This guide explains how Inventory Planner can be configured when connected to an Inventory Management System. For information on how to launch Inventory Planner, please see the launch guide.
What if I have connections to other systems?
This guide is focused on configuring Inventory Planner with an Inventory Management System. If you have multiple connections with Inventory Planner beyond an IMS, please refer to the following specialized guides:
Configuring connections and warehouses
Connecting an Inventory Management System or (Warehouse Management System) is typically sufficient to sync products, stock, sales, and purchase order information.
Connecting stores and/or marketplaces directly is only recommended if it is not possible to connect to an IMS or WMS. You can see a full list of platforms that integrate with Inventory Planner along with the details we pull from each system on our Integrations page.
Note: You can always import additional sales history directly into Inventory Planner without connecting stores.
When you connect an Inventory Management System to Inventory Planner, the locations appear in Inventory Planner as warehouses you can enable/disable in Account > Settings > Connections & warehouses. Only enable warehouses that you need to evaluate independently for forecasting and replenishment planning purposes.
For warehouses that don't need to be independently evaluated, you can create a combined warehouse to aggregate sales (and/or stock) information from multiple warehouses into a single view. Doing so allows you to generate forecasted needs and replenishment recommendations based on totaled data.
Note: You do not need to enable individual warehouses if it's enough to include them in a combined warehouse.
In the below example, the "Main Branch" warehouse's stock and sales are combined with the "Second Warehouse"'s sales only (ignoring stock). With this configuration, the 'combined warehouse' view captures all sales orders for forecasting and replenishment planning, but the stock in the "Second Warehouse" is ignored since all sales are fulfilled from the "Main Branch" warehouse.
Note: If you have multiple connections and/or duplicate listings for a single variant/SKU, it is important to combine listings first in order to maintain accurate reports using a combined warehouse.
Forecasting, replenishment, and reporting
Here are some videos and resources to reference related to forecasting, replenishment, purchase orders, and reports in Inventory Planner.
Replenishment and Edit Forecast are the key areas of Inventory Planner to configure and generate your forecast and replenishment recommendations. Use the Replenishment Report for variant/SKU level forecasting and replenishment analysis, and to create purchase orders using replenishment recommendations. Replenishment is an output of your forecast method and settings, forecast edits, and your planning period (lead time + days of stock).
The Edit Forecast section shows a monthly breakdown of forecasted sales. Select the date range in the top right for your Report, then click on Columns (using the gear icon in the top right) and Filters to see the information you need. Metrics are calculated at the Variant (SKU) level. Use the top left dropdown to aggregate reports and/or override forecasts in different dimensions (e.g. by category, by vendor, etc).
Purchase orders and transfer orders
In many cases, purchase orders (to vendors) and transfer orders (between warehouses) can be synced to and from an Inventory Management System using a direct integration. Check the integrations page to see if these features are supported for your integration.
When purchase orders or transfers are successfully synced, they will be represented by a green label in the purchase orders section. These orders cannot be managed within Inventory Planner since Inventory Planner does not control the stock. These orders should be managed and received directly in the IMS, and the details will sync back to Inventory Planner automatically. Any changes to the orders should also be made directly in the IMS - they will be reflected in Inventory Planner following the next automatic sync (or anytime a manual sync is triggered in the bottom left of the interface).
Bundles and assemblies (pre-kitted goods)
A bundle can also be referred to as a kit, a virtual bundle, or a gift set. Bundles are simply different ways of selling variants - e.g. 10 total shirts could be sold as (1) 10PK or (2) 5PK or (10) 1PK. With bundles, all of the stock is tied together - and goods are bundled after the sale occurs when the customer order is fulfilled.
Inventory Planner considers the sales from bundles with the sales of individual components/variants when producing forecasts and replenishment recommendations at the variant level.
Bundle-variant relationships are synced to Inventory Planner automatically when possible. For some integrations, the classification ("bundle" or "assembly") can also be synced automatically. For others, the relationships can be synced, but classifications need to be managed directly within Inventory Planner. Check the integrations page to see if these features are supported for your integration.
An assembly must be produced from components (variants) before it can be placed into stock and available for sale. These goods are pre-assembled before the sale and fulfillment of an item.
Assemblies include any produced goods with a bill of materials (BOM), and bundles/kits that must be produced before sending to Amazon (or a different fulfillment warehouse).
Planning for assemblies should only take place in warehouses where there are forecasted sales and accurate stock levels. If components are stocked and/or assembled in a different facility from where customer orders are fulfilled, configuring a combined warehouse allows you to aggregate the stock and/or sales information from multiple warehouses into a single warehouse for assemblies replenishment planning.
Whether you create a new purchase order, assembly order, or transfer order using recommendations from a combined warehouse or an individual warehouse view, you can select the 'true' destination warehouse once the new order is created.
Replenishment for assemblies
Understanding forecasting and how replenishment is calculated for any item is key to understanding replenishment recommendations for assemblies and variants (components). Learn more about forecasting for assemblies here.
In order to calculate replenishment for assemblies and generate a schedule, the planning period and cycle details must be defined:
Select "assemblies" in the top left of Replenishment, then configure your forecast method, forecast edits (if applicable), assembly time, and assembly cycle.
Select "variants" in the top left of Replenishment, then configure your lead time and days of stock for component variants.
Note: If components are sold on their own, configure the forecast method and/or forecast edits at the variant level as well.
Recommended workflow for IMS integrations
Raise assembly orders (production orders) to create new assemblies from component stock. If the "assembly orders (push)" functionality is available for your IMS integration, save the assembly order to your IMS.
If the assembly order is saved to your IMS, receive the order there. Your IMS will decrease the stock of components and increase stock of assemblies respectively.
If the assembly order is not saved your IMS, receive the assembly order in Inventory Planner to clear the "on assembly" quantity once stock levels have been adjusted in your IMS.
Create purchase orders (POs) to purchase component variants from vendors. If the "purchase orders (push)" functionality is available for your IMS integration, save the PO to your IMS.
If the PO is saved to your IMS, receive the PO there. Your IMS will increase stock of component variants respectively.
If the PO is not saved your IMS, receive the PO in Inventory Planner to clear the "on order" quantity once stock levels have been adjusted in your IMS.
Vendors and vendor attributes
Vendors and vendor attributes (e.g. cost price, vendor reference) are often synced to Inventory Planner automatically from an Inventory Management System. Attributes synced from each system vary, and when they are not synced they can be input (or uploaded directly) into Inventory Planner. Check the integrations page to see which features are supported for your integration.
Additional resources for Inventory Management System integrations
Combined warehouse: Used to aggregate sales (and/or stock) information from multiple warehouses into a single view, to generate forecasted needs and replenishment recommendations based on totaled data.
Listings: Connect multiple listings of the same exact variant/SKU (if you have multiple connections, or duplicated listings within a single connection).
Compare warehouse report: Compare metrics across multiple warehouses and optionally generate warehouse transfer recommendations.
Explanations of metrics, columns/filters, or other features:
Visit the integrations page for a full list of details Inventory Planner syncs from every integration, or experiment with features anytime in the Inventory Planner demo store.
Feel free to contact Inventory Planner directly at [email protected] or to schedule a call to review any other questions.