Why are orders going to the wrong building or failing to route, and how do I fix it?

Orders change buildings when a routing input changes: the strategy’s method, priorities, or included buildings, the automation that applies it, or the stock available to allocate at each building. The order’s activity names the strategy that ran. Check it under Settings → Operations → Fulfillment Orders, on the routing tab, and move a single order with “Change Building.”

Orders reach a building without stock for an item when:

• the Shortfall strategy is “Ship what’s available, backorder the rest” or “Create fulfillment orders anyway,” which place unsourced units on a waiting fulfillment order,
• the stock counted was Available to Make, kits that could be built from components,
• someone used Choose Building, which does not check stock, or
• Shopify assigned the location.

When applying a strategy fails, Endless shows the reason, or “Fulfillments could not be created,” and the activity records “Could not apply routing strategy” with the reason. Common reasons:

• “Not enough available stock for SKU (2 of 5)”: the Shortfall strategy waits for the whole order, or nothing was in stock.
• “The strategy has no included buildings.”
• “The order or included buildings do not have routable addresses”: “Closest building” needs a ship-to address on the order and addresses on the buildings. Add the missing address or use another method. A building without an address is left out whenever other included buildings have one.
• “No default available location at Building to receive a fulfillment.”
• “Cannot create fulfillments for an order that has not been confirmed.”

If an item sells out after routing, Draft fulfillment orders cannot be allocated. Apply the strategy again or change the building. Allocated ones keep their reservation. Contact Endless support for help with routing.