B2B Order Approval & Inventory Assignment
Software Plan: Growth & Enterprise
Account Type: Seller Account & 3PL
Inventory Type: Serialized & Non-Serialized
Overview
After a B2B order is created, it must be approved and have inventory assigned before it can proceed to picklist creation.
Depending on the Auto Assign Inventory For B2B Orders at order import setting, approval and inventory assignment can happen automatically or require manual action.
Prerequisites
Before approving or assigning inventory to a B2B order:
- Review inventory availability for the order before approval or inventory assignment.
- Check the Auto Assign Inventory For B2B Orders at order import setting under Settings → Other Settings.
- If the setting is disabled, the order must be approved from Unapproved Orders.
- For specific inventory assignment requirements after approval, Inventory Override via CSV can be used.
When to Use
Use this workflow when:
- A B2B order requires manual approval.
- You need to approve the full or partial order quantity.
- Inventory has been partially assigned and requires further action.
- Inventory needs to be assigned from a specific status, batch, or bin.
Workflow
1. Automatic Approval & Inventory Assignment
When Auto Assign Inventory For B2B Orders at order import is enabled, the order is automatically approved and inventory assignment is triggered after order creation.
Orders → B2B Orders → View Orders → Open Orders
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Assigned | Inventory has been assigned for the complete order. |
| Partially Assigned | Inventory has been assigned for only part of the order. |
| Assignment Pending | Inventory assignment is still in progress. |
| Picklist Created | A picklist has been created for the order. |
Note: The Unassigned Qty column shows the quantity for which inventory has not been assigned. It is a quantity field, not an order status.
If the order is Partially Assigned, creating a picklist may require confirmation. Proceeding with the confirmation creates the picklist for the assigned items, while the unassigned items remain pending.
2. Manual Approval
If Auto Assign Inventory For B2B Orders at order import is disabled, newly created B2B orders are available under:
Orders → B2B Orders → Unapproved Orders
Orders can be approved in three ways:
- From View Order
- Approve by Sheet
- Bulk Approve Orders
2.1 Approve from View Order
- Go to Orders → B2B Orders → Unapproved Orders.
- Open the required order using View Order.
- Enter the Confirm Quantity.
- Click Approve Order.
- Entering the full quantity fully approves the order.
- Entering a lower quantity partially approves the order.
Once approved, the order is available under:
Orders → B2B Orders → View Orders → Open Orders.
2.2 Approve by Sheet
- Go to Orders → B2B Orders → Unapproved Orders.
- Click Approve by Sheet.
- Download the sheet.
- Enter the Confirm Quantity.
- Save the file.
- Upload the sheet.
- Check Imports to verify the upload.
The approval runs in the background and can be checked under Imports.
Partial quantity approval is supported when approving by sheet.
If the upload fails
- Go to View Imports.
- Check the job status.
- If an error is found, download the error file.
- Correct the original CSV.
- Upload the corrected file again.
2.3 Bulk Approve Orders
To approve multiple B2B orders:
Orders → B2B Orders → Unapproved Orders → ☰ → Bulk Approve Orders
- Click Bulk Approve Orders.
- Select orders using either of the following methods.
Option A: Enter Order IDs
- Enter Order IDs one per line.
- Maximum 50 orders can be entered.
- Click Download Sheet.
Option B: Use Filters
You can select orders using available filters such as:
- Order Date
- Customer
Then click Download Sheet.
Complete the Bulk Approval Sheet
- Open the downloaded file.
- Enter ConfirmQuantity.
- Confirm Quantity must match the order quantity.
- Save the file.
- Upload the file.
Partial quantity approval is not supported in Bulk Approval.After uploading:
View Imports → Verify Job Status
Once successfully approved, the orders are available under:
Orders → B2B Orders → View Orders → Open Orders.
3. Inventory Override via CSV
Use Inventory Override via CSV when inventory needs to be manually assigned from a specific Status, and optionally from a specific Batch or Bin.
This option can be used when the order is in Pending or Assigned status.
Steps
- Open the order.
- Click ☰ → Inventory Override via CSV.
- Download the sample template.
- Update the required fields in the CSV.
- Enter Remarks.
- Upload the CSV.
- Verify the upload under Imports.
Important CSV limitations
- Maximum 50 orders per upload.
- Order IDs must be entered one per line.
- Use the downloaded file/template for the upload.
4. Review the Order After Approval
Once the order is approved, go to:
Orders → B2B Orders → View Orders → Open Orders
Check the inventory assignment status before proceeding to picklist creation.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Assigned | Full inventory has been assigned. |
| Partially Assigned | Only part of the required inventory has been assigned. |
| Pending | Further approval or inventory action is required. |
5. Modify the Order Before Picklist Creation
Before a picklist is created, certain order details can still be modified.
SKU Swap
An existing SKU can be swapped before picklist creation.
The SKU swap:
- Retains the same Invoice ID.
- Is recorded in Order Notes.
- Requires Pricing Master configuration for the replacement SKU when Pricing Master is enabled.
Edit SKU Quantity
The quantity of an existing SKU can be edited before picklist creation.
The updated quantity is reflected in the picklist.
These modifications are available before picklist creation and are not allowed once picking has started.
Important Points
- Auto Assign Inventory For B2B Orders at order import controls whether B2B orders are automatically approved and inventory assignment is triggered.
- A fully assigned order shows Assigned and is ready for picklist creation.
- A partially assigned order shows Partially Assigned.
- Partial quantity approval is supported through View Order and Approve by Sheet.
- Bulk Approval does not support partial quantity approval.
- Inventory Override via CSV supports manual assignment based on inventory Status, with optional Batch or Bin.
- Inventory Override via CSV supports a maximum of 50 orders per upload.
- SKU quantity and SKU swap modifications are available only before picklist creation.
- If only part of the inventory is assigned, EasyEcom can split the order when proceeding with picklist creation: assigned items proceed to the picklist and unassigned items remain pending.
Video
FAQs
1. Why is my B2B order under Unapproved Orders?
If Auto Assign Inventory For B2B Orders at order import is disabled, newly created B2B orders require manual approval and are available under Unapproved Orders.
2. Can I partially approve a B2B order?
Yes. Partial quantity approval is supported when approving from View Order or using Approve by Sheet.
3. Can I partially approve orders using Bulk Approval?
No. Bulk Approval requires the Confirm Quantity to match the order quantity.
4. What does Partially Assigned mean?
It means only part of the required inventory has been assigned to the order.
5. Can I assign inventory from a specific batch or bin?
Yes. Use Inventory Override via CSV and specify the required inventory status and, where applicable, batch or bin.
6. Can I change the SKU after approval?
Yes, SKU swap and quantity modification are available before picklist creation, subject to the applicable order status.
7. Can I modify the order after the picklist is created?
No. The referenced order modification options are available before picklist creation.
Related Articles
- B2B Picklist Creation & Processing
- B2B Order Cancellation