How does allocating a fulfillment order reserve inventory, and can I allocate only part of an order?

Allocating a fulfillment order reserves the full quantity of every item at the fulfillment order’s building. Allocation is all or nothing. If the building cannot cover every unit, the fulfillment order stays in Draft.

Endless reserves stock from the building’s active, pickable locations, picking locations first. Reserved units stay In Stock but stop counting as Available to Allocate, so routing and other fulfillment orders cannot use them. Stock leaves inventory only when shipments cover the whole fulfillment order. A partial shipment keeps the full reservation.

On a sales order’s items, “Available To Allocate” means the company has enough stock available to allocate, across all buildings, for the item’s full quantity. “Partially Available To Allocate” means some stock is available, but less than the quantity ordered. Both apply only to items not yet allocated, and neither checks the fulfillment order’s building.

To allocate part of an order, lower or remove the items the building cannot cover with “Edit item” or “Bulk edit items” on the Draft fulfillment order, then allocate it. The removed units return to Items To Fulfill. When stock arrives, create a second fulfillment order for them with Create Fulfillments, then Choose Building.

“Revert to Draft” releases the reservation, and so does canceling the fulfillment order. A Failed fulfillment order keeps its reservation until you resend, revert, or cancel it.

Allocated does not mean sent. A fulfillment order goes to the warehouse only when someone selects “Send for fulfillment” or a Process Fulfillment automation sends it. To reserve stock without sending work, choose the Allocate only outcome. Processing must be enabled.

A Draft sales order does not reduce inventory available to other orders. Once the order is confirmed, its units that are on Draft fulfillment orders or on no fulfillment order count as Ordered, which lowers Available to Sell. They lower Available to Allocate only once a fulfillment order is allocated.