Northmill Flo: connection, inventory master and safe sync

The Northmill Flo integration connects the webshop's products and sales to the POS system. It is available in Abicart Pro, where one selected business system integration is included, and requires an active Northmill agreement. First, decide which system will control the stock balance. The correct settings and how inventory changes are processed depend on that choice.

Choose an inventory master before activation

We recommend a clear inventory master, not the Both mode. Updating a sale and a manual inventory count are different events. If only the inventory count is missing, describe just that to support; do not activate another import job at random.

Prepare the product range

Products, prices, customers and stock balances can be transferred. Product groups and images are not exported through this connection. Each product and each variant needs a unique item number (SKU) that matches in both systems. Products without an item number cannot be exported.

Create product options (customer choices) and their variants in Abicart and export them from there. Product import from Northmill creates individual products; it does not automatically create a main product with product options.

For new item numbers, letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores are a suitable simple format. Do not change all already used numbers just because one contains /. Regular products, variants and bundle products need separate assessment. If special characters cause sync problems, give support the product type and exact item number so they can check what your connection supports.

Before deleting a product: deletion can also affect the product and its variants in Northmill. If it is to remain in the POS system, the sync must first be disconnected in a coordinated manner. Get help before you delete or clear article numbers on an active integration.

Connect and activate step by step

1. Sign an agreement with Northmill and ask for the integration details. Check Abicart Pro and that Northmill is your selected included business system integration. See current packages and prices in Swedish or English and Northmill's integration overview (Swedish); have Northmill confirm your agreement and connection details.
2. Open Settings > External Connections > Moreflo. Moreflo is the older name that may be displayed in Admin. Contact Abicart Support if the connection is missing.
3. Fill in the details under Account Settings and save. Do not send your username/password in a regular support request.
4. Verify that the item numbers for special products, such as shipping, exist in Northmill. The pre-filled fields should not be changed without reconciliation.
5. Select the inventory master and the relevant sales/VAT settings. Ask the person responsible for finances to confirm how goods, services, and fees should be classified.
6. Save and check for warnings about missing or duplicate item numbers. Reconcile them before the first major export.

See resolve item numbers for Northmill regarding duplicates or missing numbers. Do not change the connections to already sold items without checking the consequences.

Reconcile starting inventory and first export

1. Select the balance that matches your physical inventory and correct the information before starting. Make an export/backup of the existing product range and balance in Northmill.
2. Schedule a time without POS sales during the actual transfer. Verify that you are authorized to make the changes that the export entails.
3. Keep your selected inventory master for the first product export. Activate product export and use Initial exports > Export all products when such a transfer is intended. Do not switch to Abicart as a temporary export step. With Northmill as the inventory master, a normal product export does not send Abicart's stock balance, but names, prices, and active status can still be overwritten and missing products created. Only transfer balance from Abicart when Abicart is explicitly the source for reconciled starting balances.
4. Wait for the transfer to actually complete and reconcile the result. Do not use a general waiting time as proof that it is finished.
5. Keep the same inventory master and activate the correct events as described below. Coordinate an actual change of inventory master before sales resume; do not do it in the middle of ongoing sales.

If Northmill's inventory is the starting point, a file transfer may need to be adapted for Abicart's product import, particularly for customer choices. The initial inventory reconciliation is a separate task from ongoing receipt or order transfers. Ask support to help plan it if you are unsure.

Activate the correct ongoing events

Abicart as inventory master: activate Export products on add or change and Import cash receipts (stock changes). Select a schedule for receipt import, for example every hour, and check that both activation and execution are selected.

Northmill as the inventory master: activate the intended product export and Export order. Reconcile which data product updates are allowed to overwrite and check the stock update back to Abicart.

Test and see that it succeeded

Use an agreed test setup; purchases can affect payment, accounting, and stock. Note the item number, variant/package, order/receipt reference, and balance before and after. Check both a web purchase and a POS sale in the setup you have chosen.

The values are examples only. Wait for the actual scheduled run or transfer, read the status, and compare the same items in both systems. An AI confirmation or a saved setting choice does not indicate that the stock is reconciled.

Integration settings

The screenshots show examples of the integration's settings. Proceed to the named section you need before changing a field. Some images show Swedish menu texts; use the setting names in the text to find the corresponding fields.

Here we go through the integration's settings:

Settings >> External connections >> Moreflo (Northmill was previously called Moreflo)

If Moreflo is missing under External connections: follow the section Connect and activate step by step and contact support if the connection is still missing.

Settings

Active

To access all the integration's settings, check this box >> Save.
The sync between the systems only starts when you activate the event settings.

Account settings

Here you enter the API keys you get from Northmill (Username and password) >> Save

Special products

These fields are automatically filled in. Do not edit manually.

Inventory management (inventory master)

Select the system where you want to manage the products' stock balance:

- Abicart or Moreflo (Northmill)

*We advise against using "Both". It is always most stable to let one system decide.

Sales and operating income accounts

Fill in the VAT rates that are relevant for your store. Select a suitable option in the drop-down list.

Item = goods
Service = Services
Fee = Services

Example: For items with 25% VAT, select the corresponding product account with 25% VAT. If you also sell books subject to 6% VAT, you also need to select the corresponding product account with 6% VAT. Set up every VAT rate that is actually used; have the person responsible for finances confirm the classification and any exceptions.

