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How Order Allocation Priority Works

Learn how order allocation priority works and how to prioritize orders to ensure urgent shipments receive inventory first.

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Written by ShipTop

Allocation Priority allows you to control which orders receive inventory first when stock is constrained.

There are three levels:

  • High Priority → Receives inventory first

  • Default Priority → Follows standard FIFO allocation

  • Low Priority → Receives inventory last (can lose allocation)

If multiple orders share the same priority, the system allocates inventory to the oldest order first within that group.

Important: Multi-Warehouse Allocation Comes First

If your account uses multiple warehouses:

  • Orders are first routed using Multi-Warehouse Allocation rules
    These rules determine which warehouse will fulfill the order
    Only after this step does inventory allocation occur
    ​

  • Multi-warehouse allocation is designed to decide where orders should be fulfilled based on rules like location, inventory availability, or priority lists.

Default Allocation Priority

By default, orders are allocated using a first-in, first-out (FIFO) approach:

  • Older orders receive inventory first

  • Newer orders are fulfilled after earlier orders

This ensures fairness and predictable fulfillment when inventory is limited.


How to Set Allocation Priority

Step 1: Navigate to Orders

  1. Log in to your Client Portal

  2. Go to Orders → Manage Orders


Step 2: Select the Order

  1. Search for the order

  2. Open the Order Details page


Step 3: Update Allocation Priority

  1. Locate the Allocation Priority field

  2. Select one of the following:

    • High

    • Default

    • Low

  3. Click Update Details


Step 4: Reprocess the Order

After updating allocation priority, the order may need to be reprocessed for changes to take effect.


Multi-Warehouse Allocation Priority

For Multi-Warehouse setups, order allocation priority is managed using a tag-based system.

Please ensure the Allocation Process outlined above is completed before applying priority using the steps below.

To prioritize an order, you must:

  1. Add the tag: high-priority

  2. Save the tag

  3. Reprocess the order

This ensures the system re-evaluates the order and applies priority during allocation.

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