Transfer orders are instrumental in the internal movement of inventory within an omnichannel retail environment. They serve various purposes, including:

• Warehouse to Store: When there is a need to replenish inventory at retail stores from the central warehouse or distribution center, transfer orders can be initiated to move the required items from the warehouse to the stores.

• Store to Warehouse: Sometimes, stores might need to return excess or unsold inventory back to the warehouse for consolidation or redistribution. Transfer orders facilitate this movement from the stores back to the warehouse.

• Between Stores: In cases where one store has excess inventory that another store requires, transfer orders can be used to transfer inventory directly between stores, optimizing stock levels across the retail network.

Transfer orders are initiated in the NetSuite ERP system, facilitating the movement of inventory from warehouses to stores, between stores, or stores to warehouses.

Stores looking to transfer surplus inventory to another store in need of it work alongside the inventory planning team to create a store-to-store transfer order in NetSuite. This facilitates the transfer of inventory from one store location to another.

Now, let’s look at how store to store transfer orders are processed:

Inventory planners create transfer orders in NetSuite, specifying the source location as the designated store and the destination location as also a store. These transfer orders are automatically assigned a Pending Fulfillment status.

These transfer orders are synchronized to HotWax Commerce so that they can be fulfilled from stores. Once transfer order items are shipped from stores, their status is updated from Approved to Completed and subsequently inventory count for the shipped items is reduced in HotWax Commerce.

The transfer order items shipped from the store are synchronized to NetSuite and the corresponding item fulfillment records are generated and marked Shipped in NetSuite. This step also ensures that inventory counts for the corresponding items are automatically reduced in NetSuite and the transfer order status is updated from Pending Fulfillment to Pending Receipt.

These item fulfillment records are synchronized to HotWax Commerce and inbound shipments are automatically created so that the store can receive the transferred inventory. When the store associates verifies the inbound shipments and receives them, inventory counts for the corresponding items are automatically increased in HotWax Commerce.

Upon successful receipt of inventory, HotWax Commerce synchronizes item receipts with NetSuite. This ensures that the inventory count at store is accurately increased in NetSuite and the status of transfer orders status is updated from Pending Receipt to Received.

Workflow

Create Transfer Orders in NetSuite

1. Export Created Transfer Orders from NetSuite:

   Inventory planners create transfer orders in NetSuite, specifying the source location as the designated store and the destination location as also a store. These transfer orders are automatically assigned a Pending Fulfillment status.

   At regular intervals, a Map Reduce script runs a specific Saved Search in NetSuite and identifies transfer orders with a Pending Fulfillment status that have a source location set as the Store. This script compiles the relevant data into a CSV file, which is then securely placed at an SFTP location.

SuiteScript

Export Transfer Orders to SFTP

SFTP Location

1. Import Transfer Orders into HotWax Commerce:

   Once the store to store transfer orders are created and exported from NetSuite, they are imported into HotWax Commerce.

   The process of approving transfer orders in HotWax Commerce, fulfilling them from the designated store location, reducing inventory counts in HotWax Commerce for fulfilled transfer order items, exporting store fulfilled transfer order items from HotWax Commerce and finally importing them into NetSuite mirrors the discussed earlier.

Job in HotWax Commerce

Import Transfer Orders from SFTP

Approve Transfer Orders

Export Fulfilled Transfer Order Items to SFTP

SFTP Location

SuiteScript

Import Fuflilled Transfer Order Items from SFTP

1. Generate Item Fulfillment Records in NetSuite:

   Once fulfilled transfer orders are imported into NetSuite, item fulfillment records are generated and are automatically marked “Shipped”. Whenever an item fulfillment record is marked “Shipped”, the inventory count for corresponding items is reduced in NetSuite. These records signify that the destination store location can now start receiving the transfer order items.

   A Map Reduce script runs a specific Saved Search to identify item fulfillment records in Shipped status, where both the source and destination locations are Store locations. Subsequently, the script compiles the relevant data into a CSV file, which is securely placed at an SFTP location.

SuiteScript

Export Item Fulfillment Records to SFTP

SFTP Location

1. Receive Transfer Orders in HotWax Commerce:

   The process of importing item fulfillment records in HotWax Commerce, receiving inbound shipments in the store, increasing inventory counts in HotWax Commerce against inbound shipments, exporting item receipts from HotWax Commerce, importing item receipts into NetSuite and finally increasing inventory count at store in NetSuite mirrors the discussed earlier.

Job in HotWax Commerce

Import Item Fulfillment Records from SFTP

Export Item Receipts to SFTP

SFTP Location

SuiteScript

Import Item Receipts from SFTP

Following this approach, store associates at the destination store can efficiently receive inbound shipments at their store, synchronize the item receipts with NetSuite, and ultimately mark the completion of store to store transfer orders, with the transfer order status updating in NetSuite from Pending Receipt to Received.

