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SP Richards as a Source

July 20, 2026

Summary

SP Richards is a wholesale distributor of office supplies, furniture and business products, available as a pre-built Source integration in Flxpoint. The base product catalog and on-hand quantity feed connect automatically — you only add a connection for pricing, either a customer-specific pricing FTP or the SPRichard API (Group Code, User ID, Password), which brings in Cost and MSRP alongside the catalog. Five operations are supported: Get Inventory Primary (full catalog, daily), Get Inventory Secondary (price/quantity refresh, more frequent), Send Fulfillment Requests, Get Shipments, and Get Invoices.

Get Inventory (Primary)
Imports the full SP Richards catalog once daily — titles, images, pricing.
Get Inventory (Secondary)
Lighter, more frequent refresh of Cost, MSRP and Quantity.
Send Fulfillment Requests
Sends orders to SP Richards for dropship fulfillment processing.
Get Shipments
Pulls SP Richards shipment confirmations — tracking, carrier — into Flxpoint.
Get Invoices
Imports SP Richards invoices — freight, tax, handling, per-line costs.

SP Richards supports two connection types for pricing. Use the one your SP Richards representative confirms for your account. Add an SP Richards source, start configuring an operation, and when Flxpoint prompts you click + New Connection, enter the values, then Test ConnectionSave Connection.

Option A — FTP (Basic Auth)
FTP ProtocolRequired
The FTP protocol to use (FTP or FTPS), as provided by SP Richards for your pricing feed.
HostRequired
Your account-specific pricing FTP server hostname, provided by SP Richards.
PortRequired
The FTP port for the connection, as provided by SP Richards.
UserRequired
Your SP Richards pricing FTP username.
PasswordRequired
Your SP Richards pricing FTP password.
Option B — SPRichard API
Group CodeRequired
Your SP Richards Group Code, provided by SP Richards.
User IDRequired
Your SP Richards API User ID.
PasswordRequired
Your SP Richards API password.
The base product catalog and on-hand quantity feed connect automatically — no separate credentials are needed for those. Add a connection above only to bring in Cost and MSRP: either the pricing FTP or the SPRichard API. Both connection types include Advanced Settings with Use Unbuffered Private Data Channel — enable it only if FTP Test Connection fails with a 534 SSL policy error. For extended operation setup and field mapping, contact support@flxpoint.com.

Cost and MSRP need a pricing connection — the base catalog feed is quantity-only

SP Richards provides your product catalog and on-hand quantities automatically; no connection setup is required for that base feed. To bring in Cost and MSRP, add a connection for pricing — either a customer-specific pricing FTP (credentials and file name are provided by SP Richards per account) or the SPRichard API (Group Code, User ID, Password), which returns price and quantity together. When mapping a pricing FTP file, use the “Price File Header List & Descriptions” spec SP Richards provides for your account to confirm which columns map to Dealer Cost and MSRP — without one of these two connections, Cost and MSRP fields will import empty.

Send FR requires Ship Node as exactly two digits, and a Ship To Account Number

The Ship Node field in your Send Fulfillment Requests mapping template must be a two-digit distribution center code (e.g., 01, 16, 31) — not a single digit and never prefixed (DC 01 is invalid). Ship Node is required even when using Source Complete “C”. A Ship To Account Number must also be set, either in the connection settings or mapped in the template — if neither provides a value, the job fails. Each SP Richards source supports a single Ship To Account Number; if you need to route orders to different accounts, duplicate the SP Richards source and use order routing rules to direct orders between them.

Run GIP daily for the full catalog, GIS more often for price/quantity — Archive on one job only

Get Inventory Primary imports the full catalog — titles, descriptions, categories, images and dimensions — and should run once daily. Get Inventory Secondary is a lighter delta update for Cost, MSRP and Quantity only, and is designed to run more frequently (commonly hourly) to keep pricing and stock current between full catalog syncs. Flxpoint already enforces that Archive/Un-Archive can be enabled on either GIP or GIS, but not both at the same time (Primary is recommended).

Quantity aggregates across every warehouse you select

Both Get Inventory Primary and Secondary let you choose which SP Richards warehouses to include (SP Richards operates over 30 U.S. and Canada locations). Flxpoint sums quantity across all selected warehouses — for example, if one location shows 4 units and another shows 7, Available Quantity in Flxpoint will be 11. Select only the warehouses relevant to your fulfillment geography so you don’t show stock you can’t actually reach.


