Marketing Development Funds (MDF) are sometimes granted to partners by suppliers to drive sales and develop new business. The partner might use the funds to pay for meals, entertainment, social outings, sports outings, team meetings, and conferences. These engagements allow partners to interact with their customers.

Suppliers can efficiently manage MDF data for multiple partners via .CSV file under Funding. You also have the option to manage MDF funds under All Partners for a single partner.

How to Manage MDF Funds for Partner Accounts

You can manage partner MDF records by creating a .CSV file and importing the data to Zift. The directions are below.

Create a .CSV file with all the data.

1. From Funding > Funding Summary, click $ Import Funds.
2. Download the Funding Upload Template. Use the template to gather your data in the proper order and format to upload to Zift. Once uploaded the data will appear in the Funding Summary. See About Fund Details for a list of the data that can be uploaded. Only fields with * are required for the upload. 
3. Save the file as .CSV on your computer.

Note: What happens when a required field is left blank?

• If a value is left blank for any required balance fields, no change will be made to the corresponding data. 
• If a value is left blank for any required date related fields, the current date will be populated. 
• If values are left blank for any fields required to identify a Fund, Fund Type, or Partner, the upload will fail and the user will be provided with an explanation. 

How to Upload the file to ZiftMarcom

1. From Funding > Funding Summary, click $ Import Funds.
2. From Funding > Funding Summary > Import Funds, choose your file. 
3. Select Import.
4. You will receive success or error messages when the import is complete. 
5. When the import completes successfully, the partner information will be on the Funding Summary page. Be sure to click the arrows to expand the fields.

How to Update Funding Data with the File Upload  

Data can be updated using the same process. Update the cells in your file, and upload the file.

• There is no calculation involved when uploading data. The values uploaded are the values that will be set.
• Changes to funds will only be made if the .CSV is uploaded and the user explicitly defines new values for a specific fund. Existing values left blank will remain unchanged. Existing values will not be zeroed out if left blank.
• If rows for existing funds are omitted from the upload, no changes will be made to the missing funds. There is not a way to export the data at this time.