Here's how transfer order fields are mapped in NetSuite and HotWax Commerce for store fulfillment:

Here's how transfer order fields are mapped in NetSuite and HotWax Commerce for receiving in store:

Store managers can return excess or unsold inventory from stores to the warehouse with store to warehouse transfer orders.

Now, let’s look at how store to warehouse transfer orders are processed:

Inventory planners create transfer orders in NetSuite, specifying the source location as the designated store and the destination location as the warehouse. These transfer orders are automatically assigned a Pending Fulfillment status.

These transfer orders are synchronized to HotWax Commerce in the default Created status. HotWax Commerce provides a dedicated Store Fulfillment App for store associates to fulfill transfer order items from stores. Once transfer order items are shipped from stores, their status is updated from Approved to Completed and subsequently inventory count for the shipped items is reduced in HotWax Commerce.

The transfer order items shipped from the store are synchronized to NetSuite so that incoming inventory can be received in the warehouse. This step also updates transfer order status from Pending Fulfillment to Pending Receipt.

When transfer order items are received in the warehouse, inventory counts for the corresponding items are automatically increased in NetSuite and the transfer order status is updated from Pending Receipt to Received.

Inventory count for transfer order items received in the warehouse is increased in HotWax Commerce on performing its periodic inventory sync from NetSuite.

Workflow

Create Transfer Orders in NetSuite

1. Export Created Transfer Orders from NetSuite: Inventory planners create transfer orders in NetSuite, specifying the source location as the designated store and the destination location as the warehouse. These transfer orders are automatically assigned a Pending Fulfillment status.

   At regular intervals, a Map Reduce script runs a specific Saved Search in NetSuite and identifies transfer orders with a Pending Fulfillment status that have a source location set as the Store. This script compiles the relevant data into a CSV file, which is then securely placed at an SFTP location.

SuiteScript

Export Transfer Orders to SFTP

SFTP Location

1. Import Transfer Orders into HotWax Commerce: A scheduled job in HotWax Commerce OMS reads the transfer orders CSV file from the SFTP location and downloads transfer orders in HotWax Commerce with a default Created status.

2. Approve Transfer Orders: A scheduled job in HotWax Commerce OMS identifies all transfer orders in the Created status and automatically marks them as Approved.

Job in HotWax Commerce

Import Transfer Orders from SFTP

Approve Transfer Orders

Fulfill Transfer Orders using the Store Fulfillment App

Once approved, transfer orders are automatically reflected at the source location in the Store Fulfillment App so that store associates can create shipments and ship transfer order items.

• Store associates pick the transfer order items they want to fulfill from their store.

• After picking the items, store associates pack them and proceed to create fulfillments for each item.

• Once the shipment has been created, store associates fetch shipping labels from the carrier and the corresponding tracking codes.

• After all items are shipped, transfer orders status is automatically updated from Approved

Once transfer order items are fulfilled from the store, the inventory count for the corresponding items is automatically reduced in HotWax Commerce.

1. Export Fulfilled Transfer Orders Items from HotWax Commerce: A scheduled job in HotWax Commerce Integration Platform generates a JSON file with all the transfer order items that are in the Completed status and securely places the file in an SFTP location, making it accessible for NetSuite.

Job in HotWax Commerce

Export Fulfilled Transfer Order Items to SFTP

SFTP Location

1. Import Fulfilled Transfer Orders Items in NetSuite: In NetSuite, a scheduled SuiteScript reads this JSON file containing fulfilled transfer order items from the SFTP location. The script iterates through each record, creates item fulfillment records, and reduces inventory count in NetSuite for items shipped from the store.

   Once item fulfillment records are created for each transfer order item, the status of the transfer order in NetSuite is automatically updated from Pending Fulfillment to Pending Receipt.

SuiteScripts

Import Fuflilled Transfer Order Items from SFTP

1. Receive Transfer Orders in NetSuite: Inventory planners manually initiate the receiving process in NetSuite for the store transferred inventory upon its arrival at the warehouse.

Automated Transfer Order Status Update

After the receiving process is completed, the transfer order is marked as Received, indicating that all transfer order items have been successfully received at the warehouse. Additionally, the inventory count for the newly received inventory is updated in NetSuite.

Update Inventory Count in HotWax Commerce

Inventory for transfer order items received in the warehouse is synchronized when HotWax Commerce performs its daily inventory sync from NetSuite.

Here's how transfer order fields are mapped in NetSuite and HotWax Commerce

Transfer orders originate in NetSuite, but there is a distinction in how they are fulfilled. When a transfer order is initiated from a warehouse, NetSuite's fulfillment solution is employed to fulfill the transfer order, ensuring the correct allocation of inventory.

