Now that Amplifier has been loaded with inventory, we can begin acting upon that Inventory. We do so with Orders. Orders, as the name suggests, tell Amplifier what work to perform. Usually, Orders involve Picking inventory, Packing it and Shipping it out. In many cases, Orders can also instruct Amplifier to Make goods and Personalize them, too.)
There are three primary ways to send Amplifier Orders, they are:
Integrating with an Ecommerce Cart
Importing Orders in a Batch
Generating Orders using "+ Order" function in My.Amplifier
Integrating with an Ecommerce Cart
Perhaps the easiest way to send Amplifier orders is using an online store. Through our pre-built Order Desk integrations, Amplifier allows for seamless integration with leading ecommerce platforms like Shopify. What makes this form of order conveyance so nice is that it only needs to be set up once. From then on, Orders will usually flow in to Amplifier without you even thinking about it.
In most cases, Amplifier's Order Desk app also will synchronize your Inventory levels as well as Deliver Tracking Numbers after we've shipped out each Order. To setup your online store for Integration, please contact help@amplifier.com.
Importing Orders in a Batch
Amplifier also allows you to Import Orders. This tool is essential for many Clients. Batch Importing Orders is especially important to those who have successfully crowdfunded using platforms like Indiegogo or Kickstarter.
To Import Orders:
Navigate to the Orders page.
Click the "+ Order" button in the upper right region of the page.
Choose Import Orders
4. The template can be downloaded either from the right menu by clicking CSV Template or by clicking the hyperlink for "template"
5. Select the order source in the menu under "Where did these orders come from?"
6. Click the "Choose File" button and select the .csv file you would like to import. Note the max file size listed.
7. Click the "Import" button.
Confirm that your orders were successfully imported by reviewing the "Successful" column on the Status page. If there were any errors resulting in import failure, you'll be able to see the specific issues by clicking the flag under the "Failed" column.
It may be helpful to read the article called Tips & Tricks for Importing Orders.
Generating Orders with the "Create Orders" Function
Another way to send Amplifier orders is to use our Create Orders tool. Much like a shopping cart, Create Orders collects Sender, Recipient, Order Contents and the Shipping Details.
Viewing Orders
Amplifier's Orders View provides a summary of all Orders, the Order Number, Source, Customer Name, Status and the Order Date.
To view Order Details of any Order, simply click the blue "Order Number" link.
If an order has already shipped, you will see the Tracking Number under Shipment Details. Note that in the example above, the Order shows small golden lightning bolts next to the UNSHIPPED ITEMS. These bolt denote that the Items in this Order are "made on demand" by Amplifier. Once we print these two T-Shirts, then the Order will ship.
A Note About Orders
As you have seen, it's very easy to bring Orders into Amplifier. With this great power comes great responsibility. Filling Amplifier up with Orders will lead to Shipments in very short order. If you provide erroneous Order information, it can easily translate into erroneous Shipments. Though it happens infrequently, we have seen:
A Client upload orders with the wrong SKU which resulted in hundreds of mis-shipments
A Client running a Presale for Items with a "Street Date" in the future that failed to enable "Do Not Ship Until" Date and shipped too early
A Client create Items using One SKU only to then Import Orders with a Different SKU (which stranded the orders for weeks until they realized it)
When it comes to Merchandising and Fulfillment, Amplifier is proud to be your weapon of choice. Just remember that you are dealing with live ammunition here, and unnecessary mistakes can be costly.
Order Reconciliation
Regardless which of the 3 Order entry paths you choose for your customer orders, it's important to reconcile the open orders in your ecommerce store with what you see unfulfilled by Amplifier. In some cases, Orders may end up in the Alerted category in My.Amplifier, which is a signal that something in the order needs attention.
In cases where an integration is used, orders can also get "stuck," meaning that they successfully exported from your ecommerce store, but did not post to My.Amplifier. Examples we've seen of this happening:
SKU on the Order had not yet been entered in the Amplifier system, which means we also don't have it in stock (since we can't Receive without the SKU setup)
Address1 was too long in the ecommerce site; Order Desk will fail an order if there are more than 80 characters in Address1.
Missing country code, even for domestic orders
If you see a discrepancy between what your ecommerce store shows as open orders and what Amplifier shows, please contact help@amplifier.com.