do the right things. They define attributes, send templates, and publish instructions. But without enforcement at intake, the same issues repeat with every vendor and every new SKU.

The core issue
Rules without enforcement turn into back and forth, manual cleanup, and missed go-live dates.

SKUboarding fixes this by enforcing first time data quality at intake.

Common approaches and where they fail
Excel templates and instructions
They rely on vendors to do the right thing. Most do not, consistently.
Email-based back and forth
No workflow, no audit trail, and no single place that defines what is true.
Internal tools built over time
They start simple, then become brittle. Small changes create big maintenance overhead.
PIM or catalog systems
Great for managing products, but they usually assume the data is already clean.
Fix it downstream
Cleanup happens after delays already occurred, and the same problems come back next cycle.
What SKUboarding is

SKUboarding is the vendor intake layer that enforces data quality.

Retailers define the attributes and rules once. Vendors submit SKU data through SKUboarding. If anything is missing, inconsistent, or invalid, SKUboarding blocks it and explains exactly why.

Only approved data moves forward into SKUmagic, your system of record. That is how you get a single source of truth.

First time data quality
Vendors fix issues before the data enters your systems.
Faster time to market
Less back and forth, fewer delays, more predictable launches.
Single source of truth
Approved vendor data stays consistent as it flows downstream.
Where SKUboarding fits
Vendors submit SKUs and fix issues before approval.
Vendors
Spreadsheets, exports, files
SKUboarding
Validation and correction loop
Only approved SKUs move forward
SKUboarding
Approved submissions
SKUmagic
System of record
Why this matters
You stop cleaning data downstream. You start enforcing rules at the point of entry.
Designed to be retailer-specific and reusable across vendors.
How it works

From vendor submission to approved, usable SKU data.

SKUboarding introduces a clear intake process where rules are enforced up front, vendors get immediate feedback, and only approved data moves forward.

After approval, you can export SKU data in the exact format your eCommerce platform or internal ingestion pipeline expects.

Step-by-step flow
1
Retailers define attributes and rules
Required fields, allowed values, formats, and validations are defined once.
2
Vendors submit SKU data
Vendors upload spreadsheets or files through SKUboarding.
3
Rules are enforced at intake
Missing, inconsistent, or invalid data is blocked immediately.
4
Vendors correct issues
Clear failure reasons guide vendors to fix problems before approval.
5
SKUs are approved into your system of record
Only validated, approved data moves into SKUmagic as a single source of truth.
6
Approved SKUs can be exported for downstream systems
Export approved SKU data in the exact format your systems expect.
The result
Faster launches, fewer delays, and approved SKU data that is ready for downstream systems.
Why retailers choose SKUboarding

Because vendor data quality should not be a recurring problem.

Retailers are not looking for another tool. They want predictable launches, less manual work, and confidence that approved data stays true across systems.

SKUboarding is chosen because it fixes the intake problem once and keeps it fixed.

What teams get
Faster time to market
SKUs do not wait on downstream cleanup. Launch timelines become predictable.
First time data quality
Vendors fix issues before approval, not after delays occur.
A single source of truth
Approved vendor data stays consistent as it flows into internal systems.
Less back and forth
Teams stop chasing vendors through email and spreadsheets.
Confidence at scale
The same workflow works across vendors, categories, and product lines.
Proven in real retail environments
SKUboarding is already used in high-volume, complex retail workflows where delays are not acceptable.
Who it is for

Built for retailers who care about speed, accuracy, and scale.

SKUboarding works best for teams that manage many vendors, many SKUs, and complex product data. It is designed for real operational pressure.

SKUboarding is a good fit if
  • You onboard SKUs from many vendors.
  • Go-live dates slip because data is not ready.
  • Teams spend time chasing vendors and fixing spreadsheets.
  • You want first time data quality, not cleanup later.
  • You need a single source of truth across systems.
SKUboarding may not be a fit if
  • You manage only a handful of SKUs or vendors.
  • Product data is already clean and consistent.
  • You do not need enforcement at intake.
  • You are looking for a lightweight spreadsheet replacement.
An honest note
SKUboarding is not about adding more process. It is about removing repeated friction that slows launches down.
See it in action

Book a demo and see how vendor SKU intake becomes predictable.

In 20 minutes, we will walk through the workflow: vendor submission, validation, correction, approval, and how clean data flows into your system of record.

Your current vendor intake process and where delays happen
How first time data quality enforcement works in practice
What setup looks like for your attributes and rules

No pressure. If SKUboarding is not a fit, we will tell you.

What you will leave with
A clear view of where delays happen in your current flow
A concrete approach to enforcing first time data quality at intake
A realistic setup path for your attributes, rules, and vendor rollout
Prefer a quick question first?
Send an email and we will point you in the right direction.

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