Customer Level Inventory Blocking
Software Plan : Growth & Enterprise
Account Type : Seller Account
Inventory Type : Serialised & Non-Serialized
Feature description
This feature empowers sellers to block specific inventory, reserving it exclusively for valuable B2B clients, specific sales channels, or marketplaces. By strategically allocating stock, you can prevent overselling and ensure your high-priority customers receive the expected fulfilment.
Use Case
Scenario:
Sarah runs an online store selling premium artisanal coffee beans. She recently secured a significant partnership with "The Daily Grind," a popular subscription box service for coffee enthusiasts. This B2B client places large, recurring orders for a specific single-origin bean that Sarah sources in limited quantities.
Without the 'Inventory Block' feature, Sarah would face the risk of:
- Overselling: The single-origin bean might sell out to individual retail customers before The Daily Grind's order is fulfilled, potentially jeopardizing the partnership.
- Stock Allocation Headaches: Sarah would need to manually track and set aside stock for The Daily Grind, a time-consuming and error-prone process.
- Damaged Reputation: Failure to fulfill The Daily Grind's orders consistently could lead to the loss of a valuable B2B client.
With the 'Inventory Block' feature, Sarah can:
- Create an 'Inventory Block' specifically for 'The Daily Grind' for the anticipated quantity of the single-origin bean for their next order cycle.
- Reserve the exact amount of stock needed, ensuring it's unavailable for regular retail purchase.
- Guarantee timely fulfillment of The Daily Grind's order, strengthening the business relationship.
- Manage her overall inventory with greater confidence, knowing that her priority B2B commitments are secured.
Outcome: Sarah successfully fulfills her commitment to The Daily Grind, solidifying a valuable partnership and ensuring a consistent revenue stream.
Workflow
Step 1: Go to Inventory (main menu) > Inventory Block
Step 2: Click "Add Inventory Block".
Step 3: Inventory Block can be created against Sales Channel/Marketplace and B2B Customer.
Inventory Block Against Sales Channel
Step 1: Choose the End time of the inventory blocking and choose the Sales Channel against which you want to create the block. Click "Submit" to confirm.
Step 2: A block ID will be created.
Step 3: Click on the "Pencil" icon to add the block details.
Step 4: Click "Download Template".
2 types of inventory blocks can be created:
- Fixed Block: A "Fixed Block" reserves a specific quantity of inventory for a defined period. You can define the exact number of inventory units to be blocked. This quantity must be less than or equal to the quantity currently available for blocking. Available quantity is calculated as: (Total Available Quantity - Quantity Already Blocked). The block is enforced for a specific duration, defined by a start and end time. The blocked inventory quantity remains static; it does not change even if new inventory is received during the block's duration.
Example:
You have 100 T-shirts in stock.
You create a Fixed Block of 20 T-shirts for a flash sale.
The system reserves those 20 T-shirts. You now have 80 T-shirts available for regular sales.
If you create a GRN for another 50 T-shirts, the blocked quantity stays at 20. You'll have a total of 130 T-shirts, with 20 blocked and 110 available.
- Percentage Block: A "Percentage Block" is a method used to reserve a portion of an inventory for specific purposes, such as allocating stock to particular customers, sales channels, or marketplaces. Instead of specifying an exact quantity, you can define the portion of inventory to be blocked as a percentage. The total of all percentage blocks applied to an inventory cannot exceed 100%, ensuring that the entire inventory is not over-allocated. The block is enforced for a specific duration, defined by a start and end time. If additional inventory becomes available during the block's duration (e.g., through a new shipment), the actual quantity of blocked inventory will increase proportionally, based on the specified percentage.
Example:
You have 100 T-shirts in stock.
You set a Percentage Block of 10% for your online marketplace.
The system blocks 10% of 100 = 10 T-shirts.
If you create a GRN for another 50 T-shirts, your total stock becomes 150.
The system automatically adjusts the block to 10% of 150 = 15 T-shirts.
Step 5: Upload the sheet with the mandatory fields.
