Creating Inbound Shipments
Creating high-quality inbound shipments will help expedite the receiving of your SKUs and avoid issues that may lead to delays. The video below will demonstrate how to create products, create Inbounds, and how to track and manage your Inbounds and inventory.
Video Walkthrough
Video Timestamps
Jump directly to a specific part of the Video:
| 0:00 | First Steps |
| 1:00 | Ship From |
| 1:17 | Adding Products |
| 1:42 | Adding New Products |
| 5:16 | Shipment Method |
| 5:39 | Packing Information |
| 6:35 | Conversations Feature |
| 7:06 | Barcode Labels |
| 7:30 | Shipping Documentation |
| 7:51 | Mark In Transit |
| 8:05 | Received Notes |
Before you can send inventory to Cahoot, your Inbound Shipment must be approved and assigned to an address. Use the following steps to create your inbound and submit it for approval.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Log into Cahoot.
2. Go to Work Orders > All Inbounds.
3. On the Assigned to Partner tab, click Add New Inbound.
4. Add an Inbound Name (i.e. Replenishment #1, or New SKUs 0322).
5. Choose the Estimated Ship Date.
6. If you're scheduling your own carrier pickup, enter the Carrier Pickup Date, the warehouse Pickup Hours, and let us know if the pickup location requires a liftgate or has any special access requirements.
7. Add the Ship From (origin) address.
8a. Enter a SKU, or enter/scan a barcode for the first product you're shipping to Cahoot and click Add Item to add it directly to the inbound.
OR
8b. Leave the SKU and Barcode fields blank and just click the Add Items button to browse your Product Catalog. Select as many SKUs as you'd like using the checkboxes on the Search page results and click Select to add them to the inbound in bulk.
Note: If you use the search filters at the top of the Search page to search for a specific SKU, make sure to only use one filter at a time (SKU, ASIN, UPC, Barcode, or Item Name), for the greatest likelihood of success. Click Go to search.
OR
8c. If you don’t see your product on the list, you can quickly create it by clicking Add New Product on the same Search page.
9. Select your primary Channel (from where is Cahoot importing your orders), and enter the Item Name and Master SKU (aka Primary SKU).
Note 1: If you have multiple channels integrated with Cahoot, and any one of them is Amazon Seller Central, then select Amazon.
Note 2: The Master SKU cannot be changed. If you have other SKU values that you sell this product under, you’ll need to add them as Alias SKUs to the Master SKU. (See: How to Add Alias SKUs). Alias SKUs MUST be added BEFORE an order for the Alias SKU is imported into Cahoot, or Cahoot won’t recognize the order as fulfillable, and we’ll ignore it.
10. We highly recommend adding the Barcode now if it's available.
(You’ll save yourself a step and prevent a possible receiving problem later.)
11. Add any Special Storage or Handling Requirements.
(Ex. bubble wrap before shipping, the product needs to be stored below 85 degrees to prevent melting, etc.)
12. Click Save at the bottom of the page and close the current tab.
13. Back on the Search screen, enter the SKU you just created and click Go.
14. Select the checkbox and click Select to add it to your Inbound.
15. Enter any missing Barcodes by clicking Edit Product to open the Product Editor.
16. Enter the Barcode and click Save, then close the tab.
Note 2: Once the inbound is approved and moves from Pending Approval to Approved status, it can’t be edited. Any SKUs still missing barcodes could get stranded and require extra receiving time to resolve. It's best to enter your barcodes upfront, but if you don’t know one, or you're missing any other important details, click Save as Draft and come back to it later.
17. Enter the Quantities of each SKU that you're shipping.
18. Select whose Carrier Account you will ship on, the Shipment Type (Parcel, LTL, etc.), and how much Shipment Insurance you need.
19. In the Packing Information section, select the Package Type and enter the Pallet or Box Dimensions (Length, Width, Height, in inches), individual Pallet Weight (in pounds), and the Quantity of this Package Type you are shipping.
If you know the NMFC Code, enter it, if you don’t, enter a simple description of the most common components of the load (Plasticware, Glassware, Food Stuffs, etc.)
If you’re shipping parcels, skip Freight Class and NMFC Code.
20. Check the box to Certify that your inventory will arrive prepped according to the prep requirements, OR, that you are planning for Cahoot to provide the prep services and invoice you accordingly, (prep would be any barcoding, bagging of spillables, bubble wrapping, etc.), and either click Save as Draft to come back to your inbound later, or click Submit to request approval.
21. Click Yes to Confirm.
22. After you Submit your inbound, a conversations panel will be displayed at the bottom of the page. Add a message here requesting approval for the inbound.
23. After submitting your Inbound, you can print an Inbound Summary for your records as well as any Barcode Labels needed to prep the units you're shipping.
24. If Cahoot has scheduled the carrier pickup, we will attach the Bill Of Lading, pallet labels, and add tracking info to the Shipping Documents section of the Inbound page and notify you in Conversations. If you are scheduling the pickup, it's your responsibility to upload these documents or the shipment may be refused when delivery is attempted. Add the Shipping Documents by clicking Edit Inbound, then click Upload next to Bill of Lading to upload the files, and enter tracking in the text fields.
Important: If you are scheduling your own LTL, please make sure the "Inbound ID #" is added to the BOL. For inbounds shipping parcel, please make sure the "Inbound ID #" is added to the outside of each box/case. You will incur additional fees if this step is missed.
25. Click Save.
26. After the shipment is picked up, come back to the Inbound and click Mark as In Transit.
27. Click Yes to confirm.
Note 2: When you receive confirmation that your SKUs are LIVE in Cahoot and ready for fulfillment, we recommend always listing your SKUs with buffer quantity/safety stock. List your available quantity the greater of 5 units or 2%, short of the actual Qty Available to account for shrinkage. Read more about Shipper Reserve Quantity.