Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF)

Fulfill orders from all channels by using your inventory stocked in Amazon FBA. Goflow supports a seamless and automated integration with Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF).

Assigning Orders to an FBA Warehouse

To fulfill through MCF, channel orders should be assigned to an FBA warehouse within Goflow. To achieve this, several preliminaries must be satisfied. Below is a breakdown of the steps. Click on each step for instructions on how to complete it:

1. Create an Amazon store in Goflow.
2. Associate the Amazon store with an FBA warehouse.
3. Enable FBA listings import.
4. Map the FBA listings to products.
5. In the channel store, set the FBA warehouse as the order fulfillment warehouse.

Channel orders assigned to the FBA warehouse are ready for fulfillment through Amazon MCF.

Creating an MCF Fulfillment Request

To create an Amazon MCF order fulfillment request, follow these steps:

1. From the side menu, go to Orders › Fulfill.
2. Click into an order to open the Create Fulfillment Order page.
3. For each order product, select the FBA listing and the quantity to Fulfill.
4. Enter the fulfillment order number.
5. Click on Shipping Options to choose how Amazon is to ship the order.
6. Click to Save the shipping options.
7. Finally, click to Send out the order to Amazon for processing.

Understanding Fulfillment Request Options

As you create a fulfillment request, make selections for the following options:

• FBA Listing - For each order product, you see the corresponding FBA listing and its available fulfillable quantity as reported by Amazon.

  If multiple FBA listings are mapped to the same product, you have the option to select a particular listing to use. For lines with multiple quantities, you have the flexibility to adjust the Fulfill quantity. This allows you to fulfill part of a line from one listing and the remaining quantity from a different FBA listing.

  For orders with group products, select from FBA listings mapped to the group children. Each child product is fulfilled through its own listing. Note that FBA listings cannot be mapped to a group product.

  The FBA listing SKU serves as the primary item identifier with Amazon. The item number of the mapped Goflow product is also sent along to Amazon as a secondary identifier.

  You can create a fulfillment request for inactive FBA listings as well, provided there is sufficient FBA inventory available on those listings. Typically, inactive listings have all their FBA quantities set to zero and do not receive continuous inventory updates. Nonetheless, when you create a fulfillment request, Goflow pulls the current inventory quantities live from Amazon, even for inactive listings.

• Fulfillment Order Number - This identifier becomes the Amazon MCF order number. This number is different from the order number in Goflow, and must be unique within the MCF system. By default, Goflow populates this number with the order ID, prefixed by GF-. However, you may change it to a different unique identifier.

• Shipping Service Level - Amazon typically offers three service levels: Expedited, Priority, and Standard. Each service level includes a promised shipping date, a promised delivery date, and a shipping cost. Choose the service level that ensures timely shipping and timely delivery for the lowest cost.

• Packing Slip Message - Enter a message for Amazon to print on the packing slip accompanying the order. By default, Goflow enters the order gift message. If the order does not have a gift message, it simply says Thank you for your order!.

• Blank Box - Selecting this option instructs Amazon to ship the order only with packaging material free of Amazon branding. If the particular Amazon fulfillment center has run out of its supply of blank boxes, Amazon shall refuse fulfillment. Under no circumstances should the order be fulfilled using packaging bearing Amazon branding.

• Block Amazon Logistics - Selecting this option instructs Amazon to ship the order only using neutral carriers like USPS, UPS, and FedEx. Amazon shall not use its own carrier service. Note that selecting this option adds an additional 5% to the shipping cost.

• Estimated Cost - Once you have made your selections, Goflow will display the total cost Amazon will charge for fulfilling the order. This amount will be applied as the order shipping cost.

Viewing the Fulfillment Order

After an order was sent out to Amazon for fulfillment, Goflow updates the order status to Awaiting Confirmation, and the order is placed in the Orders › Fulfilling bucket. The order is now being processed by Amazon.

To view the details of the fulfillment order request, click into the order, and click View Fulfillment Order. On this page you can see the listings used and the shipping options selected. Following shipment by Amazon, this page updates with the shipping method used and the tracking numbers of the packages.

