Updating inventory

[MarblesPC3]

I Use Order Manager with Americart and am moving to Miva 5. I'm wondering how it's best to manage inventory in the future. Is anyone familiar with this mix of OM and Miva? Currently, we add new products to OM and our product data is exported to Americart to build our storefront. Would I do the same nith Miva? I have imported my Inventory data into Miva already via flat file, but what if we add a new product or custom field? Can I "update" the info with Miva? That is, upload new inventory data to augment what has already been uploaded?

I'm also wondering where I should manage inventory - via the Miva admin panel, or in OM? For example, if I want to modify an item's description, do I do it in OM and export new data to Miva? Would it present a problem if I made changes via the Miva Interface? Don't I thin need to export it to OM, so the databases stay synced?

I don't want to mess anything up, I'm trying to straighten out how to do this...please help!

[e-Tail Coach]

Which order management software are you using? Is it Stone Edge?

Candy Blakeslee, eCommerce Coach
www.eTailCoach.com (http://www.eTailCoach.com)
www.BestFriendsGeneralStore.com (http://www.BestFriendsGeneralStore.com)

[MarblesPC3]

Yes, it is Stone Edge Order Manager, sorry if I was not clear enough, I did not know there were others...

[dotCOM_host]

If you are using Order Manager, I think you should have a look at Viking Coders' Inventory Manager module. It has full compatibility with OM inventory tracking, making it for a nice, and 100% compatible combination. Highly recommended. You can read more about it and purchase it at http://vikingcoders.com/?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BROK_INVENTORY5

[e-Tail Coach]

I use Stone Edge with my Miva store. I recommend that you use Stone Edge as your master inventory record. The problem with using Miva is, if an item is in someone's cart Miva does not consider it in inventory. Stone Edge inventory interfaces with Miva. So when you receive in a PO through Stone Edge the Miva inventory numbers automatically updated at the same time (great time saving tool!)

As far as exporting inventory descriptions, etc. I have not tried using Stone Edge for that. However, I think that it can. I recommend that you contact Stone Edge and see what they recommend.

Candy Blakeslee, eCommerce Coach
www.eTailCoach.com (http://www.eTailCoach.com)
www.BestFriendsGeneralStore.com (http://www.BestFriendsGeneralStore.com)

[MarblesPC3]

The store I am currently building Miva for is a Drop Ship store that does not track inventory, so that's not an issue. But if I want to change a product's description, etc. would I want to do that in OM or Miva first, and then export/import from one to the other to sync the data?

Currently I use Americart, and all product info in managed in OM and exported for use with Americart. I am unsure if I am going to be doing something similar with Miva. I see I can edit Product info at the Miva Admin Panel, but I am wondering if there is any reason why I *don't* want to do that. And If I do, do I somehow want to export that to OM or vice versa?