Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) WORKAROUND
We are working with Amazon to get access to their new API reports for inbound AWD or Upstream (STAR) shipments. This is a process and once we have this built out, the system will be automated.
In the meantime, this workaround will help you to track your inbound to AWD inventory.
Here is the suggested workaround for SoStocked:
SEE THE VIDEO BELOW.
1. Create a new vendor (warehouse) in SoStocked and call it "AWD"
2. Create inbound shipments from a supplier (Purchase Order) or from another warehouse (Work Order), with a lead time that has the final destination, "AWD"
3. This will add that inbound inventory to your forecast. Once the inventory arrives to the AWD warehouse, SoStocked will count that against your forecast to ensure you don't over-order inventory.
4. Amazon will automatically create new FBA shipments from AWD to FBA. You can simply reconcile those FBA shipments the same way you always do.
CORRECTION WARNING: In this video, I suggest turning off your warehouse marketplaces so the forecast does not tell you to send inventory from "AWD" to FBA. I suggested this because that inventory is outside of your immediate control. But if you do turn off those marketplaces, be warned that you may forget that you have it, and that could lead to over-ordering. So you need to make your own decision on how to best balance that issue. This is a give-take, I understand. None of us are happy about having to do a workaround. ;)
Another small correction: you can manually move inventory from AWD to FBA. You can also have it fulfilled automatically and manually add inventory to the orders.
BEST PRACTICES IF YOU ARE 100% AWD:
- AWD warehouse created with marketplace switched on.
- Create supplier with Lead Time ending at AWD
- Products assigned to supplier and AWD warehouse.
- AWD warehouse levels updated on setup.
- Input existing purchase orders to AWD
- Bulk reconcile FBA shipments and toggle on 'deduct units from warehouse' and choose AWD.
- Order schedule set to how often customer wants to order. e.g. if they want to order monthly then warehouse max should be 30 days larger than minimum)
- Transfer schedule set to weekly (or every 3 days as below)
- Transfer time set to 14 days
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