Brief a UK warehouse for wholesale and online orders
Give your warehouse a written channel brief tied to a shared stock record. Define reservations, case and unit picking, separate packing profiles and who decides when deadlines conflict. Test competing orders before releasing live stock. Align factory packing with that brief through Cambridge China Bridge.
Define who can claim shared stock
Name each sales channel and decide whether it draws freely from available stock or has a protected allocation. Distinguish a channel reserve from stock committed to an accepted order. State when reservations start, when cancelled orders release them, and who may transfer stock between channels. Keep damaged, returned and held goods outside the available balance until approved.
Ask which stock record controls availability and how warehouse movements update your selling systems. Agree what happens if synchronisation fails: pause affected order acceptance or use an approved restricted balance. Require the warehouse to flag shortages before substituting stock or taking a wholesale reservation to fulfil an online order.
Make case and unit picking unambiguous
Give the warehouse a product master showing the product code, variant, unit barcode, case barcode and confirmed case contents. Every order line should identify its picking unit. Define whether wholesale customers accept opened cases, mixed cases or loose units, and how an opened case returns to the stock record without being counted again as a complete case.
Agree how reserve cases replenish the unit picking area and whether protected wholesale cases may be opened. Check that goods intended for individual sale remain suitable after splitting using the split-case sales guide. Use the pick-and-pack guide for the supporting order-error checks.
Attach separate packing profiles
Attach an approved packing profile to each channel or customer. For wholesale orders, specify case integrity, pallet arrangement, outer labels, packing lists and delivery-booking instructions. For online parcels, specify protective materials, presentation, inserts, paperwork and return information. Include photographs of approved finished packs and name who approves changes.
State which instruction wins when a customer's brief differs from the channel default. Hold the affected order if the packing profile is missing or contradictory. Keep replacement materials subject to approval. Link retailer delivery preparation to the palletised delivery guide, and give your factory the agreed case labels and packing details before shipment.
Resolve competing deadlines before dispatch
Record order acceptance cut-offs, packing completion targets, carrier collections and retailer delivery appointments separately. Define what makes an order ready for the queue, including released stock, complete instructions and any approval you require. A dispatch target should identify the intended carrier handover; it should not be treated as confirmation of arrival.
Agree a priority rule for clashes between wholesale bookings and online promises. Consider the consequence of missing each commitment, the remaining warehouse work and whether transport can still be arranged. Name your decision-maker and escalation route. Require approval before borrowing reserved stock, splitting an order, changing a carrier or adding overtime charges.
Test the brief and control changes
Run trial orders covering wholesale cases, online units, an opened case, a cancellation and a stock shortage during competing dispatch windows. Check that allocations prevent duplicate commitments, case movements reconcile to units, packing follows the correct profile and cancelled reservations become available again. Inspect the packed orders as well as the system records.
Ask for a daily exception report showing threatened deadlines, shortages, held orders and decisions needed. Keep the brief versioned, with an owner and an effective date. Agree charges for case picking, unit picking, repacking, packing materials and urgent work before launch. Cambridge China Bridge can align the China-side packing instructions with the warehouse brief you approve.
Frequently asked questions
Should wholesale and online orders share stock?
They can share a stock pool if reservations and availability updates are clear. Protect stock needed for firm wholesale commitments and define who can release or transfer that reserve.
Can my warehouse open wholesale cases for online orders?
Allow it only under an agreed rule. Specify which cases are protected, how loose units are recorded and whether the remaining contents can still fulfil a wholesale order.
Which orders should dispatch first when deadlines clash?
Agree priorities before launch, using delivery commitments, carrier availability and remaining work. Escalate exceptions to a named decision-maker before moving reserved stock or changing dispatch plans.
What packing instructions should I give my warehouse?
Supply approved profiles by channel and customer, covering materials, labels, paperwork and inserts. Include pack photographs, an instruction precedence rule and an approval route for changes.