Smart Inventory Management: Managing Inventory Transfers (New) (Web)

Inventory Transfer (New) is the redesigned version of SHOPLINE's stock transfer tool, built to simplify how you move inventory between locations. With this feature, you can ship and receive transfer orders in multiple batches, partially reject items that don't meet expectations, and track every shipment's progress in one place. 

This guide explains how to create a transfer order, ship and receive it in batches, and how to manage completed and voided forms.

Prerequisites for Managing Inventory Transfers (New)

Before you begin:

• Install the Smart Inventory Management app from the SHOPLINE App Store.
• Make sure both locations you want to transfer between have been added and are enabled under Settings > Locations in your SHOPLINE admin — see "Location Management" for details.
• Make sure both locations are stores with the POS Pro plan activated.

Creating a Transfer Form

You can create a transfer-in order to increase inventory at your location, or a transfer-out order to reduce it. Both order types share the same creation process:

1. From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Apps > Smart Inventory Management.
2. Within the app, go to Inventory > Inventory transfer (New). 
3. Click Create a transfer form and choose a transfer-in or transfer-out order based on your needs.
4. Fill in the basic information for the form, including the transfer-in/out order name, transfer-out location, transfer-in location, estimated delivery date and time, contact, and note.

5. Add products to the form using one of the following methods:
   • Bulk import: Download the template, fill in the SKU, product name, and transferred amount, then upload the file and click Confirm.
   • Select products: Search or filter by name, SKU, brand, category, tag, or supplier, then click Select.
   • Add products from recommendation: Choose from products with negative inventory, inventory below the minimum alert value, or inventory below the average daily sales volume.
6. Fill in the Cost and Transferred amount for each product, then click Save and submit.
7. Once submitted, the form moves to the In Progress status. A transfer-in order still needs approval from staff at the transfer-out location before shipping can begin; a transfer-out order is ready to be shipped right away.

If a contact email is provided on the form, the contact will receive an email notification when the transfer form is created.

Processing Transfer-in Orders

Before a transfer-in order can be shipped, staff at the transfer-out location need to review it and confirm the requested products can be sent. To process a transfer-in order:

1. From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Apps > Smart Inventory Management > Inventory > Inventory transfer (New) > In Progress.
2. Locate the transfer-in order and click Process. Use the filters to find a specific order if needed.
3. Review the requested products and quantities, then decide whether to approve the request.
   • To approve: Click Create shipment order, then enter the Current ship quantity. If you're transferring serialized inventory, click +SN to provide the required serial numbers — you can do this manually or via bulk import. You can then begin shipping the requested products, either all at once or across multiple batches; see the next section for details. Click Create shipment order again for each additional batch, and once you've finished shipping, click Mark as shipped.
   • To deny: Click Deny. The order returns to the Not submitted status so the requesting location can review and resubmit it.

The staff contact who submitted the transfer-in order also receives an email about the processing status.

Shipping a Transfer Order in Multiple Batches

If you can't ship an entire transfer order at once, for example, if part of your stock is temporarily unavailable, you can ship it in multiple batches. Each batch you ship creates its own shipment record, so both locations can track exactly what's been sent and what's still outstanding.

1. From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Apps > Smart Inventory Management > Inventory > Inventory transfer (New) > In Progress, then open the transfer-out order you want to ship.
2. On the order's product list, enter the quantity you're able to ship in this batch, then click Create shipment order. This creates a new shipment record for the quantity you entered. For additional details, please see the section above: “Processing Transfer-in Orders” > Step 3 > To approve.
3. Open the Shipment records tab on the order's detail page to review what's been shipped so far. Each shipment record shows a shipment number, its status (Pending receipt, Partially received, or Completed), the quantity shipped, and who shipped it and when.
4. Click a shipment number to view its full product breakdown, including the quantity shipped, received, and rejected for each item. For serialized (SN) products, quantities appear as a link that opens a read-only list of the serial numbers included in that shipment.
5. Repeat this process for each additional batch until all requested quantities have been fully shipped. Once all items are fully shipped, staff at the transfer-out location must click Mark as Shipped.

Receiving and Rejecting Shipments

As each shipment arrives, staff at the transfer-in location can confirm receipt, by accepting the products that meet expectations and rejecting any that don't. To receive a shipment:

1. From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Apps > Smart Inventory Management > Inventory > Inventory transfer (New) > In Progress, then locate and open the order.
2. Open the Shipment records tab, find the shipment record you want to receive (status Not received), and click Details to open the receiving page. If the order has multiple shipments, you can process each record as it arrives.
3. Click Go to receive. For each product, review the quantity shipped, then enter how many units you're receiving and how many you are rejecting, for example, if some items arrived damaged.
   Note: You don't have to complete receiving for every product in a shipment record all at once — you can process it in stages.
4. Click Confirm receipt to save what you've entered so far.
5. Once you're ready and don't need to wait for the remaining items, click Mark as shipped in the order page to change the order's status to Completed.

Managing Transfer Forms

Efficient management of transfer forms is pivotal for maintaining a well-organized inventory system. Whether exporting forms for documentation or voiding drafts, these steps ensure a seamless process.

Voiding a Transfer Form

If you no longer need a draft form in the "Not submitted" status, you can void it to keep your transfer list organized:

1. From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Apps > Smart Inventory Management.
2. Within the app, go to Inventory > Inventory transfer (New) > Not submitted. Locate the form and click Void in the Operate column, or open the form's detail page and click Void in the upper right corner.

After the form is voided, its status changes to Voided.

Important Notes for Managing Inventory Transfers (New)

• Existing transfer orders from the original Inventory Transfer feature are not automatically migrated to this new version. If you need to view or process old transfer orders, continue doing so in the original Inventory Transfer module, and make sure any outstanding orders there are fully processed.
• If a transfer order you're receiving ends up with fewer items than expected after all shipments are reconciled, or if you reject a shipment during receiving, you'll be notified via the Message Center. Please confirm the final notification wording and delivery channel once this feature is available for testing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Managing Inventory Transfers (New)

Q1: What happens to my transfer orders from the original Inventory Transfer feature?

A1: Existing transfer orders are not automatically migrated to Inventory Transfer (New). If you need to view or process old transfer orders, continue doing so in the original Inventory Transfer module.

Q2: What happens if I only receive part of a shipment?

A2: Whether an order is In Progress or Completed depends on whether you've completed the Mark as shipped and Mark as completed actions — not on how many units have been shipped or received. So if you only receive part of a shipment, the order simply stays In Progress; you can process receiving in as many passes as you need, without worrying about whether every quantity has been fully reconciled. Once you're ready — for example, if you don't need to wait for the remaining units — click Mark as completed. Any quantity that was shipped but never received will then be reversed back to the transfer-out location's inventory as a variance.