Shopify - Accepting Pre-orders and managing Pre-order Inventory

Using a virtual location for your preorder inventory can simplify setup and fulfillment processes.  Best practice includes adding a "pre-orders" location in point of sale that will hold your pre-order inventory and accept the pre-orders. This location should be placed last on your Accumula priority list for order routing and splitting.

Pre-Order Location Setup

Having a POS location dedicated to pre-order inventory means you only need to add and manage inventory for that location.  The pre-order location will hold all pre-order transactions and inventory. After you add the additional location to your POS, Accumula can assist with configuring your account.

Preparing to take Pre-orders

Creating items in POS well ahead of launching them for pre-order allows you to publish the product when you're ready.  You can allocate inventory based on any forecasting, and you only need to manage the inventory allocation process at one location.

Useful Feature Tags

Use the Hidden Tag in addition to other tags during product setup to create the product on Shopify in an unpublished status.  This allows you time to make any adjustments on Shopify or schedule when it will be published.

To limit the risk of taking too many pre-orders use the "noinventory" tag. This tag prevents Accumula from sending inventory updates to Shopify and is helpful if you expect pre-orders in rapid succession.

Do not use the Instock Tag unless you want to allow an item to take any number of pre-orders.  This could result in pre-orders routing to your Priority location if they sell in excess of inventory on hand in POS.

Begin taking Pre-orders

When you're ready to take pre-orders begin by publishing the item to your Shopify webstore.  Orders for multiple items will route according to inventory on hand splitting the order as appropriate.  Any line-items for pre-order product will be routed to your preorder location as long as inventory is available in POS.  If you need to add additional inventory for pre-order you can add it in POS at the pre-order location.

Tip: If you're integrated with Shipstation you can also group and filter orders routed to your pre-order location together for faster processing when the product is ready for fulfillment.

Benefits and Impact on Order Routing

By having an additional location for pre-order routing and following this process you gain at least these benefits:

• Simplified management of the pre-order setup process.
• Pre-order items are always split off from other order lines.
  • Easier Reporting for your Pre-order Sales - only one location!
  • Significantly reduce confusion about which in-stock items can be fulfilled immediately.
• Simplify pre-order fulfillment processing and allocation. View the pre-order queue separately and manage fulfillments independently.
• Better forecasting.  Use online pre-order success to anticipate in-store needs before you begin ordering and allocating future inventory.