Configurable Order Routing

Configure Order Routing

Faster, Smarter Fulfillment

HotWax Commerce offers a dedicated Order Routing App that allows retailers to tune order routing based on their business needs.

The order routing engine eliminates guesswork and always selects the best fulfillment location for each order.

Configure Order Routing

Set Order Prioritization Rules

Retailers can create order batches based on shipping method, order priority, or sales channel. This allows them to group high-priority orders, such as same-day and next-day deliveries, ensuring they are processed before standard orders.

It's also possible to define how orders should be picked from a batch. Configurable options such as FIFO, customer loyalty, shipping method, and more enable the routing engine to pick orders in the correct sequence.

Routing rules can be adjusted at any time to align with business needs, peak sales periods, or promotions.

Configure Order Routing

Allocate Inventory from Ideal Fulfillment Locations

Route online orders to fulfillment locations using configurable rules that take into account factors such as proximity to the customer's address, inventory levels, and fulfillment capacity.

Configure Order Routing

Meet the Demand for Same-Day Deliveries

Set rules to determine how orders are allocated. For standard orders, fulfillment from warehouses can be prioritized, with stores as backups.

For time-sensitive deliveries like same-day or next-day, closest store locations can be prioritized.

These configurations allow more flexibility in balancing inventory and optimizing shipping costs.

Configure Order Routing

Retry Inventory Allocation with Multiple Inventory Rules

When some orders in a batch remain unallocated, additional allocation inventory rules can be applied. If the first attempt doesn’t allocate inventory, the next rule can expand the search radius, include additional stores, or allow split shipments.

These configurations keep orders moving without delays.

Configure Order Routing

Reroute Rejected Orders

When fulfillment locations reject orders due to unavailable inventory, the brokering engine automatically reroutes them to the next best location with stock.

This eliminates the need for manual intervention, prevents unfulfilled orders, and reduces cancellations.

Optimize Order Routing to Match Business Needs

Split Orders the Right Way

Order splitting can be necessary, but it often leads to higher shipping costs. Retailers can manage these costs by enabling splits only when absolutely necessary.

For example, splitting may be used as a last resort when an order cannot be fulfilled otherwise, helping to minimize unnecessary splits.

Optimize Order Routing to Match Business Needs

Balance Online and In-store Demand

Happy customers, in-store and online.

Set a minimum inventory threshold - the brokering safety stock - to make sure online orders never deplete inventory needed for in-store customers.

The order routing engine skips stores where inventory has dropped below this level, keeping online fulfillment efficient while maintaining stock availability for walk-in customers.

Optimize Order Routing to Match Business Needs

Choose Which Locations Participate in Fulfillment

Retailers have the flexibility to choose which locations are eligible for fulfilling online orders. If a location is temporarily disabled for fulfillment due to operational constraints, the order routing engine will not allocate orders to that location.

Once a store reaches its order limit, the routing engine automatically routes new orders to another fulfillment location. The following day, the store becomes eligible to accept new orders again.

During high-demand periods, such as the holiday season, it's also possible to override order limits to allow stores to fulfill additional orders as needed.

Optimize Order Routing to Match Business Needs

Disable Fulfillment For Specific Products

Not all products in a retailer’s catalog are suitable for store fulfillment. Certain items, such as new launches or those requiring special service add-ons, may be better suited for in-store purchases and fulfilled exclusively from warehouses due to handling or packaging constraints.

Retailers can disable fulfillment for specific products at certain locations while keeping warehouse fulfillment available.