Auto-Batching
Auto-batching allows 3PL Warehouse Manager to automatically generate batches of orders based on rules that you select.
To get started, you need to first enable ‘Auto Batch’ in Admin > Settings.
Note that 3PL Warehouse Manager requires the following to create a batch of orders. These same requirements apply to auto-batches: same customer, same warehouse, fully allocated.
Once enabled for your 3PL Warehouse Manager instance, you can enable and configure auto-batching on a customer-by-customer basis.
- Navigate to Customers > Manage Customers in 3PL Warehouse Manager, select a relevant customer from the grid, then click Edit.
- Select the Batches configuration section.
- Click the selection box for Enable auto-batching.
- For Batch Cutoff Time, enter the time of day you want to stop creating batches, which is typically driven by your carrier's pickup schedule. If orders are imported or created after the specified cutoff time and qualify for batching, they are held and batched automatically the following day.
- For Batch Size, enter the number of orders you'd like in each batch. The default batch size is 25 and can be increased up to 499 orders per batch.
- Next, select the rule you want to apply to make orders eligible for auto-batching. Each rule is described below.
- Quantity 1: Batches single-item orders that include the same item and a quantity of 1
- Identical Orders: Batches orders that include the same items and quantities of those items
- Identical Items: Batches orders that include the same items regardless of item quantities
- Carrier: Batches orders assigned the same shipping carrier
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Customer and Warehouse: Batches orders for the same customer and warehouse
If you'd like to see additional auto-batch rules, please submit a Product Idea. We'd love your feedback!
- Once you select a rule, choose whether you want orders to also be batched by carrier by selecting the relevant option in the Same Carrier drop-down menu. Note: This does not apply to the "Carrier" rule.
- Click Save to apply your auto-batch settings.
- Repeat Steps 1–8 for each customer as needed.
Once configured, it's important to understand how the batching process occurs.
- When an order transitions into a Complete status, 3PL Warehouse Manager evaluates it against the customer's auto-batch rule. If the order matches the rule, it's grouped with other orders of the same configuration. Once the specified batch size is reached based on these batching qualifications and the rule selected in a customer's settings, the system creates a batch.
- However, if one or more eligible orders come in after the specified cutoff time, those orders are held and batched starting at midnight the following day.
- The system automatically names each batch using the following formatting: Customer Name (up to 10 characters)-Batch rule number-Month/Day-How many batches of that type have been created that day. For example: customerA-1-07/26-5.
- Once a batch is created, it is searchable and manageable through the Find Orders grid. You can manually add orders to these batches as needed.
3PL Warehouse Manager uses asynchronous processing when batching orders. Because of this, the assignment of individual orders to batches is not always ‘first in first batched’.
However, all orders will be batched prior to that day’s processing deadline.