FieldMaps To — Notes
SKU / Catalog SKUProduct / Variant → SKU. Required. Primary identifier for the catalog item.
Description 1Product → Title. Item description, used as the product title.
Brand Name / Manufacturer NameProduct → Brand. Manufacturer/brand attribution.
Department / Class / Subclass NameProduct → Category. SP Richards’ category hierarchy.
Dealer PricePricing → Cost. Populated once a pricing connection (FTP or API) is configured.
MSRP / Retail PricePricing → MSRP. Same pricing-connection dependency as Cost.
WeightProduct → Weight. Shipping weight in pounds.
UPCIdentifiers → UPC. Manufacturer barcode.
Images (multiple resolutions)Product → Images.
FieldMaps To — Notes
Item NumberInventory Variant → SKU. Required. Matches the SKU imported by Get Inventory Primary.
Per-warehouse quantityInventory → Quantity. Flxpoint sums quantity across every warehouse selected in the operation’s settings.
Full catalog fieldsNot included in Secondary — titles, images, categories and long descriptions come from Get Inventory Primary. Run Primary daily for the full catalog and Secondary more frequently to keep Cost, MSRP and Quantity current.
Source FieldMaps To (SP Richards) — Notes
Fulfillment Request Item → SKUOrder Line → Customer Item. Required. Sent per line item.
Fulfillment Request Item → QuantityOrder Line → Ordered Quantity. Required. Units requested per line.
Shipping addressShip To. Required. End-customer shipping address.
Billing address / contactContact Info. Buyer contact details sent with the order.
Source Shipping MethodShip Method. Map only if your SP Richards representative has confirmed your account is set up to receive one.
Ship Node (mapping template field)Distribution Center. Required. Two-digit DC code — no prefix, no single digits.
Ship To Account NumberAccount Reference. Required. Set in connection settings or mapped in the template; one per Flxpoint source.
FieldMaps To — Notes
Ship DateShipment → Shipped At. Date SP Richards marks the shipment shipped.
Tracking NumberShipment → Tracking Number. May be blank on some LTL shipments — Carton ID or BOL can be mapped as a fallback.
Carton ID / BOLShipment → Tracking Reference (fallback). Used when a carrier tracking number isn’t provided.
Carrier / MethodShipment → Ship Method. Carrier and service description returned by SP Richards.
Purchase Order NumberShipment → FR Reference. Required. Links the shipment back to the originating Fulfillment Request.
Shipped QuantityShipment Item → Quantity. Required. Units shipped for the line.

The line SKU is not mapped on this operation — Flxpoint matches the shipped line to your catalog itself. Map the shipped quantity as usual.

FieldMaps To — Notes
Invoice NumberInvoice → Invoice Number. Required. SP Richards’ invoice reference.
Invoice DateInvoice → Invoice Date. Date the invoice was issued.
Freight / Handling / Tax / Other CostInvoice → Header Charges. Saved as separate invoice line items alongside the item lines.
Total CostInvoice → Total. Invoice grand total.
Shipped Quantity / Extended AmountInvoice Item → Quantity / Amount. Units invoiced and the line’s extended cost.

The line SKU is not mapped on this operation — Flxpoint links the invoice line to your catalog and the originating fulfillment request itself.


Cost and MSRP empty after Get Inventory Primary or Secondary runs
The base SP Richards catalog/quantity feed does not include pricing. To get Cost and MSRP: (1) request a customer-specific pricing FTP from SP Richards (credentials and file name vary per account) and add it as a connection, mapping the Dealer Cost and Retail Price (MSRP) columns per the “Price File Header List & Descriptions” spec SP Richards provides; or (2) switch to the SPRichard API connection (Group Code, User ID, Password), which returns price and quantity together. Wrong column mapping on the pricing file is a common mistake — confirm against the spec SP Richards provides for your account.
"Ship To AddressLine 1 can not be empty/greater than 35 characters" — fulfillment request failing
SP Richards enforces a 35-character limit on the Ship To Address Line 1 field. When a customer address exceeds this, the FR fails. Add a transformation rule in the Send Fulfillment Requests mapping template that truncates Address Line 1 to 35 characters (30 as a safer threshold) before the order is sent. Apply the same rule to any other source with this limitation. Contact support@flxpoint.com if you need help configuring the transformation.
Send FR rejected — Ship Node invalid or Ship To Account Number missing
Two most common Send FR failures: (1) Ship Node is wrong — must be exactly two digits (e.g., 01, not 1), never prefixed with DC; required even with Source Complete “C”. (2) Ship To Account Number is not set in either the mapping template or the connection settings — if neither provides a value, the job fails. Check both locations, then test with a single order before re-enabling automatic sending.
Orders not appearing in SP Richards portal after Send Fulfillment Requests runs
When an FR processes but doesn’t appear in the SP Richards portal, the file was usually uploaded but rejected by SP Richards on a schema or field validation error. Check the Send Fulfillment Requests job logs for an upload error or rejection notice. If the log shows a successful upload but the order is still missing, confirm with SP Richards that the file was received and that Ship To Account Number and Ship Node are correct. Orders may need to be placed manually with SP Richards while the root cause is investigated.
Get Shipments not linking, or tracking numbers missing
Three common causes: (1) the Remote File Name Pattern or Inbound Folder doesn’t match where SP Richards delivers shipment files — confirm the exact pattern and location with SP Richards; (2) the FR Lookback Period (default 90 days) doesn’t cover the age of the affected FRs — increase it if needed; (3) the tracking number is blank in the shipment file (common on LTL shipments) — map Carton ID or BOL as a fallback tracking reference. Also confirm Purchase Order Number (links the shipment to the FR) and line-level SKU are mapped — a SKU mismatch prevents the shipment from attaching.
Get Inventory Secondary returning errors or not updating prices and quantities
Check the job logs for the specific error. Common causes: the Remote File Name Pattern or Inbound Folder no longer matches the file SP Richards is delivering; the pricing file’s column mapping points at the wrong columns for Cost and MSRP (confirm against the reference spec SP Richards provides); or Archive is enabled on both Primary and Secondary, causing conflicts on every run — disable it on Secondary if it’s already enabled on Primary. Run the job manually and check the log for skipped records or file-not-found errors.
FTP connection failing — 534 SSL policy error
A 534 error on FTPS connections means the FTP server enforces SSL/TLS and there’s a protocol conflict. Go to the FTP connection’s Advanced Settings and enable Use Unbuffered Private Data Channel, then save and re-test. If you’re using standard FTP (not FTPS) and see a 534 error, confirm the correct protocol is selected — standard FTP doesn’t use SSL. For any other authentication failure, verify Host, Port, Username and Password exactly as provided by SP Richards.

