Step 1: Clean up and validate your product list
Before you connect anything, take a pass through your product list. The cleaner it is, the smoother everything after this goes.
Export your list from Settings > Products, remove or discontinue anything you're not using, and clean up names or categories that need it. If you've got a long backlog of unused items, Skimmer can now bulk-discontinue products in one pass.
Need a hand with the export-edit-reimport process?
This demo walks through bulk-updating product names, status, Heritage IDs, manufacturer IDs, and more.
For the full written steps, see Import and update products
Step 2: Connect Heritage and turn on the sync
Which path you take depends on where you're starting.
If your product list is small and simple
connect Heritage directly - Skimmer automatically matches your existing products against Heritage's records, up to 100 items in the initial pass.
If you're bringing a separate list from Heritage with IDs, or you just finished the cleanup above
use the import tool first to line everything up before the connection goes live.
Either way, items that already carry a Heritage ID are treated as confirmed matches, nothing to redo there. Only items without an ID get flagged for you to map.
One decision to make: keep your own product names and descriptions, or use Heritage's.
Heritage's names and descriptions include the manufacturer's part number, so a customer looking closely at a quote could look that number up and see what you paid. These fields also lock once linked — you can only change them through the integration (you can unlink an item at any time to get control back).
Your own names and descriptions (most pros choose this) stay as-is and stay editable. Cost, manufacturer ID, and Heritage ID still update automatically in the background - cost from Heritage always overrides whatever's on the item manually, which is expected, not a bug.
Full steps: Integrate with Heritage and sync products
Step 3: Place your first order
Once you're synced, ordering happens right from an approved quote or from the Heritage Orders page on the fly, no separate vendor login.
Confirm your ship-to location and branch (branch controls what's available and priced for you), then search your synced catalog or Heritage's full catalog. Link the items to a customer and service location, and save the order as a draft or send it through. You can also reorder from any past order to skip re-entering everything.
Full steps: Heritage ordering
You're not doing this alone
Heritage ordering FAQ - This covers things like what to do if an order sits in Submitted status too long, why an item shows as "not stocked," and other day-to-day ordering questions.
Your Customer Success Team is here to help walk through connecting Heritage, running any needed import, and turning on the sync with you. If your catalog is especially large or you need a hand, simply email us at success@getskimmer.com and we will get you taken care of.