Cancelling MCF Fulfillment

Should you decide not to go through with Amazon fulfillment, you may cancel the fulfillment request. Click on the Cancel Fulfillment button on the order, and check Notify Fulfillment Center to have the fulfillment request cancelled with Amazon. However, if the order is already undergoing processing by Amazon, they may refuse cancellation.

In situations where the order is stuck, and Amazon is neither processing the fulfillment request nor allowing the request to be cancelled, you may unilaterally revoke the fulfilment request in Goflow, and try to fulfill the order through an alternative route. Click on the Cancel Fulfillment button on the order, and remove the check next to Notify Fulfillment Center. This action will remove the Awaiting Confirmation status, and allow you to change the order warehouse, or to cancel the order with the channel.

Shipping MCF Orders

When Amazon prepares the order for shipping and generates tracking numbers, Goflow updates the order status to Shipped, and sends shipment notification to the store accordingly.

The channel order is updated with the carrier and shipping method used by Amazon. For multi-item orders shipped using different carriers, Goflow automatically splits the order and applies the respective shipping method used by Amazon to each part of the order. Subsequently, the store is updated with multiple tracking numbers from different carriers.

In cases where the order cannot be split, either because a single group product was fulfilled by different carriers or because the channel doesn't allow partial shipments, only the first carrier and tracking number is applied to the order.

Automatically Fulfilling Orders through MCF

You can have Goflow automatically request MCF fulfillment for all orders assigned to an FBA warehouse. To enable auto-fulfillment, follow these steps:

1. Assign orders to an FBA warehouse.
2. Go to Directory › Warehouses, and click into the FBA warehouse.
3. On the Status card, click on the pencil icon to edit.
4. Set Auto Fulfill Orders to Enabled.
5. Select whether to automatically fulfill orders with no timely delivery.
6. Click to Save auto-fulfillment.
7. On the Outbound Fulfillment card, click on the pencil icon to edit.
8. Select whether automatic fulfillment requests are to include the blank box or block Amazon Logistics options.
   • If blank box or block Amazon Logistics are to be included, select whether for all stores or just for specific stores where these options are necessary.
9. Finally, Save your selections.

Understanding Service Levels Selected in Auto-Fulfillment

Amazon typically offers three service levels: Expedited, Priority, and Standard, each with a promised delivery date. Goflow automatically selects the cheapest service level that ensures the order gets delivered on or before the order deliver-by date.

For orders missing a deliver-by date, Goflow estimates this date by considering the shipping method assigned to the order upon import. For example, for an order dated February 1st, the estimated deliver-by date varies based on the shipping method:

• UPS Next Day: February 2nd.
• UPS 2nd Day: February 3rd.
• UPS 3-Day: February 4th.
• UPS Ground: February 6th.
• UPS SurePost: No specific date is required.

Goflow takes weekends and major holidays into account when estimating the deliver-by date. The deliver-by date is extended by two days for weekends and by another day for major holidays.

A situation of no timely delivery happens when none of the service levels offered by Amazon can promise delivery by the order deliver-by date. You may want to opt out of auto-fulfillment for such orders, and instead explore alternative methods that would fulfill the order on time. Or you may want to proceed with auto-fulfillment, with the anticipated delay notwithstanding. Select how to handle orders with no timely delivery when enabling auto-fulfillment.

Handling Exceptions in Auto-Fulfillment

Orders that require Review upon import will not undergo automatic fulfillment until the review reason is resolved. Review reasons include:

• Order listing not mapped.
• Order requires acknowledgment with the channel.
• Multi-item order to be fulfilled by different warehouses.
• General review requirement.

Upon resolution of the review reason, and when the order becomes ready to fulfill, it will immediately undergo automatic fulfillment.

Orders encountering fulfillment issues stay in the Fulfill bucket. Such orders require review and manual fulfillment. Some reasons include:

• No FBA listing mapped to the order product.
• Insufficient stock available in FBA.
• Delivery restrictions to the order shipping address.