How To Import Metcash Host Promotions

How To Import Metcash Host Promotions

Table of Contents

• About 
• Performing a Sysnet Backup 
• Importing Promotions 
• Reviewing Imported Upcoming Promotions 
• Help! My Promotional Pricing hasn’t Switched On or Off. 

About 

The Metcash Host integration reduces manual data entry by importing new products, retail pricing, promotional pricing, barcodes, supplier inventory codes, and other product updates. These imports rely on matching Metcash Host products with Sysnet Inventory products using a Metcash Host file. After matching products, Supplier Invcodes will be imported into Sysnet, which are necessary for importing promotional pricing.

For more information on the matching, importing, and updating, refer to How To Match Metcash Host Products and How To Import Metcash Host Products and Updates.

This guide will walk you through:

• Performing a Sysnet backup
• Importing Metcash Host Promotions 
• Reviewing Imported and Upcoming Promotions 
• Troubleshooting Promotional Pricing that Fails to Switch On or Off. 

Prerequisite knowledge

This guide assumes you have a basic understanding of the H&L Stock application. If you need further assistance with Stock or any of the processes outlined here, please contact our H&L Support team. You can log a support ticket directly from the client portal.

Important - For Syswan (multi-venue) setups, consult your head office or a H&L trainer before proceeding, as not all steps in the guide may apply to Syswan environments. 

Performing a Sysnet Backup 

It is strongly recommended to perform a Sysnet backup before starting any import. You can do this directly from the Metcash Host Import application or by using any method you are already familiar with. Performing the backup from the Metcash Host Import application mirrors the process in Processing.exe. 

To perform a Sysnet backup:

1. Open the Metcash Host V7 Import application.
   A shortcut is typically available on your desktop, or you can find it at C:\Program Files (x86)\H & L\Sysnet\MetcashHostV7Import.exe.
   
   
2. Select the Configuration dropdown, then click Sysnet Backup. 
   
   
3. Ensure that the Sysnet database is selected, enter a destination and valid working directory, choose any required backup options, and select a backup type. 
   
   
4. Click Start Backup and wait for the process to complete. 

Note: Your daily Sysnet backup should not be saved to the local hard drive. However, saving a temporary backup here before importing is acceptable.

Example: See below for backup options suitable for most venues.

Importing Promotions 

The Metcash Promotion Import timeswitch reads available Host files and populates the available promotions within the Metcash Host Import application. You must manually select which promotions to import into your Sysnet database.

Promotions are imported as future price records and use the Process Future Prices timeswitch to activate or deactivate them. This timeswitch is typically set to run overnight on a daily basis. 

Before importing, review the price names to be updated: 

1. Open the Metcash Host V7 Import application.
   A shortcut is typically available on your desktop, or you can find it at:
   C:\Program Files (x86)\H & L\Sysnet\MetcashHostV7Import.exe 
   
   
2. Select the Configuration dropdown and choose Update Options. 
   
   
3. Select the Update Prices tab.
   
   
4. Review the ticked price names that will be updated. 
   
   
5. Tick the price names you want promotional pricing to apply to, and untick any price names that should not be altered.
   

Note: After importing, remember to revert any price name changes if they differ from the standard retail pricing updates.

 To import promotional prices: 

1. Open the Metcash Host V7 Import application.
   A shortcut is typically available on your desktop, or you can find it at:
    C:\Program Files (x86)\H & L\Sysnet\MetcashHostV7Import.exe 
   
   
2. Select the 2. Import Host Items to Sysnet tab, then select the Offers/Promotions subtab.
   1. If no offers are listed, the Metcash Promotion Import timeswitch may not have run. If this issue persists, contact the H&L Support team for assistance. 
      
      
   2. Available Metcash Host files can also be manually imported from the 1. Import Host File tab. Select the Get Latest Host File from Metcash button. 
      
      
   3. If files are retrieved (the number of files is displayed in green text), select Import Host File, then click Yes on the confirmation prompt.
      
      
   4. If no updates are available but you expect them to be, contact Metcash Support for assistance in obtaining the necessary Metcash Host file(s). 
      
      
3. Select the promotions you wish to import. You can highlight multiple promotions by holding [Control] and clicking, or holding [Control] and holding [Shift] and clicking. 
    
   Hint: Use the Type or Promotion Placement columns to filter the offers/promotions list to show only records relevant to you. Mouse over these column headers and click the ▼ (downward triangle) to open the filter menu. Tick the filtering options to limit the promotions listed. To remove filters, untick all options or click the X in the dark blue bar at the bottom of the list. 
   
   
4. With the desired promotions selected, click Import Selected Items. Click OK or Ignore on the backup prompt, if you have already performed a recent backup.
   
   
5. The import will complete without a confirmation popup. If any required promotions were not imported, repeat these steps.
   

Reviewing Imported Upcoming Promotions 

Reviewing imported future prices individually in Stock:

1. Open Stock and navigate to the Stock (Inventory) > Detail tab of the product with a promotional price.
   
   
2. In the lower half of the page, double-click the price field that corresponds to the factor and price name where the promotional price was applied. 
   
   
3. In the New Price window, under the Future Price heading, click the History link 
   
   
4. Use the Chart or Details tabs of the Price History window to review historical and upcoming price changes. Press X to close when finished. 
   
   

⚠️Warning: You can delete future price records from the New Price window. Deleting future price records that have not started yet is acceptable. However, deleting active (already started) future price records may cause issues. Contact the H&L Support Team for assistance with turning off active future prices.
 

Reviewing all imported future prices with Future Price Viewer: 

1. Open Future Price Viewer.
   A shortcut is typically available on your desktop, or you can find the application at: C:\Program Files (x86)\H & L\Sysnet\FuturePriceViewer.exe.
   
   
2. Adjust the Start and End date filters to narrow down the price changes that started within the selected date range. 
   
   
3. Click Apply Filter. 
   
   
4. Review the listed future price changes within the selected period. Use the + and - buttons to expand start date records and view product and price change details.
   
   

Help! My Promotional Pricing hasn’t Switched On or Off. 

If your promotional pricing hasn’t switched on or off at the expected time, try the following options. If the issue persists or these steps do not resolve it, please contact our H&L Support Team for further assistance. 

1. Review Future Prices in Stock or Future Price Viewer: Confirm that the record exists with the expected on/off dates. If the record is missing, try re-importing the promotion using Metcash Host Import. 
   
   
2. Check your H&L Server: Ensure that the H&L Server is on and that either the TransServer application or the POSController service is started (only one of these should be in use). These trigger the overnight Process Future Price timeswitch to activate or deactivate promotional pricing. 
   
   
3. Manually Process Future Prices: If the timeswitch did not run overnight, process future prices manually: 
   1. Open Stock. 
      
      
   2. From the Maintenance dropdown menu, select Process Future Prices. 
      
      
4. Perform a Database Reset on your Exceed POS terminals: To update Exceed with any changes, perform a database reset: 
   1. On the logon screen, click the H&L logo. 
      
      
   2. In the Manager Function Menu, select Reset Exceed Database. 
      
      
   3. Wait for the process to complete and Exceed to restart. Then, check the current price when the affected products are rung up or scanned. 
      
      
   4. If pricing is now correct, perform database resets on your other POS terminals.