Get your price list ready for automation:
a checklist for suppliers

Why the layout matters

Any tool that prices from a list, from an online shop to a spreadsheet lookup, is only as good as the list. If a person has to guess which row a request means, so does a tool, and it may guess wrong. Make the list clear for people first. That is also what makes it usable by software.

The checklist

1. One row per item you sell

Each thing a customer can order gets its own row. If a bolt comes in five lengths, that is five rows, not one row saying "40 to 100 mm". No merged cells, subtotals or headings in the middle. Put categories in a column of their own.

2. A unique code on every row

Give every row a product code that appears once and is never reused. A code is the surest way to match a request to the right row. If your accounts or stock system already has codes, use the same ones.

3. Descriptions that tell items apart

Write each description so it can only mean one row. Include the size with its units, the grade or standard, the material and the finish. For example: "Hex bolt, M8 x 40 mm, grade 8.8 steel, zinc plated".

Use the same words every time. A person knows that "S/S" means stainless. A tool may not. Giving each fact its own column helps too.

4. The unit each price is for

Say what one price buys: each, per metre, per kilogram or per box. A price of 4.50 means little without a unit.

5. Pack sizes and minimum orders

If you sell only in packs, add a pack size column and a minimum order column, both as plain numbers of units. Say whether the price is per unit or per pack. Then anyone can round a quantity up to whole packs the same way.

6. Price breaks

If every item has the same breaks, add a column per break with the quantity in the heading, such as "Price 500+". If breaks differ between items, use a second sheet with one row per break: code, from quantity, unit price. Note whether a break price applies to the whole quantity or only to the units above it.

7. Stock and lead time

Add a lead time column as a number of working days, and say when the clock starts, such as from the order. A stock column only helps if it is up to date. If you cannot keep it current, leave it out and confirm stock on each quote.

8. Currency and VAT

Name the currency and the VAT basis in the heading, such as "Price GBP ex VAT". Put only numbers in price cells: no currency symbols, notes or "POA". For items priced on request, leave the price blank and say so in a notes column. Give each currency its own column. If some items carry a different VAT rate, add a VAT rate column. Your accountant can confirm which rate applies.

9. Keep it current

• Keep one master copy, with one person in charge of it.
• Add a "last checked" date to each row.
• Mark discontinued items rather than deleting them, and give the replacement code.
• Update prices when your own costs change, and review the whole list on a set date.

10. Export it as CSV

Most systems can import CSV, a plain text format.

• Excel: File, Save As (or Save a Copy), then "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)".
• Google Sheets: File, Download, then "Comma-separated values (.csv)".
• One sheet per file. A CSV holds one sheet, so export a price breaks sheet on its own.
• Check the codes. Spreadsheets can change codes when they open a CSV, for example by dropping the zero from the start of 0412. Check a few after reopening it.

An example

Example only. The items, codes and prices below are made up.

The header and first row as CSV. The quote marks keep the description's commas in one cell.

Code,Description,Unit,Pack size,Min order,Price GBP ex VAT,Price 500+ GBP ex VAT,Stock,Lead time (working days),Last checked
EX-1001,"Example hex bolt, M8 x 40 mm, grade 8.8 steel, zinc plated",each,100,100,0.10,0.08,2400,2,2026-10-01

A person still checks the price

A clear list makes quoting faster, by hand or with a tool. It does not replace judgement. Keep a person checking every quote before it goes. For what every quote should state, see How to reply to a request for quote.