When an order enters the system and includes items with insufficient available inventory, it enters backorder status. This status keeps the order from entering the pending status, thereby preventing the warehouse from processing or editing it. Here are some common ways to assign inventory and clear backorders.
Receive more Inventory
If you have more inventory sitting on your dock, you can replenish it to make more available for allocation to orders. The inventory you receive in the replenishment will be allocated based on when the orders came into the system, and you will see backorders move into pending as inventory becomes available.
Send What's Available
You also have the ability to split off orders (partially fulfill) orders based on what you currently have in stock. This will create another sub-order for you to fulfill later.
1. In the orders view, use the status column to select BACKORDER from the dropdown.
2. Select the orders you want to split ship / partially fulfill
3. Click Actions and select 'Send what's available'
Applying Alternatives
'Alternatives' are other SKUs that you can use to substitute back-ordered SKUs in specific orders in order to release them into a pending status. You can find out more about setting up alternatives here. Alternatives need to be configured for the back-ordered SKUs for this to work.
1. In the orders view, use the status column to select BACKORDER from the dropdown.
2. Select the orders you want to apply alternatives to.
3. Click Actions and select 'Apply Alternatives'
Prioritizing Orders for Inventory Allocation
When an order enters the system but there is no available inventory, it is marked as a Backorder and won’t be shipped. If you need to fulfill a backorder but have no available inventory, you can reassign inventory from a lower-priority pending order by setting priority levels. This allows the backorder to move into a Pending status and be processed by the warehouse.
Within your O.M.S, click into the order.
Locate the SKU without Assigned Inventory and select the icon with the arrow next to 3 vertical dots.
Click Priority List.
In the Priority Level list, you’ll see all orders containing the selected SKU that are in either Pending or Backorder status.
Keep in mind: the higher the number, the higher the priority. For example, if 2 is the highest current priority and 0 is the lowest, setting a backorder to priority 1 or higher can move it into Pending status by reallocating inventory from lower-priority orders.
5. Your backorders will be towards the bottom of this list. #7151 is in a backorder status. If we change the priority of this order from 0 to 1, inventory will be assigned to this order, and another order will move into the 'backorder' status.
6. Click 'Apply Priority' once you have made your changes.
7. #7151 is now in a 'Pending' status and has moved up in the priority list...
...And #7146 was moved from a 'Pending' status into a 'Backorder' status.
You have successfully updated the priority level for an order in a backorder status at the SKU level.