Backorder Splitting

How backorder splitting works and its use cases.

IN THIS TOPIC

• When is it Used?
  • How to Enable
• How it Works
• Limitations
  • Additional Options

The default behavior for orders submitted to FLEXE is that all lines on the order must allocate to the reservation. If the reservation has insufficient inventory for all lines on the order, it will not allocate until inventory becomes available.

Backorder splitting alters this behavior by allowing some lines on the order to allocate, while others are held in backorder status until inventory is made available.

For more information about orders, lines, and shipments, please visit the Order Manager SOP.

When is it used?

Customers that would prefer to ship only part of an order that can be fulfilled out of the closest reservation while leaving the rest for later may consider enabling this feature. Additionally, customers who would prefer to ship partial orders if inventory for the entire order is altogether unavailable may consider using this feature.

Note: Flexe does not guarantee that backorder splitting will reduce shipping costs or transit time. Customers should perform their own analysis to determine if shipping partial orders is right for their network.

How to Enable

Backorder splitting is a feature that can be turned on at the company level. This means that if/when it is turned on for a company, all orders are eligible to be split if at least one line can be fulfilled out of the closest location. This feature must be enabled by Flexe. 

Once backorder splitting is enabled, all orders will show a system label indicating that backorder splitting has been enabled and therefore the order is eligible to be split if needed.

How it Works

If an order can only be fulfilled by one reservation, but the warehouse only has part of the inventory needed, one shipment for the available inventory will allocate as seen here. 

The other inventory requested will stay unallocated with a corresponding error message until the inventory becomes available at the warehouse.

The shipment will stay open until it can allocate or until it is cancelled manually.

Limitations

When inventory becomes available for lines that were backordered, it will not allocate based on date, nor will the warehouse be prompted to prioritize backorders over other orders.