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Managing 3PL Products and Reported Inventory

3PL Products is the list of SKUs stocked in your 3PL warehouse. You can enable the import of 3PL products and 3PL inventory in Goflow warehouse settings. 3PL products are located under Catalog3PL Products. Note that the 3PL products list is distinct from your main Goflow product catalog, which is found under CatalogProducts. Each 3PL product includes details about the current inventory levels at the 3PL warehouse.

To enable 3PL products import, follow these steps:

  1. From the left sidebar, go to DirectoryWarehouses, and open the 3PL warehouse.
  2. Locate the 3PL Products Import setting on the side card.
  3. Click on the pencil icon to edit.
  4. Update the settings to Enabled.

Goflow supports 3PL products for the following warehouse types:

Amazon MCF uses Amazon FBA listing in lieu of 3PL products, and CastleGate uses Wayfair listings.

Mapping 3PL Products

Your 3PL products catalog may differ from the main product catalog in Goflow, with some products might have different SKU numbers. Mapping 3PL products to your Goflow products ensures that Goflow can accurately communicate product information with the 3PL. The mapping is one-to-one, meaning each 3PL product is linked to a single product in your Goflow catalog.

To map 3PL products, follow these steps:

  1. From the left sidebar, go to Catalog3PL Products.
  2. Use the filters and search box to find a specific 3PL product.
  3. Use the Is Mapped filter. Check the box to view only mapped products, or apply an X to display products that still need mapping.
  4. To map a 3PL product, click the red broken chain-link icon. Select the Goflow item number, and click Map to Product.
  5. To update an existing mapping, click the green chain-link icon. Select the new Goflow item number, and click Map to Product.
  6. To unmap a 3PL product, click the green chain-link icon. Click the small x to remove the Goflow product, and click Unmap from Product.

3PL products can be mapped to standard or kit products only. Mapping to a group product is not supported; instead, map each individual child within the group to its corresponding 3PL product.

A 3PL product can be unmapped even if it has orders currently being fulfilled by the 3PL. Unmapping will not impact orders already submitted, and the orders will still receive shipment updates from the 3PL. However, a 3PL product cannot be remapped to a different item number than the one currently being fulfilled.

Mapping 3PL Products in Bulk

You can update 3PL product mappings in bulk by uploading a CSV file, making it easy to streamline and manage multiple product mappings at once. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. From the left sidebar, go to Catalog3PL Products.
  2. In the upper-right corner, click on the Import icon, then select Import Product Mappings.
  3. Select the 3PL warehouse.
  4. Click to download the list of 3PL products that require mapping.
  5. In the download file, under the header Mapped Item Number, enter the Goflow item number.
  6. Save the file and upload it.

If the item numbers are the same in both catalogs, mapping is straightforward: simply copy over the item numbers from Column A to Column B. If the item numbers differ, find the corresponding Goflow item number for each 3PL product and enter it in Column B.

Use the bulk upload to update existing 3PL product mappings. Simply upload a new file with different Goflow item numbers in column B.

To delete 3PL product mappings, leave Column B empty and check the Unmap 3PL Products box when uploading. If this box is left unchecked, empty mappings will be ignored. This extra step provides a safeguard against accidental unmapping.

Managing 3PL Reported Inventory

When 3PL products import is enabled, Goflow will automatically update 3PL products with the available inventory as shown in the 3PL warehouse. Updates are continuously pulled to ensure the figures are up to date. Depending on the 3PL warehouse type, additional inventory figures, such as in-transit, may also be displayed.

The 3PL-reported inventory is distinct from Goflow’s internal inventory records for each product stored at a 3PL warehouse. Goflow’s inventory data provides a comprehensive history of inventory movements and costs, whereas the 3PL-reported inventory reflects only the most recent figures received from the warehouse. You can choose which inventory source you trust most and use that for communicating with sales channels.

When Use 3PL Inventory is enabled, Goflow will use the 3PL-reported inventory for store inventory allocation and for order warehouse assignment. If 3PL Inventory is disabled, Goflow will instead rely on the available inventory of the Goflow product.

To enable 3PL Inventory, follow these steps:

  1. From the left sidebar, go to DirectoryWarehouses, and open the 3PL warehouse.
  2. Locate the 3PL Products Import setting on the side card.
  3. Click on the pencil icon to edit.
  4. Update the settings to Enabled.
  5. Check Use 3PL Inventory.

Amazon MCF always uses Amazon reported inventory.