Guidelines for Kimelo CSV FTP integration

Who is this document for?

This is for you if:

• Your ERP (or other system of record) can produce and consume updates through CSV files
• You can automate the exchange of these files through the Kimelo FTP service

Not for you if:

• You will exchange CSV files with Kimelo in a manual import/export operation
• Using an existing Kimelo ERP connector

Glossary

• vendor/seller - a company selling goods through Kimelo; can manage one or many stores
• store - a single location selling goods through Kimelo; usually a warehouse or a distribution center; has distinct catalog, inventory and URL to place orders
• customer - a buyer who is purchasing from a store via Kimelo; a customer has a relationship with a store
• product - a single item sold by the store, usually corresponds to a SKU; can have multiple pack_types; inventory is kept on a product level
• pack_type - a single packaging type sold by the store (case, each); prices are associated with pack_types
  • Each product has its base (smallest) pack_type - inventory is kept as per this variant

Overview

Sellers on Kimelo need automation and integration between their day to day system of record and Kimelo. One way to establish such connection is to leverage the automated .csv file exchange. In this process Kimelo will publish a set of files on a regular schedule and will consume uploaded files to apply changes to data stored in Kimelo.

The overarching principle of the file exchange is that Kimelo and the partner will exchange state data.

• Each file published by Kimelo will contain a snapshot of data representing the current state of the Kimelo system at a given point in time.
• Kimelo handles each file uploaded as a series of individual edits
  • Kimelo will process all rows that do not fail validation even if some rows in a file do fail it. Rows are processed independently of each other and not in order - updating the same entity in the same file will yield inconsistent results.
  • Do ensure that unique identifiers are indeed unique in your files. If one file includes more than one row with the same ID, Kimelo will choose which update to apply
  • Each file uploaded to Kimelo is an equivalent to a set operation which defines a certain value for a certain object unless stated otherwise below.

There are two kinds of files exchanged between systems:

• Store setup - files responsible for preparing the store and updating the state of non-order elements
• Order lifecycle - files responsible for the core workflow (order-to-cash) that are tied to movement of goods and funds

There is a set of unique identifiers for each file to allow the partner and Kimelo to clearly communicate between systems. It is strongly discouraged to manipulate mapping of those unique identifiers as it might result in unwanted outcomes. To ensure your products and customers map correctly to orders and invoices it is essential to consistently include the same unique identifiers in the CSV files.

Please review the guide below before building automation to Kimelo. We advise you to communicate with your Kimelo point of contact to clarify any questions as we are always happy to answer an integration question rather than your developers making assumptions about how systems work.