Mandatory Fields:
1. SKU- Mention the Easyecom Master SKU
2. Type- "1" for Fixed Block and "2" for Percentage Block
3. Blocked Inventory- If you choose type "1", mention the fixed inventory block count
4. Percentage- If you choose type "2", mention the percentage of the inventory block
5. Max Block Inventory- This defines the upper limit of inventory that can be blocked, regardless of the percentage entered. If the percentage block exceeds this value, the system will block only upto maximum specified in this column
Example of Fixed Block (Value 1 in the type column refers to "Fixed Block")
OR
Example of Percentage Block (Value 2 in the type column refers to "Percentage Block")
Step 6: Click "Upload" and choose the file.
Step 7: After adding the sheet, click "Update"
Go to the Import section to check the status of the upload.
Step 8: You may also view the added/updated details by clicking on "Download Key".
Go to the Export Section to download the sheet.
Step 9: You may see the uploaded details.
Inventory Block Against Marketplace
Step 1: Choose the End time of the inventory blocking and choose the Marketplace against which you want to create the block. Click "Submit" to confirm.
Step 2: A block ID will be created.
Step 3: Click on the "Pencil" icon to add the block details.
Step 4: Click "Download Template".
Step 5: Upload the sheet with the mandatory fields.
Mandatory Fields:
1. SKU- Mention the Easyecom Master SKU
2. Type- "1" for Fixed Block and "2" for Percentage Block
3. Blocked Inventory- If you choose type "1", mention the fixed inventory block count
4. Percentage- If you choose type "2", mention the percentage of the inventory block
5. Max Block Inventory- This defines the upper limit of inventory that can be blocked, regardless of the percentage entered. If the percentage block exceeds this value, the system will block only upto maximum specified in this column
6. Marketplace SKU- Mention the marketplace SKU (ensure that the SKU is mapped with easyecom master SKU)
7. Location Key- Mention the Location key of your warehouse
Example of Fixed Block (Value 1 in the type column refers to "Fixed Block")
OR
Example of Percentage Block (Value 2 in the type column refers to "Percentage Block")
Step 6: Click "Upload" and choose the file.
Step 7: After adding the sheet, click "Update"
Go to the Import section to check the status of the upload.
Step 8: You may also view the added/updated details by clicking on "Download Key".
Go to the Export Section to download the sheet.
Step 9: You may see the uploaded details.
Inventory Block Against Company
Step 1: Choose the End time of the inventory blocking and choose the Customer against which you want to create the block. Click "Submit" to confirm.
Step 2: A block ID will be created.
Step 3: Click on the "Pencil" icon to add the block details.
Step 4: Click "Download Template".
Step 5: Upload the sheet with the mandatory fields.
Mandatory Fields:
1. SKU- Mention the Easyecom Master SKU
2. Type- "1" for Fixed Block and "2" for Percentage Block
3. Blocked Inventory- If you choose type "1", mention the fixed inventory block count
4. Percentage- If you choose type "2", mention the percentage of the inventory block
5. Max Block Inventory- This defines the upper limit of inventory that can be blocked, regardless of the percentage entered. If the percentage block exceeds this value, the system will block only upto maximum specified in this column
Example of Fixed Block (Value 1 in the type column refers to "Fixed Block")
OR
Example of Percentage Block (Value 2 in the type column refers to "Percentage Block")
Step 6: Click "Upload" and choose the file.
Step 7: After adding the sheet, click "Update".
Go to the Import section to check the status of the upload.
Step 8: You may also view the added/updated details by clicking on "Download Key".
Go to the Export Section to download the sheet.
Step 9: You may see the uploaded details.
FAQs
Q. Can I add '0' as a value for blocked inventory or the percentage?
No, you cannot. If you attempt to enter '0' for either the blocked inventory value or the percentage, the system will generate an error.
Q. If I already have blocked inventory and want to add more to the blocked count or percentage, will it add to the existing amount or replace it entirely?
When you attempt to add an additional quantity or percentage to an existing blocked inventory, the system will replace the previously entered value with the new value. It will not add on to the existing blocked quantity or percentage.
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