Backorders

A backorder is a unit of an outbound order for which no stock was available at the time of allocation. Instead of cancelling it, Boxture marks the unit backordered and waits for stock to come in. As soon as stock arrives, backordered units are allocated, in the order in which customers are entitled to them.

When a unit is backordered

During allocation, each pending unit is either allocated, left pending, backordered or cancelled. A unit is backordered when:

• no inventory item could be allocated to it, and
• there is also no matching stock in the location that could be allocated later (for example stock in a receiving bin or stock on hold; in that case the unit is left pending), and
• Allocation › Backorder allowed is on (the default).

If backorders are not allowed, the unit is cancelled instead. When this cancels every unit of a line, the line is cancelled; when it cancels every unit of the order, the whole order is cancelled. The allocation notification tells you how many units were allocated, backordered and cancelled.

The setting can be different per customer and per location. Two order types ignore it:

Order type	Backorders
Scrap order	Always allowed
Remove inventory order	Never allowed

A unit is also backordered when the line asks for a specific serial number, lot or expiry date that is not in stock.

What you see

• The order moves to processing (a backorder counts as work started on the order).
• The line and order show a Backordered count.
• The order list's Backordered column shows how many units each order is waiting for.
• If part of the order was allocated, that part can already be picked and, if Shipping › Partial shipping allows, shipped. The rest follows when stock arrives.

Finding backorders

Add a filter on Backordered greater than 0 to the order list and save it as a view to see all orders that are waiting for stock.

How backorders are filled

Backordered units are allocated again:

Trigger	Condition
A purchase, return or transfer order is received	Always, for the received products.
Stock is put away	Always, for the products put away.
Stock is added with an inventory adjustment	Only if Allocation › Auto allocate backorders is on.
Another order with the same product is confirmed	Before allocating the new order, Boxture first tries the existing backorders, so the new order cannot take stock that older orders are waiting for.
A hold on stock is released	Always, for the released products.
Every 30 minutes	For orders with automatic allocation on, when available stock for the product has changed.
A user clicks Allocate	Always. Manual allocation allocates pending and backordered units.

When backorders are filled automatically, Boxture works through the waiting orders in this order: orders asking for a specific serial number, lot or expiry date first, then by Ship at and then by creation date. It stops as soon as an order cannot get any stock.

Unallocated orders are skipped

Orders that have been unallocated before are not allocated automatically any more. Their backorders are only filled when you allocate them by hand.

Backorder shipping method

You may want orders that waited for stock to be sent with a different (often faster) shipping method. Set Shipping › Backorder shipping method, optionally per order type, location and business model. When backordered units of an order are allocated, Boxture replaces the order's shipping method with the backorder shipping method. Orders without a shipping method are left without one.

Getting rid of a backorder

If the stock is not going to arrive:

• Cancel the backordered units (or the whole order) from the order page. See Cancelling.
• Lower the quantity of the line, as long as nothing on the order has been allocated yet. See Order lines.

NetSuite orders

For orders that come from NetSuite, a line that NetSuite reports as not (fully) committed stays backordered for the uncommitted quantity. Allocation skips that quantity until NetSuite commits it; the Allocate page shows a notice when this applies. See NetSuite.