Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD)

SoStocked now has an API integration into AWD. This allows us to pull the following reports on a daily basis:

  • AWD warehouse inventory levels
  • ASDN shipments (AWD to FBA)
  • STAR shipments (Inbound to AWD)

This integration will allow you to sync your AWD inventory levels which is automatically updated through the API feed daily.

It will also pull in new AWD to FBA (ASDN) shipments and SoStocked will auto-reconcile those FBA shipments so you do not have to do anything. All inbound inventory will be counted as inbound with a 20-day inbound lead time. The FBA (ASDN) shipments will be automatically reconciled as "One Time" inbound shipments, requiring no action on your part.

STAR shipments (inbound to AWD warehouse) will also be pulled in automatically daily and will be available to manually reconcile against your SoStocked POs or Work Order (WO) transfers to AWD, they will behave exactly as reconciled FBA shipments as covered in that tutorial. The only difference is on Step 1 when you are asked if all units are going to FBA, you answer "NO", as they are going to AWD. Then select the vendor and reconcile.


IMPORTANT:

Please reconnect your API to Seller Central first using this page. Simply click the yellow "Reconnect" button and authorize the additional API report. DO NOT click the "Diconnect" button or you will lose historical data in your account. After reconnecting the new API, you will need to wait for the next API call which is between midnight and 3am PST.

Inbound to AWD (STAR) Shipments - Reconcile Process

STAR shipments (inbound to AWD warehouse) will also be pulled in automatically daily and will be available to manually reconcile against your SoStocked POs or Work Order (WO) transfers to AWD, they will behave exactly as reconciled FBA shipments as covered in that tutorial. The only difference is on Step 1 when you are asked if all units are going to FBA, you answer "NO", as they are going to AWD. Then select the vendor and reconcile.

VIDEO:

Workflow Chart

These charts show you how the flow works from STAR to AWD and from AWD to FBA.

How to Transition From the Old AWD Workaround to the New Integration


  1. Start on your Forecast Settings page and turn on the "Active AWD integration" option, then save.


  2. Give the system 24 hours to update the data. We only pull the reports once daily due to Amazon API throttling (around midnight PST). So you will not see the AWD inventory levels update until after the next API call. You will not see the FBA shipments auto-reconcile until after the next API call. You can manually reconcile your AWD > FBA shipments (ASDN) in bulk using the bulk "One Time Reconcile" but DO NOT deduct this inventory from your warehouses as it will be adjusted automatically on the next API call.


  3. Go to your Inventory Page, and open any product that is fulfilled by AWD, then scroll down to the Warehouse Levels section. Check to make sure the new vendor is active and inventory levels are displayed. If the inventory quantities do not match, you can download your AWD report from Seller Central to ensure the API report is accurate. NOTE: These reports are pulled around 12:00 am midnight PST so the numbers may be off a bit since the last API call. They will update again on the next API call.


  4. If you are not seeing the AWD reports or data come through, then you will need to reauthorize your API through SoStocked. Simply go to your Connected Amazon Stores page and click the yellow Reconnect button to authorize the new AWD API. Do not disconnect the API or you will delete data in your account!


  5. If you are using an old AWD vendor (manual entry) then your forecasts will now show two AWD levels. This means we need to archive the old vendor so we are only using the new API data.

  1. Go to your Vendors Page and archive the old AWD warehouse. Make sure you select the purple button option to Archive and Unassign. This will erase all manually-entered inventory from this old vendor and hide it from view. Now you only have one AWD warehouse and it's the one coming from Amazon's API. These inventory numbers will automatically update daily between 12-3 am PST.

  1. CONDITIONAL: If after turning on the AWD API you still do not see the new AWD warehouse stock showing up on your forecasts, you may need to manually recalculate all of your forecasts. To do that simply click into any forecast, select any tool you are not using, and "Save and Apply to All Products" without changing anything. Here is a video to show you how to do that.

AWD Workflow Best Practices


  • Since you are transferring inventory from AWD to FBA, we need to create a transfer schedule that more or less mimics the auto replenishment from AWD. Set your FBA transfer schedule to As Needed with a buffer stock minimum of 30 days and a max of 35 days.


  • Set your order schedule from supplier to AWD to either As Needed or Fixed (i.e., Monthly), depending on your preference for how often you wish to place POs and how much inventory you want to store at AWD. Of course you can set your AWD warehouse buffer stock (min) or max stock per this tutorial just as you would with any other 3PL.


  • All FBA shipments created from AWD (ASDN) will be automatically reconciled as a one-time shipment. The system will display these as inbound on your Forecast Inventory Timeline with a 20 day inbound lead time (worst case scenario). But as soon as FBA scans the barcode on the FBA shipment it will display as being checked in "tomorrow" until all units are checked in.


  • Set up your default lead time from supplier to vendor, "Amazon AWD".


  • Input existing purchase orders to AWD (STAR shipments) just as you would if you were shipping from a supplier to your 3PL.


  • STAR shipments are the inventory from your supplier to AWD (not FBA). These will also be found on the AMZ Shipments page. They will not yet be auto-reconciled. You must manually reconcile STAR shipments (either to POs, to WOs, or as One Time) the exact same way you have always reconciled non-AWD FBA shipments going direct to Amazon.


AWD Advanced Workflow (using multiple warehouses)


From Amazon:

Auto-Replenishment uses a proprietary data science model to trigger replenishment to the FBA network. When the combined quantity of Available inventory in FBA network and Inventory in transit to FBA network falls below the Optimum level of supply for a specific ASIN, the Auto-Replenishment will be triggered during the next scheduled replenishment cycle to ensure the ASIN does not go out-of-stock.

Currently, the science model runs 3 times a week to monitor inventory in the FBA network and determine if an Auto-Replenishment shipment needs to be triggered.

The replenishments take up to an average of 14 days to move from an AWD center to the FBA network.

Further details regarding Replenishments from AWD are provided in help page : https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/GKH7ASMAL93YECBF

Currently there are no long term storage fees present at AWD.

Details regarding AWD fees are provided in help page : https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/GAYG62Q3MPE6STFS

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