Data Cleaning Help
This is a summary of tasks required by art centres to ensure their data is ready to move to the new SAM.
As you move across to new SAM, if a mandatory field is found to be empty, generic data will be added to your SAM records to enable the data migration to work as expected.
Why does the data need to be cleaned?
Compatibility
Clean art centre data in your SAM account will ensure a smoother transition and a fresh start. Some data fields in current SAM are not compatible with new SAM. And in some cases, current SAM has historically not required a field to be filled in, for example, the gender field of an artist profile.
However, new SAM has mandatory fields that will require data before migrating it to the new database. If not, there will be errors that will impact how you use your new SAM account.
To avoid this frustration, we are recommending that you clean your data.
Accuracy
The accuracy of your data is important for several reasons, including;
- Accurate reporting for your organisation
- Accurate reporting at regional and national level
- Accuracy of inventory for your insurance purposes
Fresh Start
Historically, in some art centres, maintenance of SAM data has been inconsistent or inaccurate. This tends to happen over time with multiple changes in management and staff.
The release of new SAM brings an opportunity for art centres to start off as you intend to continue in new SAM with a foundation of clean and accurate data.
Generic Data
As you move across to new SAM, if a mandatory field is found to be empty, generic data will be added to your SAM records to enable the data migration to work as expected. These fields and the generic data are noted below and can be updated by you in new SAM later.
1. Artist Profiles
a. Merge Duplicate Artists
Why this is important:
- You cannot merge artists in new SAM.
- Duplicate artist profiles create errors in sales and reporting.
- Ensures a clear Money Story for artists, with sales accurately reflected.
1. Check which artists are duplicate artists in your current SAM
2. Next, you'll need to inspect those profiles and determine which is the duplicate that needs to be merged and which is the main profile.
3. Navigate to Admin > Merge Artists (further instructions can be found in current SAM)
Your data will come across as is. You won’t be able to clean it up later.
b. Artist Gender and Date of Birth
Why this is important:
- New SAM requires a gender and a date of birth
1. If artist gender and date of birth are known, please update
The system will automatically fill in missing data (Gender: Other; DOB: 1/1/1920) when the art centre is migrated to the new system.
2. Customer Profiles
a. Merge Duplicate Customers
Why this is important:
- You cannot merge customer profiles in new SAM.
- Duplicate customer profiles create errors in sales and reporting.
- Art centre staff can more confidently complete sales and orders.
- Better customer service, allowing SAM features like Preview and Wishlist to work accurately.
1. Check which customers are duplicate customers in your current SAM
2. Next, you'll need to inspect those profiles and determine which is the duplicate that needs to be merged and which is the main profile.
3. Navigate to Admin > Merge Customers
Your data will come across as is. You won’t be able to clean it up later.
b. Update Customers with no email
Why this is important:
- You cannot create a new sale using an existing customer in new SAM without an email. (Note: this field can be updated in new SAM).
1. Updated customer with email if known
This can be updated in the new SAM. The field is mandatory, so it must be completed before the customer record can be used to make a sale.
3. Artwork
a. $0 Priced Artworks - Art Centre Owned (Stock)
Why this is important:
- In new SAM, Artwork prices are mandatory.
- As part of the data migration process to the new SAM system, every Art Centre owned artwork (including prints) requires a sale price entered.
- This is essential to ensure that the purchase price is imported correctly into the new system.
Add prices to $0 items. To find artworks available for sale with $0 sale price:
1. Search and run the report called ‘Artworks: All Available stock artworks’. This report will give you a list of all Stock artworks.
2. You will then search the list for artworks that have $0.00 in the Sale Price column. See the example below.
3. Note down the catalogue numbers, then go to those artworks in SAM and edit the artwork (or print) to add a Sale Price.
The migration process will automatically assign a $1 value to any $0 priced artworks.
b. $0 Priced Artworks - Artist Owned (Artist Stock)
Why this is important:
- In new SAM, Artwork prices are mandatory.
1. Update your Artist owned items to have a sale price.
The migration process will automatically assign a $1 value to any $0 priced artworks.
c. Artwork Sizes
Why this is important:
Artwork Size in new SAM is now a mandatory field that only accepts numbers, and has 4 set formats you must choose from.
This means all artworks must have sizes, and your sizing may not come across as expected.