Fees cover VAT handling for shipping and need to be configured. Services with 25% VAT is an example of when this VAT handling applies to your shipping; do not use the same selection as a general rule for all stores. Have the person responsible for finances and the person responsible for the integration confirm the correct option for your setup.

Initial exports

--> Export all products

This setting is configured last of all, if the product range is to be exported (see image below).

*The setting requires that you have "Export products" enabled.

To enable the setting:
Check the box >> Save

Enable only if you want to send all products from Abicart >> Northmill (if you have Abicart as the inventory master, the stock status is also sent).

NOTE! Product information in Northmill will be overwritten with product information from Abicart. Only the SKUs that exist in both Abicart and Northmill are updated. If a product only exists in Abicart, it is exported + created in Northmill. SKUs that only exist in Northmill remain untouched.

Are you going to run this export with a previously active integration?
- Run an export in Northmill first!
Since Abicart overwrites Northmill products with the same SKU that exist in Abicart, it's a good idea to export the product range in Northmill before you run the export. A product that is inactive in Northmill but active in Abicart will become active again during the export.

--> Export all customers

To enable the setting:
Check the box >> Save

Enable only if you want to send all customers from Abicart >> Northmill

*The setting requires that you have "Export customer registry" enabled.

Event settings

Export product on add/change

Activation = Inactive / Product updated (including stock balance)

Execution = Inactive / Update immediately

Change to "Product updated" and "Update immediately" to enable the setting.

*When this is active, products are exported from Abicart >> Northmill when added or changed. This setting is recommended so that products with customer choices are created correctly. Exporting products Abi >> NMF saves you time because you do not need to edit the product in two places:

The product is created in Abicart with all the information it needs in the webshop. Information that can be exported to Northmill is sent there (name, item number (SKU), price, etc.). You can then add other settings to the product in Northmill, but information that can be exported through the integration must be edited in Abicart and exported to Northmill. If, for example, you change the product name in NMF, Abicart will overwrite it the next time the product is exported Abi >> NMF.

Export customer list

Activation = Inactive / Customer.(changed|created|deleted)

Execution = Inactive / Update immediately

*Keep inactive if you do not want to export the Abicart customer registry >> Northmill. We recommend starting the integration with this setting inactive. You can always enable it later if you want to sync customers.

Export order

Activation = Inactive / The order has been changed

Execution = Inactive / Update immediately

*Activate only when using Northmill (Moreflo) for inventory management

Product import

Activation = Inactive / Scheduled activation

Execution = Inactive / Scheduled (enter cron string) *Then set to e.g. 1 time/hour

*Products are imported as individual products. Product import from Northmill cannot build a main product with product-option variants. Create those products in Abicart, either through product-options import or manually in Admin. Read more about product options here.

Import order

*Used to import orders created manually in Northmill. NOT for importing POS sales. To sync inventory balance, use the setting "Import POS receipts (inventory changes)".

Activation = Inactive / Scheduled activation

Execution = Inactive / Scheduled (enter cron string) *Then set to e.g. 1 time/hour

Option = Enter the payment method* to be registered for the order import

Create or select an internal payment method, for example, manual invoice, and enter it in the order import job. It can be named Northmill invoice and be inactive in the customer checkout, but the name does not determine the type. The import requires an internal payment method for the order to be created correctly.

Import POS receipts (inventory changes)

In a multi-store system, you also select the sub-store where the receipt items will be created. Check the target sub-store before starting the import.

*This setting is only visible when using Abicart for inventory management.

*This is the setting to activate to sync inventory balance from Northmill >> Abicart when using Abicart for inventory management

Activation = Scheduled activation

Execution = Scheduled (enter cron string) *Then set to e.g. 1 time/hour

Options

*Used in specific cases IF you want to import previous receipts (from before the integration was activated)

Import all receipts created since - specify time interval (7-90 days)

Import historical receipts - Check the box to activate >> Save the integration page

NOTE! This setting is used in exceptional cases and with caution.

Which product details can be changed?

Depending on the direction, item type, and inventory master, the transfer can include sales class, item number, inventory balance, supplier's item number, name, product text, unit, barcode/EAN, purchase price, sales price, item type, active/webshop visible/stock item, and weight. Check an example in your setup; an update is not always limited to the balance.

An inactive product in Northmill can become active again if an active Abicart product is exported. Data controlled by the export should be changed in the source system; otherwise, a local correction in the target system may be overwritten next time.

Troubleshoot without duplicate inventory movements

After a failed receipt import: verify exactly which receipts are missing and if their inventory movements have already been corrected manually. Do not assume that the next scheduled run will fetch older, failed receipts. Ask support to check receipt references, the last import time, and a limited history interval before activating historical import. Do not make the same inventory correction both manually and through import.

Send the store, inventory master, direction, item type/number, order/receipt reference, time, observed balances, and error message to support. Specify what you have already corrected manually. Do not send API passwords or customer registers.

Quick start

• Match item numbers and reconcile the actual stock before the first transfer.
• Choose an inventory master: Abicart or Northmill Flo. Only activate the jobs that belong to that setup.
• Check one item and an agreed-upon test sale in both directions before the entire flow is put into use.
• In case of an error: note the item type, number, order/receipt reference, and time. Do not resend all old orders before previous stock adjustments have been reconciled.

Subscription and access

The Northmill Flo connection is available in Abicart Pro as a choice among the included business system integrations and requires an active Northmill agreement. Choose an inventory master and use the transfers that belong to that setup. Agreement, feature access, and actual sync results are separate checks.