Our vendor catalog is a collection of catalogs from major and minor manufacturers and distributors. Once you have installed our catalog and have set up pricing schemes for each manufacturer or vendor, your pricing and data entry will be greatly simplified. Ongoing catalog updates keep you current. This service currently costs $200 per year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Which suppliers are included in the catalog?

A. See the latest list on our web site at http://certek-software.com/vcss.html

Q. How difficult is it to use the catalog?

A. It’s very simple. For instance: A new item is manufactured and your supplier sends you the sample. You obtain and install an updated catalog from us that includes the new item. At the time of sale you type in the new number and the item is pulled from the catalog without you even knowing. Your retail price is determined from the markup scheme you created and applied to the cost of the item.

Q. How do I get catalog updates?

A. We publish updates on our web site 4-8 times a year. You can check for and download the latest updates at any time, at http://certek.cc/vcss/frameshop. (A user name and password is provided when you sign up or renew.) We are considering a change in the future to have the Artisan program itself automatically check for and download updates for vendors that you have previously used.

Q. What if I want to change the price of an item?

A. You can always set whatever price you want for any particular item; however, using markup formulas instead of specific prices lets you adapt to cost changes without having to re-price every item.

Q. What happens when my costs go up?

A. You have the option of applying the new costs on a per-vendor basis any time after you install a catalog update. It is recommended that you update your costs at least quarterly. When costs are applied your prices are automatically calculated based upon your markup schemes. If you aren’t using markup schemes, your prices won’t change.

Q. What if the catalog doesn’t have something I need? Can I add my own items?

A. You can add items to your item database at any time, even during a sale. We can even add your suppliers to the catalog (for a reasonable fee), if they're willing to send us the information electronically.

Q. What if the costs in the catalog don't match exactly what I pay for materials?

A. The costs in the catalog are based in most cases on the manufacturer's suggested wholesale price for small quantities (for length mouldings, this is usually referred to as Base Lineal Cost). If you routinely get quantity discounts or other special pricing, you can either adjust the costs on all the items (which can be done in bulk, by a percentage factor) or take your discount into account when determining markup formulas. (The latter won't give you accurate cost figures, but will let you more easily deal with cost changes in subsequent catalog updates.)

Q. What if costs in the catalog are just wrong?

A. Occasionally a supplier will publish information which doesn't match the price lists you've obtained from them, either due to simple error or special promotional pricing. We can only use the information they send us. This is the same data they send to other software companies. We strongly encourage you to keep an eye on things. You can manually correct any errors that you find. (Please report errors to us, as well.)

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us at vcss@certek-software.com