Skip to main content
All CollectionsGetting started with Inventory PlannerImporting and exporting
Importing the stock level history and stockout history
Importing the stock level history and stockout history
Monica avatar
Written by Monica
Updated over a year ago

Inventory Planner keeps track of your variants' stockouts (days when a variant is out of stock) and stock level history, starting from the date you created your Inventory Planner account. The stockout and stock level history prior to that date is not available.

However, if you have the stockout or stock level history available from another platform, you can import that information into your Inventory Planner account, helping produce a more accurate forecast more quickly.ย 

Inventory Planner takes stockouts into account when calculating the forecast and replenishment recommendations. Read more about how the forecast is calculated here.

Tip: If your stock level history includes dates when your stock was "0", Inventory Planner will automatically identify that as a stockout - so you don't need to import both your stockouts and your stock level history!

Importing the stock level history

To import the stock level history for your variants, create a spreadsheet with the following information, including a header for each column:

  • SKU, or another identifier such as title, ID (used by your sales platform), Inventory Planner ID, vendor reference, or barcode

  • Stock date, in the format "mm/dd/yyyy" - for example, 1/31/2019

  • Stock level for the corresponding date

Then, go to Account > Import.

Select "Stock history", then click "Upload file" at the bottom of the page:
โ€‹

Either drag and drop your file into the upload area, or click the upload area to select your file from your computer, then click "Map columns":

Map your columns in the file to Inventory Planner fields:

Field

Description

Required?

Match by

The identifier Inventory Planner should use to determine which variant to update

SKU is the default option

Yes

Stock date

The column in the file relating to the date of the stock level

Yes

Stock

The column in the file relating to the stock level on the stock date

Yes

Warehouse

The warehouse whose history is being uploaded

Yes

Period

The period the upload relates to. Existing stock history within this period will be erased and replaced. This period should not be after your Inventory Planner start date.

Yes

Date format

The format of the stock dates, automatically detected by default

No

Note: Since stock history is tracked automatically starting with the account creation date, it's usually unnecessary to replace information post-account creation. The primary purpose for this import is for stock history prior to connection, but the import can be used if needed to replace stock history beyond that point.

When all fields are matched to the corresponding field in Inventory Planner, click Import.

You will then see an Import overview page, where changes will be confirmed.


If there are errors, please action these and then re-attempt the import.

Importing the stockout history

Note: Importing a stockout history does not adjust the stored stock history, only the number of stockouts.

Begin importing your variants' stockout histories by creating a spreadsheet with the following information, including a column header for each:

  • SKU, or another identifier such as title, ID (used by your sales platform), Inventory Planner ID, vendor reference, or barcode

  • Month and year when stockouts occurred, in the format "mm/yyyy" - for example 01/2020

  • Number of stockouts during that month - each day when the item was out of stock counts as a stockout

Once you have the file, go to Account > Import.

Select "Stockouts", then click "Upload file" at the bottom of the page:

Either drag and drop your file into the upload area, or click the upload area to select your file from your computer, then click "Map columns":

Map your columns in the file to Inventory Planner fields:

Field

Description

Required?

Match by

The identifier Inventory Planner should use to determine which variant to update

SKU is the default option

Yes

Month

The column in the file relating to the month of the stockout

Yes

Stockouts (days)

The column in the file relating to the stockouts in days for the month

Yes

Warehouse

The warehouse whose history is being uploaded

Yes

When all fields are matched to the corresponding field in Inventory Planner, click Import.

You will then see an Import overview page, where changes will be confirmed.


If there are errors, please action these and then re-attempt the import.

Note: You can import files as large as 100 MB but larger files might take longer to upload.

Did this answer your question?