The Normalization module in Supplier Data Manager (SDM) validates your supplier catalog against pre-defined business and formatting rules, highlights any errors or missing values, and lets you correct them before the data moves to the next stage. It is the quality-gate step that ensures product data is correctly typed, complete, and compliant before integration into your target system (for example, Akeneo PIM).
What does the Normalization module check?
When a job reaches the Normalization module in SDM, four operations run automatically:
-
Type checking — Verifies that each field contains the expected data type. For example, a numeric field containing the string
"19"is converted to a number. A non-convertible value (for example,"AA"in a numeric field) raises an error. - Requirement level verification — Confirms that mandatory fields are filled in. An empty required field raises an error.
- Transformation execution — Runs any pre-configured transformation rules on field values to clean and standardize data.
- Rule and warning validation — Checks field values against specific business rules (for example, selling price must be higher than buying price) and raises errors or warnings where values do not comply.
Normalization rules are configured by your SDM administrator. To learn about available rule and warning types, see Rule & warning types. To learn about available transformations, see Transformation types.
Understanding the Normalization module interface
The Normalization module in SDM displays three tabs to help you track review progress:
- Rows to Check — All rows containing errors or warnings that require attention. A counter in the first column indicates how many fields have issues on each row. An error or warning icon appears next to each affected field.
- Rows Checked by You — Rows you have already validated and corrected.
- Rows Checked by the AI — Rows where no issues were detected; these are processed automatically without requiring manual review.
The screenshot above shows the Normalization module interface with the three tabs — Rows to Check, Rows Checked by You, and Rows Checked by the AI — and the row list with error counters in the first column.
The screenshot above shows the Normalization module row list with error and warning icons displayed next to affected fields.
All rows with errors must be corrected and validated before you can proceed to the next step. Rows with only warnings can be bypassed using the Ignore Warnings button.
How to correct and validate rows in the Normalization module
To fix errors detected by the Normalization module in SDM:
- Open the Rows to Check tab. The list displays only rows that need attention.
- Select the row you want to review.
- Click Edit to open the side panel. By default, only fields with errors or warnings are shown.
- Review the description displayed under each field with an issue — it explains what the rule requires.
- Correct the field value as needed and save your changes.
- Repeat for each remaining row in the Rows to Check tab.
- Once all error rows are resolved, validate the entire Normalization step to proceed.
To see all fields in a row (not just the ones with issues), click Show all the fields in the row inside the side panel.
When you update a field that has a transformation rule attached, all transformations for that field re-execute automatically. An information icon in the side panel alerts you when this occurs. Review the transformed value before saving.
The screenshot above shows the row editing side panel in the Normalization module, with error descriptions under affected fields and the option to show all fields or ignore warnings.
Batch corrections
If multiple rows share the same error, you can edit them together. Select several rows before clicking Edit — your corrections apply to all selected rows at once.
Working with media files in the Normalization module
If your product data includes media attributes (for example, images or documents), the Normalization module in SDM lets you review and attach the correct files.
To add or update a media file:
- Select the product row and click Edit to open the side panel.
- Click Add media on the media attribute to attach an image or file. You can either select a file from a previous import or upload a new one.
- The same media file can be applied to multiple rows if applicable.
If your SDM is connected to Akeneo PIM, ensure that your media file naming conventions match your catalog's rules. This allows SDM to automatically relink media files after updates without requiring manual re-attachment.
Managing visible columns
You can customize which columns appear in the Normalization module table to focus on the most relevant fields.
- Select a product row and click Edit to open the side panel.
- Use the column visibility selector to choose which columns to display in the table.
The screenshot above shows the column visibility selector in the Normalization module, allowing users to toggle which fields are displayed in the product table.
Errors vs. warnings
The Normalization module distinguishes between two types of issues:
- Errors — Hard requirements. A row with an error blocks the job; it cannot proceed to the next step until the error is corrected.
- Warnings — Soft requirements. If a row has only warnings (no errors), you can click Ignore Warnings to acknowledge and bypass the warning without correcting the value.
Related
- Normalization rules administration — Configure normalization rules, transformations, and field inclusion settings (admin guide).
- Rule & warning types — Full list of available rules and warning types.
- Transformation types — Full list of available data transformations.
- Modules overview — Overview of all SDM modules and how to combine them.