What is the difference between Get Inventory Primary and Get Inventory Secondary?
Get Inventory Primary (GIP) is the full catalog import — it brings in product metadata (titles, descriptions, categories, images, weight, UPC) along with quantity and pricing. Run it once daily. Get Inventory Secondary (GIS) is a delta update focused on Cost, MSRP and Quantity only — faster, designed to run more frequently (commonly hourly) to keep prices and stock current between full catalog syncs. Keep catalog-level fields in Primary; keep price and quantity refresh in Secondary.
What warehouses does SP Richards support, and how does multi-warehouse quantity work?
GIP and GIS both support warehouse selection across SP Richards’ 30+ U.S. and Canada distribution centers (e.g., Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, Vancouver, and others). Select specific locations or all of them — Available Quantity in Flxpoint is the sum of every warehouse you select. Select only the warehouses relevant to your fulfillment geography so you don’t show stock you can’t actually reach.
How do I change which SP Richards distribution center my orders are sent to?
Open the Send Fulfillment Requests mapping template for your SP Richards source and locate the Ship Node field. Set it to the two-digit code for your target distribution center (e.g., 16, 05) — exactly two digits, with a leading zero if needed, and never prefixed with DC. After saving, validate by confirming the next order sent to SP Richards arrives at the correct distribution center.
Should I configure a Source Shipping Method for SP Richards?
For most setups, no — SP Richards automatically selects the carrier and service based on your account preferences and order details, and mapping a Source Shipping Method can conflict with that. Only map one if your SP Richards representative has confirmed your account is set up to receive a shipping method via the connection, or if you’re using Rate Shopping with a provider that requires it.
What does Get Shipments retrieve, and what are its known limitations?
Get Shipments reads shipment files from SP Richards using your configured Remote File Name Pattern. Fields available include Carrier, Ship Method, Tracking Number, Carton ID, BOL, Ship Date, Purchase Order Number (to match to the originating FR), and per-line SKU and Shipped Quantity. Partial shipments are supported — SP Richards can send multiple shipment files for the same order as items ship separately, and Flxpoint applies each incrementally. Known limitation: some shipments — particularly LTL — don’t include a tracking number; map Carton ID or BOL as a fallback. The FR Lookback Period defaults to 90 days — increase it if shipments are arriving for older FRs.
How does Get Invoices work for SP Richards?
Get Invoices reads invoice files from SP Richards. Key fields: Invoice Number, Invoice Date, Freight/Handling/Tax/Other Cost (saved as separate header-level invoice line items), Total Cost, and per-line SKU, Shipped Quantity and Extended Amount. Invoices link back to the originating FR by SKU. Configure the FR Lookback Period (default 30 days) — if invoices post well after shipment, increase this window — and confirm the Remote File Name Pattern and Inbound Folder match what SP Richards delivers.
What GIP fields are available, and are SP Richards images reliable?
GIP imports SKU, Title, Brand/Manufacturer, Quantity, Dealer Price, MSRP, Cost (from your pricing connection), Category (department/class/subclass), Weight, UPC, and rich attributes (specifications, marketing text) where available. Images come in multiple resolutions and mapping is available for each; however, there is no setting that controls which resolution imports as primary. If an image is missing in Flxpoint for a SKU, confirm the image exists in SP Richards’ source feed first — a missing source image can’t be imported.
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