Formats are:
- Height x Width
- Height x Width x Depth
- Height x Diameter
- Diameter
Specifying your unit of measurement, i.e. cm or mm, is now in Set Up, and applies right across your SAM.
If your art centre uses multiple units to measure artwork, you will need to update measurements to ensure consistency across all artworks and editions.
Eg. Change 300mm to 30cm – where you are using cm as your unit of measurement.
Note: If you currently have medium in your size field, this will be mapped to the field Medium in new SAM, so long as your sizing is in one of the above formats.
Actions:
1. Ensure all artworks and editions have a size.
2. Ensure your artworks and editions are sized consistently: cm or mm.
If a size is not added, it will be set to '1' and can be edited in the new SAM.
Data will transfer as is. eg. An item that was 300mm will display as 300cm if cm is chosen as the unit of measurement, and will require editing in new SAM.
a. Tidy duplicate / unsued products
Why this is important:
In new SAM, products cannot be deleted, merged, or archived. This functionality has been added to the wish list for a later version of SAM.
With this in mind, it is recommended that the migration be used as an opportunity to clean up products in the current SAM.
Merge obsolete products to reduce legacy data moving across:
2. Merge Products > Follow instructions on SAM page.
Without completion of this task, all old products will be visible in the new SAM and cannot be deleted or archived until this functionality is added to the system.
b. Check products are in the correct categories
Why this is important:
Moving products between categories is not possible in new SAM.
1. Double check products are in the right categories before data migration.
2. If a product has no stock history, it can be deleted; otherwise, merging products can help reduce excess data that is no longer used.2. If products cannot be deleted due to stock history, but the products are no longer used, they can be moved to a single unused category, which can act as an archive function.
The question to ask is: 'Would a customer be able to find a product on the website if it were displayed in the chosen category?'
If a product is in the wrong category, it will not be possible to move it to the correct category once it has been migrated into new SAM.
c. Product stock levels
Why this is important:
If products have negative stock qty, eg. -6, or 0, in new SAM, they will come through as 0 with a status ‘Out of Stock’.
Actions:
Update product stock qty:
3. Go to Variations table > Stock > click + > add qty. (eg. Stock qty is –6, to change it to 6, add 12. To remove stock, use a negative number, e.g., -6, to remove 6 stock items).
Products with the 'out of stock' status cannot be sold until stock is added and the status changes to available.
This is done through the Stock Management > Purchasing section in new SAM.
It is faster and easier in current SAM to adjust stock quantities, which is why it is recommended this be done prior to migration.
a. Overdue Invoices & Lay-bys
Why this is important:
Unpaid invoices and outstanding lay-bys need to be consolidated before the move to the new SAM.
For stronger financial governance and stronger business, every transaction in the new SAM will need to be accounted for. Your accountant may need to be consulted to determine if sales have been paid.
2. To view and easily pay sales, use the report called "Sales and Transactions - Summary - Unpaid (Pay).
This report shows all outstanding payments on invoices and lay-bys. It also includes a link to each sale in SAM, making it easy to find and pay for that sale.
Artist account balances will be directly impacted, potentially requiring manual balancing of commission payments if not completed.
b. Overdue Consignments
Why this is important:
If outstanding consignments, particularly large ones, are known to have been returned to the art centre, returning them now will save time.
Dates cannot be edited on dispatched consignments in the new SAM. Consignments with past due dates will be migrated as Overdue.
2. If artworks have sold - add them to a sale and process/pay that sale.
3. If artworks have been returned or found in stock at the art centre, return items from the consignment.
4. For Products - update qty if some are returned.
5. If a consignment is completed, check the 'complete' box.
6. If artworks are still legitimately on consignment - edit the consignment and extend the due date.
In new SAM, consignment returns require individual item input. For outstanding consignments, particularly large ones known to have been returned, bulk returns are easier in current SAM.
By default, the current SAM sets consignment due dates 3 months from creation. As return dates cannot be edited in the new SAM, updates should be completed now if needed.
a. Verify / Assign Categories
Why this is important:
new SAM provides Parent Categories (shown below), with current SAM Categories becoming 'sub-categories'. Parent Categories are organised into Artworks, Editions, Products, or Others, allowing art centres to organise and name sub-categories locally. This will improve sales reporting by enabling category-based reports to track what has been selling.
Sub-categories can be renamed and archived in the new SAM, though moving items between categories and parent categories has limitations.