How to properly maintain a nomenclature: product types, name templates, and duplicate control

For a business owner, chaos in the product catalog is not just an “ugly list”—it is direct financial loss due to mispicks, the inability to run accurate analytics, and theft. To make the team work consistently, it is not enough to simply “agree”—you need to lock the rules at the Torgsoft settings level.

Here is a step-by-step algorithm on how to turn your catalog into a strict standard using the system tools.

1. Foundation: a single product-type tree

Structure is the backbone of your accounting. If one manager creates “Trousers” and another creates “Jeans,” you will never reconcile your reports.

• Rule. Create a hierarchy from general to specific in Merchandising — Product type.

• Level 1 (Group). Clothing, Footwear, Accessories.

• Level 2 (Subgroup). Men’s, Women’s.

• Level 3 (Specific type). Jeans, T-shirts, Dresses.

The product type name (the lowest level) automatically becomes part of the product name on the receipt and on the label. That is why names must be concise and clear.

2. Automation: a product name formula

People make mistakes or are too lazy to type full names. Torgsoft lets you take this task away from people and entrust it to an algorithm.

• How to set it up. Go to Settings — Parameters — Product — Name.

• Formula. You choose which “building blocks” the name will consist of.

• Recommended standard. Product type + Manufacturer (Brand) + Collection + SKU + Attributes (Size/Color).

No matter how a manager wants to name an item “Cool blue jeans,” the software will automatically save it as “Jeans Levi's 501 Blue 32/34” if you set the formula that way.

3. Dynamic attributes: order in the details

To avoid writing everything into the “Description” field (where you can’t find anything later), use dynamic attributes.

• What it is. Additional fields specific to a product type (for example, for footwear—“Sole material,” for electronics—“Screen size”).

• How it works. You create these fields in the product-type settings and make them mandatory (“Required”). A manager physically cannot save a product card until these parameters are filled in. This ensures complete data for the online store and filters.

4. Barcodes and SKUs: uniqueness above all

Duplicate SKUs are the main cause of warehouse confusion.

• SKU uniqueness. Enable the Check and prohibit duplicates setting for SKUs in product parameters. This will prevent creating two different cards with the same manufacturer SKU.

• Barcodes:

• If there is a manufacturer barcode, scan it.

• If there isn’t, the software generates an internal unique barcode (usually starting with 29...).

• Important. Disallow barcode duplicates in the product-type settings to avoid situations where different items “ring up” the same at the checkout.

5. Protection from staff “creativity” (Roles and Access)

Even perfect rules won’t work if everyone has the rights to change them.

• Restrict permissions. Use Settings — Parameters — Access or role settings.

• Prevent sales staff from editing the “Product type” reference (so they don’t create duplicate categories).

• Enable “Fixed product name” for critical items. This will block name changes even during invoice import, protecting your catalog from being overwritten.

6. Import as a source of order (or chaos)

When importing supplier invoices (Excel), “garbage” often appears in the database.

• Rule. Use import settings wisely.

• If the product is already in the database, set identification by SKU or Barcode.

• Disable name updates (the “Update product parameters” checkbox) if you want to keep your internal naming standards rather than the supplier’s names.

• Duplicate control. If after import or creation you see an asterisk (*) next to a product name, it is an alarm signal. It means the system created a duplicate (matching names with different SKUs/barcodes, or vice versa). Such items must be merged immediately via Error diagnostics or Full product list.

7. Control tool: full list of products and services

This is the main mode for the owner or merchandiser (Merchandising — Full list of products and services).

• Here you can see the entire catalog, even items that currently have no stock (0 pcs).

• Here you can bulk edit cards, merge duplicates, print labels for relabeling, and deactivate old items so they don’t clutter search.

Summary for the owner:

1. Set up the product-type tree and the name formula once.

2. Make key attributes mandatory.

3. Prevent frontline staff from changing reference data through access rights.

4. Regularly review the Full list for duplicates and items with asterisks.