Bulk importing streamlines updating existing materials and variants in Katana. This process allows you to efficiently manage material names, categories, supplier details, purchase prices, and more.
Common use cases for bulk updating
You can perform the following updates using the import feature:
Assign variant codes (SKUs): If your materials lack SKUs, generate them in a spreadsheet and import them into Katana.
Update material details: Modify material names, categories, default suppliers, purchase prices, barcodes, and additional information in bulk.
Adjust safety stock Levels: Set or update safety stock levels for multiple materials simultaneously.
Define default storage bins: Specify default storage bins for materials (available on Standard and higher plans).
Enable batch tracking: Activate batch tracking for materials (it requires the Full Traceability add-on, which is available on Professional plans).
Note: This process is distinct from adding new materials and variants. For adding new items, refer to the guide on importing new materials.
Steps to bulk update existing materials
Download the current material data:
Navigate to Settings > Data import in Katana.
Under Update existing materials and safety stock levels, click on Download data.
An
.xlsxfile containing your current material data will be downloaded.
Edit the spreadsheet:
Open the downloaded file in your preferred spreadsheet editor.
Make the necessary changes to the material data.
Ensure that you do not alter the Katana ID column, as it is used to match the materials during import.
Save the updated file:
After making your changes, save the file in
.xlsor.xlsxformat.
Import the updated data:
Return to Settings > Data import in Katana.
Under Update existing materials and safety stock levels, click on Upload data.
Select and upload your updated spreadsheet.
Note: Only active (non-archived) materials are included in the download and can be updated through this process.
Important import rules and considerations
Katana ID matching:
Each material in the spreadsheet includes a unique Katana ID used to match and update existing materials.
Materials without a matching Katana ID will be skipped during import.
Immutable fields:
The Material variant column is included for identification purposes only and cannot be updated via import.
Mandatory fields:
Ensure that at least one of the following columns is marked as "Yes", "Y", or "yes": Sell?, Make?, or Buy?.
Rows without a positive value in any of these columns will be skipped.
Batch tracking settings:
In the Batch trackable? column, you can enable tracking by entering:
"Yes", "Y", or "yes" to enable batch tracking.
Leave the field empty to retain the current setting.
Note: Disabling batch tracking in bulk is not possible. To disable, navigate to the material card in Katana.
Consistent material naming:
If a material has multiple variants, changing the Material name for only one variant will update the name for all variants under that material.
Multiple locations:
If you have multiple locations in Katana, the file will include multiple rows for each material variant (one row per location).
This allows you to update location-specific values like safety stock levels and default storage bins.
Barcode updates:
Updating material barcodes is available on Standard and higher plans.
The relevant fields will appear in the template if your plan supports this feature.
Empty barcode fields in the import file will overwrite existing barcodes in Katana, effectively removing them.
Purchase prices and supplier currency:
On the lowest plan, the purchase price is per purchase unit of measure and in your base currency.
On Standard, Professional, and Professional Plus plans, the purchase price is per purchase unit of measure and in the currency of the default supplier.
If you change the default supplier to one with a different currency, the default purchase prices will be converted to the new supplier's currency.
Supplier item code: Add or change supplier item barcodes to identify raw materials and purchasable products. Multiple barcode numbers are separated by a comma "," to your item variant as a supplier item code. Supplier item codes are imported if the supplier item code is switched on in the barcode settings.
Internal barcode: Assign or change internal barcodes to track inventory movements. Barcode numbers can be between 3-40 digits. Internal barcodes are only imported if the internal barcode is switched on in the barcode settings.
If internal barcodes are already generated automatically, then they won't be imported.Bulk updating default purchase prices for materials:
Lowest plan: the purchase price is per purchase unit of measure and in your base currency.
Standard, Professional, Professional Plus plans: the purchase price is per purchase unit of measure and in the currency of the default supplier of this item. The updated price values entered here are not converted anymore. Read here about purchase prices in foreign currency.
Note: If you don't have a different purchase UoM set, the default purchase price is considered per tracking unit of measure.
Empty cells: Ignored during import so they won't overwrite any existing Katana data, except for barcodes, where the empty cells overwrite the existing values. This enables deleting barcodes in bulk.
Tips for a smooth import process
Using Mac:
Open the spreadsheet in Numbers.
Navigate to File > Export To > Excel... to save the file in
.xlsxformat.
Using Google Sheets:
Open the spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
Go to File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) to save the file.
Data Integrity:
Avoid altering the Katana ID column to ensure accurate matching during import.
Double-check for any formatting issues or invalid data entries that might cause import errors.
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