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Importing POs

Instead of keying purchase order lines in one at a time, you can import them from a spreadsheet. VMX reads the file, matches each row to your inventory, and shows everything on a review screen before anything is committed.

Import a spreadsheet into a PO

  1. Create a purchase order (or open an existing one) and make sure the right vendor is selected — part number matching is vendor-specific.
  2. Click the Import... button near the top of the PO page.
  3. Choose your file: an Excel workbook (.xlsx) or a .csv file. Upload one spreadsheet at a time.
  4. VMX takes you to the Import Review screen, where you check the matches, fix column mappings, and click Import to add the lines to the PO. See PO Import Review for a full walkthrough of that screen.

Spreadsheet column headers for PO import

Put your column names in the first row of the spreadsheet. VMX recognizes these headers automatically (it also accepts common variations like "Item #" for PLU, "UPC" for Barcode, "Part Number" for Part #, "Quantity" for Qty, or "Dept" for Department):

  • PLU — the item's PLU in VMX
  • Barcode — a barcode/UPC on the item
  • Part # — the vendor's part number for the item
  • Qty — quantity to order (required — the import won't run without a quantity column)
  • Description, Name, Variety, Color, Size — item text fields (used to pre-fill new items)
  • Ext Description — extended description
  • Note — a note for the PO line
  • UOM — unit of measure / case pack, e.g. CS12 for a case of 12
  • Unit Cost, Each Cost, Subtotal — costs (per purchase unit, per each, or a line total)
  • Unit Price, Each Price, Unit Price Expiration — retail pricing
  • Department, Sub Department — used when creating new items from the import
  • Tag Type — the item's tag type name
  • Collection — collection name(s) to add the item to, comma-separated

Not every column is required, but the file must include a Qty column and at least one identifier column — PLU, Part #, or Barcode — so VMX can match rows to your inventory. Don't worry about getting headers perfect: any column VMX doesn't recognize can be mapped by hand on the Import Review screen.

For multi-store imports, you can include one quantity column per store named Qty (Store Name) — see PO Import Review for how per-store quantities are handled.

Error: "Wrong file format!" — older Excel file (.xls)

PO import requires the modern Excel format. If you select a .xls file, VMX shows:

Wrong file format! You selected an older Excel file (.xls). VMX requires the modern Excel format (.xlsx). To fix this: 1. Open your file in Excel 2. Click "File" → "Save As" 3. Choose "Excel Workbook (.xlsx)" as the format 4. Save and upload the new file

Files of a type VMX doesn't recognize are rejected with "Invalid file format! Please upload an Excel file (.xlsx), CSV, PDF, or image files (PNG/JPG/TIF)." (PDF and image files are for the AI import described below, where enabled.)

Import a PO from a PDF or photo (AI import)

On accounts where AI document extraction is enabled, the Import... button on the PO page also accepts a PDF or image files (PNG, JPG, TIF) — for example, a vendor's emailed order confirmation or a photo of a packing list. VMX reads the document, extracts the line items (description, quantity, cost, part number), and sends them to the same Import Review screen as a spreadsheet upload. Upload one PDF at a time (a PDF can have multiple pages), and don't mix spreadsheets, PDFs, and images in a single upload.

This feature is enabled per-client by VMX. If it's not enabled for your account, uploading a PDF or image shows: "AI import is not enabled for this account. Please contact VMX support." Contact help@vmxllc.com to discuss enabling it.

Review before anything is committed

Uploading a file never changes your PO or inventory by itself. Every import goes through the Import Review screen, where you can correct column mappings, include or exclude rows, create missing items, and see exactly what will change before clicking Import. See PO Import Review.