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Prepare Point-of-Sale (POS) Data for Upload

Access and preparing Point-of-Sale (POS) Data for Upload to Vividly

Context 

The POS (Point-of-Sale) Data Upload feature allows to import consumer-level sales data from syndicated data providers (such as SPINS, Circana/IRI, Nielsen) or direct retailer feeds into the platform for comprehensive sell-through analysis. Unlike accounting source revenue uploads which capture shipment or invoice data from ERP systems reflecting what the manufacturer sold to distributors or retailers, POS data represents actual consumer purchases at the retail shelf level, providing critical visibility into demand patterns, out-of-stock situations, promotional compliance, etc. 

The POS data preparation and upload workflow begins with accessing your syndicated data provider's portal or receiving weekly/monthly data files via email, followed by exporting the relevant time period's data (typically weekly or four-week rolling data covering the analysis period of interest such as the most recent month or quarter), and then navigating to Vividly's Business > Point-of-Sale Data section to upload it.

Steps on Preparing POS Data for Upload

  1. Log into your account with SPINS, Circana, Nielsen, or other provider.

  2. Navigate to the reporting or data export section.

  3. Select the appropriate report type and export it.

  4. Log into Vividly.

  5. Navigate to Business > Point-of-Sale Data.

  6. Click "Load from File" or "Upload POS Data" (button name may vary).

  7. In the upload interface, locate and click "Download Template" or "Download Sample File".

  8. The Vividly POS data template will download (typically named "POS_Upload_Template.xlsx" or similar).

  9. Save the template to a location on your computer.

  10. Open the template in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

  11. Adjust your POS data according to that template.

  12. Go back to Vividly and select your data source type from selection list below the "Upload File" box (SPINS, Nielsen, Circana/IRI, or Other).

  13. Click Choose File and select your Excel or CSV file (must be single-tab format) or drag and drop it in the "Upload File" area.
  14. Click Next to proceed to the field mapping step.

  15. Map your file columns to Vividly fields:

    • Customer Name → Map to the geography or customer column from your file.

    • Product → Map to the UPC or product code column.

    • Date → Map to the week ending date or time period column.

    • Base Units → Map to base/non-promoted units column (required for lift analysis).

    • Incremental Units → Map to incremental/promoted units column (required for lift analysis).

    • TDP → Map to Total Distribution Points column (optional but recommended).

    • TDP Any Promo → Map to promoted TDP column (optional but recommended for compliance tracking).

    • Average Retail Price (ARP) → Map to price column.

    • Stores → Map to number of stores selling (optional).

    • Leave any unmapped fields as "No Match" if not available in your file.

  16. Click Next to proceed to the error review step.

  17. Review any errors (red) or warnings (yellow) that appear:

    • For warnings: Review flagged duplicate entries. If they are legitimate new entries, proceed with upload.

    • For errors: Click Show rows with warnings and errors only to filter the view.

    • Click Download from current view to export error rows for offline review.

  18. Address errors and warnings before proceeding:

    • For Customer Not Found error:

      • Navigate to Manage > Customers

      • Search for and open the relevant customer profile

      • Scroll to Add Alt Names and paste the exact customer name from your file

      • Click on Add Alternative Name

      • Click Save Changes

      • Return to your upload and proceed to the next step

    • For Product Not Found error:

      • Navigate to Manage > Products

      • Search for and open the relevant product profile

      • Add the missing UPC or product code to the Alternative Product Codes section

      • Click Save

      • Return to your upload and proceed to the next step

    • For Duplicate data rows warning: 

      • Delete duplicate rows from your file and re-upload it. 

  19. Once all errors and warnings are resolved, re-upload and repeat 12-16 steps (or if you choose to proceed with warnings), then click Submit.

  20. After uploading, verify your data appears in the Point-of-Sale Data table.

  21. Navigate to Insights > Promotion Analytics > Bump Chart to verify your data is populating correctly in analytics.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Establish a weekly or monthly upload cadence: Most brands upload POS data weekly (when new data becomes available from syndicated providers) or monthly. Set a recurring calendar reminder (e.g., "Upload POS data every Monday morning").

  • Maintain a template library: After successfully preparing your first POS upload, save a master template with proper formatting. For future uploads, copy the master template and paste new data into it. This eliminates repetitive formatting work.