PRACTICAL GUIDES · 3PLWOW
SKU Data Checklist for Fulfilment Onboarding
A clean SKU file is one of the most useful things a brand can prepare before moving to a fulfilment warehouse. It connects the product a customer buys to the item the team receives and picks. Use this checklist to prepare a catalogue that explains the physical units behind your online listings.
Start with stable product identifiers
Give every sellable variant a unique SKU. Record the full product name, size, flavour, colour or edition, plus a reference image. Keep the identifier stable when a marketing title changes. If a supplier or marketplace uses a different code, record the relationship rather than silently replacing your warehouse SKU. Resolve duplicate identifiers before the first stock delivery.
Add the physical and stock information
Record weight and dimensions with explicit units, and distinguish an individual retail unit from a case or supplier carton. Explain bundle components and any item-count relationship. Include batch/date information and handling requirements where relevant. For international orders, product descriptions and customs data need their own review; a short internal SKU name may not be a useful customs description.
Test the file against real orders
Choose a normal single-item order, a mixed basket and a bundle. Can someone identify every physical item from the file alone? Look for blank SKUs, old aliases and products sold under more than one store code. Agree the import format with the warehouse before building a large spreadsheet. Keep a named owner for updates when products, weights or recipes change.
A WORKED EXAMPLE
Make the brief practical
Example record: SKU VAN-POUCH-500, vanilla pouch, one sealed 500 g retail pouch, weight supplied in kilograms, dimensions in centimetres, image link and supplier-carton quantity. A separate starter-kit record then lists how many of that pouch and other components it contains.
What to prepare
- Unique SKU, full name and variant
- Weight/dimensions with units
- Retail unit and supplier-carton relationship
- Bundle recipe and data-update owner
A starting template for your team
Copy these fields into your working brief and use the checklist above to add the details for this task. Agree any required file format with your fulfilment contact before sending the final version.
Brief / delivery / review name: Brand and contact: Relevant SKUs / order profiles: Quantities and units: Required date / invoice period: Instructions and exceptions: Approver and version:
Questions to settle before go-live
Can one SKU cover two sizes?
That makes physical identification ambiguous. Use separate identifiers for sellable variants and map them consistently between your store, supplier and warehouse.
What should I do with products that have no SKU?
Assign a stable identifier before onboarding where possible. An informal name can change or describe several items, making receiving, picking and reporting harder to reconcile.
Bring your order profile to 3PLWOW
Our team in Blyth, Northumberland can discuss the products, stock, order volumes and packing work involved. Send examples of your typical orders, delivery destinations and any special requirements so the service and pricing can be agreed around your business.
Explore order fulfilment · See how onboarding works · Discuss fulfilment pricing