This enhancement will enable the product import feature to be wedded with a product export report. As the product import functionality allows existing products and inventories to be updated, this enables community food enterprises managing product lists on behalf of producers new ways to keep product lists updated.

What is the Problem?

The product import feature is really useful for getting an initial list of products into OFN. For many producers – particularly larger producers, it is far easier to use a spreadsheet. Often large producers have their own product lists and it can simplify workflows tremendously to convert the producers spreadsheet and then import into OFN.

However, for people managing OFN enterprises it is generally easier to manage product listinging within the platform. For example when small changes need to be made to improve the way the product is displayed. 

Without a Product Export functionality within OFN that matches to the Product Import functionality, maintaining product information, like names, descriptions, stock levels and pricing, is more difficult that it needs to be.

What are the benefits of solving this?

By adding a Product Export report we create new pathways that enterprises can use to keep producer product lists updated.

Potential benefits include:

• Enterprises can email producers a copy of their existing product list and ask them to update with any changes. Then producer can send it back and the hub can easily import to update.

   

• Enterprises that wish to enable shoppers to order via a spreadsheet and email will have a simpler way of creating the product catalogue. 

   

• For enterprises that update producer lists over the phone they have a report that can be viewed and updated from spreadsheet tools or using printed copies. This improves accessibility for some people.

   

• Having a spreadsheet version of the product listing that includes stock values increases the opportunities for integrations with other tools, such as POS.

What will the solution look like?

See the image slideshow to gain an understanding of how the new feature will work.