Quick Start Guide
Use this guide to get started with M2E Multichannel Connect and test the application without affecting your current setup.
The process is straightforward and doesn’t require technical knowledge.
Overview
When migrating to M2E Cloud, it's recommended to adopt a gradual approach to familiarize yourself with the new system. This will help ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruptions to your operations.
- Start Small: Begin the migration with a few existing items to test listing functionalities and order processing in the new environment. This helps adapt to the system nuances.
- List New Items: Simultaneously, list a couple of new items. This action allows you to understand the full listing process and ensures comfort with the new system’s functionalities.
- Test Order Processing: It’s crucial to simulate order creation from your data source and synchronize the status and tracking numbers for items with enabled synchronization, ensuring the order management system is accurate.
Step 1. Connect your Channel accounts.
Install the M2E Multichannel Connect into your store admin. Once done, follow the on-screen prompts to connect your Channel accounts.
You can link Sandbox accounts or your actual Channel accounts to test the application using real product and order data.
Step 2. Link products.
Select either real inventory or sample products for testing; up to 10 items are recommended. This will help you test different scenarios under controlled conditions.
The app attempts to automatically link your store products to Channel listings using Product IDs or SKUs. If linked, a corresponding ID appears in the Store SKU column, so you can proceed to step 3.
If no automatic match is found, you can try manual linking. Go to the Listings tab and use the filters at the top of the grid to find the Not Linked products.
Click on the arrow next to the Link button and search for the matching product in your store by title, SKU, or identifier. Once found, choose the Just Link option.
Step 3. Enable inventory synchronization.
Now, you need to enable synchronization for the items you’ve previously linked. Inventory sync provides automatic product data updates and keeps the product data consistent between your store and Channel.
To enable synchronization for a single item, go to the Listings tab and click the toggle in the Inventory Sync column.
To enable sync for several Channel items at once, select them by ticking the boxes on the left side of the grid. The top menu will appear, where you need to click on three dots and hit the Enable Sync button.
Before activating the sync, the app will ask you to review and modify the default product settings to match your testing needs. Once done, save the settings.
If the inventory sync is enabled, you will see a relevant message.
Step 4. Enable order synchronization.
To let M2E Multichannel Connect import and manage orders from Channels, you need to enable order synchronization. Navigate to Settings tab > your Channel account and click the toggle next to the “Create Orders in Store” option.
Now, you can test order workflow. Place test orders to see how they are processed. Add tracking numbers to test orders and monitor how this information is communicated back to the Channel. Use the Orders tab to view order progress and detailed logs.
Step 5. Try creating new listings.
Go to the Listings tab and use the List New Items button to try listing one or two of the products from your store on the connected Channels.
Migration checklist
To fully leverage M2E Cloud’s capabilities, follow these detailed steps:
- Connect Your Channel Accounts: Ensure that all your sales channels are correctly linked to the M2E Cloud.
- Select and Link Products: Choose a subset of products for testing. Link these products with their respective Channel listings to test the integration.
- Disable Current Sync for Test Products: Turn off existing synchronization settings for selected test products to avoid data overlap during testing.
- Enable Inventory Sync: Activate inventory synchronization for a selected group of products to explore different operational scenarios.
- Verify Product Data Accuracy: Check that all product details, including prices and stock levels, are consistently accurate across all connected channels.
- Activate Order Synchronization: Implement order synchronization for products with enabled inventory sync. Thoroughly test the complete order workflow to ensure seamless processing.
- List New Items: Try listing new products and confirm that these listings are correctly created and displayed on the Channels.
- Link All Items: Once initial tests are successful, link all items to ensure comprehensive management through M2E Cloud.
- Set Comprehensive Synchronization: Fully enable synchronization for inventory, orders, and other relevant data points once you're confident in the system's reliability.
- Switch Off Previous Solution’s Sync: After fully transitioning to M2E Cloud and ensuring all functionalities work as expected, disable synchronization on your previous solution to avoid conflicts.
Following this structured approach and checklist will help you efficiently transition to M2E Cloud while maintaining operational continuity.