Now, let’s look at how warehouse to store transfer orders are processed:

Inventory planners create transfer orders in NetSuite. On fulfilling transfer order items in NetSuite, corresponding item fulfillment records are generated and transfer orders are automatically assigned a Pending Receipt status in NetSuite.

Each transfer order can result in either a single item fulfillment record or multiple records, depending on the scenario:

• Single item fulfillment record: This happens when all products in a transfer order are fulfilled simultaneously, resulting in the creation of a single shipment and, consequently, a single item fulfillment record.

• Multiple item fulfillment records: This happens when products in a transfer order are fulfilled separately, leading to the creation of multiple shipments due to some products being shipped later and, consequently, multiple item fulfillment records.

• Multiple item fulfillment records for a single product: This happens when a transfer order is created for a single product, but its quantity is shipped in multiple shipments and, consequently, multiple item fulfillment records.

Whenever an item is fulfilled and the item fulfillment record is marked as Shipped in NetSuite, the inventory count for corresponding items is reduced in NetSuite. This also signifies that the items have been dispatched from the warehouse and are in transit to the store.

Inbound shipments are automatically created in HotWax Commerce so that the store can receive the transferred inventory. HotWax Commerce provides a dedicated Inventory Receiving App for store associates to receive in inventory stores. When the store associates verifies the inbound shipments and receives them, inventory counts for the corresponding items are automatically increased in HotWax Commerce.

Upon successful receipt of inventory, HotWax Commerce synchronizes item receipts with NetSuite. This ensures that the inventory count at store is accurately increased in NetSuite and the status of transfer orders status is updated from Pending Receipt to Received.

As mentioned earlier, in NetSuite, the inventory count for transfer order items shipped from the warehouse is reduced. In HotWax Commerce, this reduction takes place during its periodic inventory sync from NetSuite.

Workflow

Fulfilling Transfer Order Items

1. Export Transfer Order Item Fulfillment Records from NetSuite: A Map Reduce script runs a specific Saved Search to identify transfer order item fulfillment records in Shipped status, that have the source location as the warehouse and destination location set as the store. It compiles the relevant data into a CSV file, which is then securely placed in an SFTP location. The script runs periodically, typically every 15 minutes, to ensure it fetches only the latest shipped transfer order item fulfillment records from NetSuite, optimizing efficiency.

SuiteScript

Export Item Fulfillment Records to SFTP

SFTP Location

1. Import Transfer Order Item Fulfillment Records in HotWax Commerce: A scheduled job in HotWax Commerce OMS reads the transfer order item fulfillment CSV file from the SFTP location and creates inbound shipments in the OMS at the destination facility.

Job in HotWax Commerce

Import Item Fulfillment Records from SFTP

Receiving Inventory in the Store

Store associates leverage HotWax Commerce Inventory Receiving App to receive transferred inventory. The user-friendly interface of this app ensures a smooth and efficient receiving process, even for users with minimal training.

Inbound shipments that have been created are automatically reflected in the Inventory Receiving App, allowing store associates to receive them in store. Upon receiving them, item receipt records are generated in HotWax Commerce. Subsequently, the inventory counts for the items received in the store are promptly increased in HotWax Commerce.

1. Export Item Receipts from HotWax Commerce: To maintain a comprehensive record and accurately update inventory count for items received at the store in NetSuite, a scheduled job in HotWax Commerce Integration Platform generates a JSON file with the item receipt records and securely places the file in an SFTP location, making it accessible for NetSuite.

2. Import Item Receipts into NetSuite: In NetSuite, a scheduled SuiteScript reads this JSON file containing item receipt records from the SFTP location. The script iterates through each record, creates new item receipt records, and updates inventory count in NetSuite. The script uses the versatile N/record module to ensure a smooth transition.

Job in HotWax Commerce

Export Item Receipts to SFTP

SFTP Location

SuiteScript

Import Item Receipts from SFTP

Automated Transfer Order Status Update

Once all the transfer order item fulfillment records have been successfully received in-store and their item receipt records have been synchronized with NetSuite, the transfer order status is updated from Pending Receipt to Received.

Here's how transfer order fields are mapped in NetSuite and HotWax Commerce

Transfer Order reports play a crucial role in monitoring and managing the movement of goods between facilities. Here are two types of Transfer Order reports:

Open Transfer Order Shipment Older Than One Day Report

This Open Transfer Order Shipment Older Than One Day report provides a comprehensive overview of transfer orders that have been imported from NetSuite to HotWax but have not yet been received within the last one day. The absence of reception indicates a lapse in communication to complete these orders in NetSuite. This report assists in identifying and addressing transfer orders that require attention for completion in NetSuite, ensuring a timely and accurate synchronization between HotWax and NetSuite systems.