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Summary
- Optimized stock management: Organization of stocks into categories for more optimal management.
- Greater accuracy: Fewer errors thanks to an orderly classification of stock types.
- Compliance with stock rules: Respect of the constraints related to the different stock types (e.g. "Second-hand" and "New").
2. Prerequisites ✔️
- Feature available starting from the Expert+ pack.
💬 Good to know:
This tutorial describes the feature when using an LMS Expert+ pack.
This feature is also available in Multi-Shippingbo. To access the tutorial dedicated to Multi-Shippingbo, click here.
- This is a paid feature, please contact your account manager to add it.
3. How does stock differentiation work?
⭐ Key point :
All locations must absolutely be attached to a zone.
To attach a location to a zone, go to the menu Stock -> Zones, then add a zone. Then associate the location with this zone via the menu Stock -> Locations.
For more information, please see our tutorial on creating locations here.
3.1 How stock differentiation works
Stock differentiation relies on the segmentation of the warehouse into zones. Each product is assigned to a specific zone in the warehouse, and the stock available for sale is calculated according to these zones.
Example: A company that manages both "New" items and "Second-hand" products can, thanks to this feature, separate these two types of stock into distinct zones, thus ensuring different publication and management adapted to their needs.
💡 Tip:
Set up strict stock allocation rules to ensure that no item is moved from one stock zone to another inappropriately.
3.2 Preparing orders with differentiated stocks
It is important to add the management of order preparation with picking in the typed locations.
When the order is being prepared, the product is reserved in the right location, and at the time of picking, if the product is spread over two locations (one typed and the other not), picking must be done in the typed location.
That is why the following steps are necessary:
- Go to the menu Stock -> Zones -> Add.
Name your zones; this will automatically generate your stock types, which will have the same name. - Then associate your locations with these new zones in order to link them to a stock type:
Example: The "Second-hand" and "New" stocks will be clearly differentiated, which makes it easier to manage and plan orders according to the available product types.
💬 Good to know:
The stock type is assigned to the product, either:
-
as soon as it is assigned to a location,
-
as soon as it appears in an expected receipt (a stock type can be assigned to an expected receipt, only via API).
3.3 Calculating the available stock
The stock available for each category is calculated taking into account the current orders for this stock type. If items are being moved, they remain counted in their zone of origin until the operation is completed.
🚩 Special case:
If items are being moved, make sure they are associated with their zone of origin to avoid any confusion in inventories.
3.4 Picking constraints
When preparing an order, the reserved stock corresponds to the physical stock matching the stock type linked to the order line. This ensures that pickers pick items from the right stock type, thus avoiding any error.
3.6 Managing stock types in expected receipts
- It is possible to add a stock type to expected receipts only via API.
When receiving products, only locations matching the same stock type will be allowed. An error will be raised if the location does not match the one specified in the expected receipt: 
As for the export of expected receipts, it is possible to add a "Stock type" column in the export configuration, thus making tracking easier:
4. How to activate differentiated stocks?
4.1 Required prior configurations
For the activation to go smoothly, you need to:
- create your zones beforehand
- associate ALL your locations with a zone
For more information on this configuration, please follow our dedicated tutorial here.
4.2 Enabling the required options
Once the prior steps are done, please ask your Shippingbo account manager to activate the option.
⭐ Key point:
The rest of this tutorial is mandatory once the option is activated.
Without configuring the stock types after the option is activated, unexpected behavior may occur.
To configure the feature, go to the menu Configurations -> Logistics:
Then in the tab Differentiated stocks, enable the options Enable stock type mapping and Enable stock type management by zone:
💬 Good to know:
By default, to ensure good management, stock movements between zones of different types are not available.
However, you can make stock movements between zones of different types available via the option Allow variations between stock types:
➡️ This option has serious consequences and is not recommended for standard use of the "New"/"Used" stock types.
💡 Tip:
When the option Allow variations between stock types is enabled, the stock type can be changed either via API or directly in the order lines, in the Orders>Order details section:
The stock type can also be forced when creating an order via API.
4.3 Creating the stock type mapping
- Once the options are enabled, you can create a mapping according to the stock type. In the menu Configurations -> Logistics:
- In the tab Stock type for orders, click on Add:
- Select the target warehouse zone(s) for this rule, then confirm:
- Add the desired conditions to your rule by clicking on Add a condition, select the criteria for your conditions, then confirm:
💡 Tip:
Don't forget to activate the rule once it is complete:
5. Example of practical use
Context:
You are an e-merchant specialized in selling electronic equipment. You offer both new and second-hand products. It is crucial for you to manage these two stock categories separately, while publishing them distinctly on your e-commerce site.
Thanks to the stock differentiation feature in your WMS account, you can assign a specific zone to new products and another to second-hand products. Each zone is thus associated with a distinct stock type, which allows your OMS account to receive this information and process it separately.
Using the feature:
When you receive an order for a second-hand product, the system will:
- Automatically reserve the items in the "Second-hand" stock zone, without interfering with new product stocks.
- Direct the picker to collect the products from the exact location, thus avoiding any confusion between new and second-hand product stocks.
- Publish information about your available stocks according to the product type on your e-commerce site, ensuring a clear distinction for your customers.
Result:
Optimized management of your stocks with fewer preparation errors and accurate publication of the products available for sale. Your customers see the stocks of new products in real time, separately from those of second-hand products, which improves their shopping experience and ensures that the right items are shipped without errors.
To go further 🛫:
- Stock movements from location to location
- Differentiated stocks in Multi-Shippingbo
Contact us 📬:
Questions about this feature? Feel free to write to us here so that we can answer your questions.