Create a Catalog in QuickBooks Enterprise for Distributors

Prepare the data the buyer actually needs

Use a stable product code, a clear name, a selling unit, an appropriate photo and the intended price. Keep internal costs and confidential notes out of the public selection.

• Use a stable product code, a clear name, a selling unit, an appropriate photo and the intended price. Keep internal costs and confidential notes out of the public selection.

A catalog your sales team can keep current

Start with consistent codes, names, photos and categories. Select the products and price table for the audience, choose the layout and generate the PDF. Keep a clear edition name so the team can identify the current file.

What to review before sharing

Check a low-price and a high-price product, long names, category order and a product with multiple photos. Open the PDF on a phone as well as a computer. The best layout is the one your buyer can read comfortably.

Check your ERP edition and data scope

Confirm that the source is QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and record the installed version; distinguish it from QuickBooks Online. Review the company file and available item export. The integration route must account for that product difference.

• Before choosing a data route, confirm with the operation which fields, permissions, edition and update direction can support this selection.

What this workflow does not guarantee

The file preserves the data used to generate it. After changing the catalog, generate a new PDF and replace old links or attachments in your sales routine. An online catalog is useful when prices and availability change frequently.

Review the result as a buyer

Compare product names, codes, units and prices with the original data. Test one long product name, one product with no image and different quantities. Ask a colleague to find an item without your guidance. Use what was confusing to improve categories and descriptions.

Decide whether the workflow fits

A useful pilot shows whether the buyer can understand the range and whether your team can review the order. Keep your existing sales process during evaluation. Confirm product and user limits, price tables and integration work before selecting a plan.

Help buyers choose without another message

In B2B distribution, buyers need SKU, category, unit and commercial price in view before they choose a quantity. When those details are split between an old PDF, spreadsheet and chat, choosing takes longer and the sales team has to explain the basics again. An organised selection brings the distinctions together and makes the next step easier to see. In a catalog or PDF, the range becomes a complete presentation instead of depending on photos sent one at a time.

• Show SKU, category, unit and commercial price where buyers compare the items.
• Use the sales presentation to highlight what helps customers choose the range.

Build a selection customers can compare

Present a selection of fast-moving, replenishment and campaign items in a short selection where SKU, photo, presentation and price sit together. Someone who did not build the catalog should still be able to find the items and understand how they differ. Demonstration values make the commercial reading easier to understand; they are not a public offer. Place similar items together so the difference in name, photo, category or presentation is easy to see before the full range is shared. A first selection focused on one range helps the team improve what buyers actually consult.

• Include one long name and one alternative presentation in the first selection.
• Show photo, SKU, unit and price in the same buying context.

Bring ERP product data into the sales presentation

Keep managing products in QuickBooks Enterprise, and use the catalog to turn the range into a presentation buyers can browse. Confirm that the source is QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and record the installed version; distinguish it from QuickBooks Online. Review the company file and available item export. The integration route must account for that product difference. The data route depends on the edition, account, available fields and permissions. Before sharing, confirm which products, units and prices reach the selection. Once a buyer chooses, final price, availability, credit, delivery, tax and invoicing remain in the commercial flow your operation defines.

• Choose the fields buyers need to compare the range.
• Keep credit, availability, delivery, payment, tax and invoicing in the operation’s commercial flow.

Start with one range, then expand with confidence

The next range is ready to scale when buyers can find a selection of fast-moving, replenishment and campaign items, understand SKU, category, unit and commercial price and move forward without a side explanation. Use what buyers look for in the first selection to organise the next category or audience. Repeat the QuickBooks Enterprise company, account or edition scope used to prepare this range. Start with the range that generates the most questions in customer conversations, then let buyer choices guide the next selection. The commercial owner looks after presentation and conversation; the data owner keeps the commercial record, including SKU, category, unit and commercial price, aligned with the source date. Once the selection is easy to explore, apply the same pattern to the next category or audience. Keep the same QuickBooks Enterprise scope in the process used to prepare the selection.

• Extend to the next range using what made the first choice easier.

Will it work for my business?