Inventory Allocation

Inventory allocation allows you to assign specific inventory from particular warehouse locations and quality grades to order line items. This ensures accurate fulfillment and helps track which inventory is reserved for which orders.

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What is Inventory Allocation?

Allocation is the process of reserving specific inventory for an order line item by:

• Location: Which warehouse location the inventory comes from
• Grade: The quality grade of the inventory (e.g., Grade 1, Grade 2)
• Quantity: How many units to allocate from each location/grade combination

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When to Allocate Inventory

Allocate inventory:

• Before Changing Status to Picked: Allocation often required before moving orders to Picked status
• When Multiple Locations Available: If you have the same item in multiple warehouse locations
• For Quality Tracking: When you need to track which quality grades go to which customers
• For Accurate Fulfillment: To give your fulfillment team specific pick locations

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The Allocation Modal

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Opening the Allocation Modal

1. Open an order with line items
2. Select a line item that needs allocation
3. Click the Allocate button or action
4. The allocation modal opens showing available inventory

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What You See in the Allocation Modal

The allocation modal displays: Line Item Information

• Item name and SKU
• Ordered quantity
• Currently allocated quantity
• Remaining quantity to allocate

Available Inventory Grid

• All warehouse locations with this item
• Quality grades available at each location
• Available quantity (not yet reserved)
• Reserved quantity (allocated to other orders)
• Actual on-hand quantity

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Allocating Line Items

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Step-by-Step Allocation

1. Review Ordered Quantity: See how many units need to be allocated
2. Find Available Inventory: Look for locations with available quantity
3. Enter Allocation Quantities: For each location/grade, enter how many units to allocate
4. Verify Total: Ensure your allocation total equals the ordered quantity
5. Apply Allocation: Click Apply or Save to confirm the allocation

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Allocation by Location and Grade

You can split allocations across multiple locations and grades: Example: Allocating 100 units

• Location A, Grade 1: 60 units
• Location A, Grade 2: 20 units
• Location B, Grade 1: 20 units
• Total: 100 units (matches ordered quantity)

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Inventory Quantities Explained

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Understanding the Numbers

Available Quantity

• Inventory that is on-hand and not reserved
• This is what you can allocate to new orders
• Updates in real-time as you allocate

Reserved Quantity

• Inventory already allocated to other orders
• Shows how much is committed but not yet shipped
• Helps prevent double-allocation

Actual Quantity

• Total physical inventory at the location/grade
• Available + Reserved = Actual (in most cases)
• The real count in your warehouse

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Managing Allocations

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Viewing Current Allocations

To see what’s allocated to a line item:

1. Open the order
2. View the line items list
3. Look for allocation indicators (may show as a breakdown by location/grade)
4. Click to see details of the allocation

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Changing Allocations

To modify an existing allocation:

1. Open the allocation modal for the line item
2. Adjust the quantities at each location/grade
3. The system may show what was previously allocated
4. Make your changes and apply
5. The new allocation replaces the old one

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Removing Allocations

To remove an allocation:

1. Open the allocation modal
2. Set all location/grade quantities to 0 (or remove entries)
3. Apply the changes
4. The reserved inventory is released back to available

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Allocation and Order Status

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Status Impact on Allocation

Different order statuses affect allocation:

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Allocation Requirements

Some workflows require allocation before status changes:

• Submitted → Picked: May require full allocation of all line items
• Picked → Shipped: Allocation should match what was actually picked
• Status changes may be blocked if allocation is incomplete

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Best Practices

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Allocation Workflow

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Location Selection

When choosing which locations to allocate from:

• Proximity: Allocate from locations closest to packing/shipping area
• Quality: Allocate higher grades to customers who pay premium prices
• Inventory Rotation: Use FIFO (first in, first out) by allocating older inventory first
• Balance: Spread allocations to prevent depleting single locations

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Grade Management

Use quality grades effectively:

• Premium Customers: Allocate Grade 1 (highest quality) inventory
• Standard Orders: Allocate Grade 2 or mixed grades
• Track Quality: Monitor which grades go to which customers
• Quality Control: Use grades to segregate inventory by quality issues

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Troubleshooting

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Not Enough Available Inventory

If you can’t allocate the full quantity:

• Check if inventory was counted correctly (review availability sessions)
• Verify no other orders have reserved the inventory
• Consider allocating from multiple locations
• Check if item availability needs to be updated
• May need to source additional inventory before fulfilling

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Allocation Modal Won’t Open

If you can’t access the allocation modal:

• Verify the order is in a status that allows allocation
• Check that the line item has a quantity greater than 0
• Ensure you have permission to allocate inventory
• Try refreshing the page
• Contact your administrator if issues persist

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Allocations Don’t Save

If allocations aren’t being saved:

• Verify your total allocation equals the ordered quantity
• Check that you’re not allocating more than available
• Ensure you clicked “Apply” or “Save” before closing the modal
• Verify your internet connection
• Try again with smaller allocation amounts

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Wrong Quantities After Allocation

If allocated quantities don’t match expectations:

• Review the allocation details for each line item
• Check if someone else modified the allocation
• Verify the available inventory hasn’t changed
• Look at order history to see if allocations were changed
• Reallocate if necessary

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Integration with Fulfillment

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Pick Lists and Allocation

Allocated inventory provides:

• Pick Locations: Where to find each item in the warehouse
• Specific Grades: Which quality grade to pick
• Exact Quantities: How many units from each location
• Fulfillment Accuracy: Reduces picking errors

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Inventory Impact

When you allocate inventory:

1. Available quantity decreases (inventory is reserved)
2. Reserved quantity increases (shows commitment)
3. Actual quantity remains the same (physical inventory unchanged)
4. When order ships, actual quantity decreases

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Next Steps

• Understand Order Status - Learn when allocation is required
• Learn about Availability - Understand inventory tracking
• View Order Details - See allocation information on orders
• Manage Locations - Organize your warehouse locations