One Stock Figure, Both Channels
Two systems keeping their own count will eventually disagree about how many are left, and the customer finds out first. Online and at the counter, this is one number.
How it works
How one stock serves two channels
Availability per channel, per item
Each item carries its own switches — available in e-commerce, available at the till — so what you sell online is a decision per product, not per catalogue.
One stock position behind both
An online order and a counter sale draw down the same figure. There is nothing to reconcile at closing because there was never a second number.
Orders typed as e-commerce
An online order is a sales order with its type set to e-commerce, so it carries the same statuses and the same trail as everything else.
Deliverable through a channel
An item can be marked deliverable through a channel and carry a weight, which is what the courier side needs from it.
Low stock on one report
Reorder points and the low-stock report cover both channels, because both are drawing from the same shelf.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to publish everything online?
No. Availability is a switch per item, separately for e-commerce and for the till, so you choose product by product.
What stops the shop and the site overselling the same unit?
There is one stock figure. Both channels draw down the same number rather than each keeping a copy, which is the only reliable way to prevent it.
Can I tell an online order from a counter sale?
Yes. A sales order carries a type of standard or e-commerce, and it is a column you can filter on.
Was this demonstrated to you?
The per-item switches, the order type and the delivery fields were all seen in the application. The storefront module itself was not enabled in the account we walked, so ask to be shown that half running before you buy for it.
Integrated E-Commerce