Frequently Asked Questions

HotWax Commerce gives multiple options to fulfill store pick-up orders:

• HotWax Commerce BOPIS fulfillment app:  For retailers who are open to using third-party apps, HotWax Commerce offers a stand-alone mobile app for fulfilling BOPIS orders from stores.

• In-house Custom POS application: Retailers who don't prefer using third-party apps for store fulfillment, avoiding additional training for store associates, prefer to develop custom store fulfillment applications in their existing POS. For these retailers, HotWax Commerce provides APIs to read and fulfill store pickup orders from HotWax Commerce. Using these APIs retailer’s tech team can choose to develop custom applications in existing POS to fulfill store pick-up orders. 

• Shopify POS BOPIS fulfillment app: For retailers using Shopify POS, we offer a “Store pick-up” application that gets embedded in Shopify POS. Store associates can use this application from Shopify POS to see all the store pick-up orders assigned to their stores and fulfill them when customers come to pick up their orders.

  Once the BOPIS orders are fulfilled, HotWax Commerce syncs that information back to eCommerce which also marks the order completed on eCommerce.

Yes, HotWax Commerce can push orders to POS using APIs provided by the POS system. If POS does not offer APIs, orders can be placed in CSV format on a designated SFTP location for the POS system to access.

HotWax Commerce downloads payment method and order status information and syncs these with POS. However, payment processing and capturing are managed in eCommerce, as the transactions are online sales.

HotWax Commerce can display an estimated pickup date by determining the nearest stores or warehouses with inventory and the time required to transfer the product to the selected store. If the customer places a store pickup order, HotWax Commerce initiates a "ship-to-store" process and creates a transfer order in the POS/warehouse system. The transfer order status can be synced from POS/warehouse system to HotWax Commerce.

HotWax Commerce BOPIS Fulfillment App and APIs allow Store Associates to change the order's delivery mode from “Store Pick-Up” to “Delivery.” Associates can consult with customers and modify the delivery mode if approved, routing the order to the nearest store or warehouse. Alternatively, associates can use the HotWax Commerce BOPIS Fulfillment App to send an email to customers, informing them of the product's unavailability and providing alternative pickup options.

The processing time for an order at the store or warehouse depends on the frequency of the order brokering job. For example, if it runs every hour and an order is downloaded at 7:00 AM, with the previous job having run at 6:30 AM, the order will be sent for processing at 7:30 AM.

Yes, you can immediately turn off any store or warehouse for fulfillment using Hotwax Commerce admin screens and reduce the order limit to 0.

If an order is rejected due to unavailability, the order automatically gets re-brokered to a different store or warehouse based on order routing rules.

HotWax Commerce integrates with third-party logistics companies like FedEx to get the delivery confirmation and then the order status is updated in HotWax Commerce.

HotWax Commerce's order routing engine takes into account the following factors:

1. Store participation in the fulfillment program
   
2. Order priority based on the shipping method
   
3. Inventory proximity to the destination
   
4. Inventory levels at the store
   
5. Store-level parameters like safety stock and max order limit
   
6. Order splitting
   

For a quick introduction to HotWax order routing, check out this video or read more about order routing in this featured blog post:

Order brokering in HotWax Commerce is a batch process by default. This process groups orders placed within specific time intervals and prioritizes them based on delivery methods such as standard, next-day, or same-day. This helps ensure inventory is allocated first to same-day and next-day orders, followed by standard orders, even if standard orders were placed earlier. Retailers can configure the order brokering process in HotWax Commerce to run at specific times and frequencies throughout the day.

Yes, HotWax Commerce handles pre-orders/backorders. The Shopify Pre-Order App by HotWax Commerce replaces the "Add to Cart" button with a "Pre-Orders/Backorder" button and displays an estimated delivery date for out-of-stock items. It also automatically converts the button back to "Add to Cart" once inventory is available. Available inventories are allocated to pre-orders/backorders on a first-come, first-served basis.

Here is a demo video for pre-orders and backorders: 

HotWax Commerce includes a variety of pre-built reports to help retailers analyze sales, returns, pre-orders, and fulfillment operations. Moreover, IT or business teams can opt for training on creating and running custom reports using HotWax Commerce's built-in integration with Google App Scripts and Superset.

HotWax Commerce provides ready integration with Shopify & Shopify Plus. Additionally, HotWax Commerce offers open APIs and its own integration toolkit, enabling rapid eCommerce integration with various eCommerce systems such as BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and Commerce Tools, among others.

HotWax Commerce readily integrates with Shopify POS, X-Store POS, and Predict Spring. Furthermore, HotWax Commerce features a rapid POS integration kit that supports POSLog and TLog standards.

HotWax Commerce retrieves orders from Shopify using its API, which allows for downloading 250 orders in a single call. However, HotWax Commerce downloads 100 orders per call to prevent file size limit errors, as some orders may contain multiple items, increasing the file size.
The order throughput from Shopify depends on the API response time, which is generally 2-3 seconds but can take 5-10 seconds during peak seasons. Each API call is made after the previous one is completed.
Order throughput can range from 600 to 5,000 orders per minute. HotWax Commerce has achieved a throughput of 17,500 orders in 5 minutes, or 3,500 orders per minute, during the holiday season.

HotWax Commerce supports CSV-FTP-based integration with Netsuite ERP, Infor M3 ERP, SAP, and Microsoft Dynamics AX. It also offers a rapid ERP integration kit that facilitates swift ERP integration.

Using ready-made integrations, HotWax Commerce can process orders from eCommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. Shopify's integrations with social media sales channels like Facebook and Instagram also allow HotWax Commerce to handle orders from those platforms. Additionally, HotWax Commerce can process in-store Endless Aisle/Send Sale orders from POS systems, either through APIs or FTP locations. New sales channels can be integrated using HotWax Commerce's open APIs.

User manuals, videos, and onboarding sessions are provided for all omnichannel features and functionalities.

Yes, visit https://forum.hotwax.io/

HotWax Commerce offers open APIs, enabling retailers' tech teams to extend the platform and create custom applications. Back-end apps are also open-sourced for further customization.

HotWax Commerce continuously updates its platform, providing the latest features and bug fixes without a traditional release cycle.

The team plans two-week sprints for implementation and customization, with weekly client calls for user training and progress updates.

HotWax Commerce is cloud-based and requires an internet connection to function.

HotWax Commerce has a streamlined contract process. Once both parties sign the online contract, implementation can begin immediately.

Yes, you can access a copy of all your data, such as orders, products, and inventory. You retain ownership of that data throughout its lifespan. HotWax Commerce does not store your data after the commercial relationship ends, unless specified in your contract.

HotWax Commerce is a cloud-based SaaS solution, eliminating the need for retailers to manage server hardware scaling. All in-store HotWax Commerce apps are web-native, so any device with full browser support can access and use them.

HotWax Commerce offers different support levels depending on the chosen plan. We also provide comprehensive user manuals, a growing collection of online tutorials, and initial onboarding training. IT teams receive training on common browser settings and configurations to troubleshoot any unexpected behavior from HotWax Commerce.