Starshipit WMS products and inventory configuration

Overview

The Products section in Starshipit WMS is where you define how each SKU behaves in the warehouse. This configuration controls how stock is received, tracked, allocated and picked.

When you first set up Starshipit WMS, you will typically:

• Sync products from your existing Starshipit account
• Review and adjust product settings for bundles, units of measure and tracking
• Choose an allocation strategy per product

Getting product configuration right up front helps avoid receiving errors, allocation failures and unnecessary manual work later.

Syncing products from Starshipit

Starshipit WMS connects to your Starshipit account to pull in product data so you do not have to recreate your catalogue from scratch.

1. Go to the Products section in Starshipit WMS.
2. Use the Sync products action to import products from Starshipit.
3. Once the sync is complete, you will see your SKUs listed with their basic details. From here you can configure WMS-specific options such as bundles, tracking types and allocation rules.

After the initial sync, products can be kept up to date by running further syncs or by editing individual records directly in WMS.

Importing multiple products at once

When importing products from a dialog, you can enter comma-separated SKUs to import multiple specific products at once, rather than importing one at a time.

Importing products from Shopify

If you have a Shopify store connected to your Starshipit account, you can import products directly from Shopify using the Shopify Sync dialog. Selectable fields include SKU, name, image, barcode, price, weight, HS code, country of origin and Shopify IDs. A live progress bar shows import status.

When syncing from Shopify, the system also captures HS codes and country of origin data from the Shopify product record.

Creating, editing, and cloning products

You can manage product records directly in WMS in addition to syncing from Starshipit:

• Create new products when you need SKUs that do not exist in Starshipit yet.
• Edit existing product details (for example, tracking type or allocation strategy).
• Clone a product to duplicate its configuration and reduce setup time. After cloning, confirm the SKU is unique before saving.

The Products list also supports barcode-based lookups. If a scan returns no results, confirm the barcode is stored on the product record and that your scanner input is mapped correctly.

Product records and core fields

Each product in WMS has a set of core fields used across inbound, stock management and outbound flows.

• SKU – the unique code for the product (must match your ecommerce/Starshipit SKU).
• Name – human-readable product name.
• Barcode – used for scanning during picking, packing, stocktake, and quick lookups on product and inventory screens.
• Price – defaults to 0 if no price is supplied.
• On hand / Available / Committed / Incoming – inventory metrics shown in the inventory dashboard. Committed represents stock reserved for pending orders. Available is the quantity that can still be allocated (On hand minus Committed).
• Bundle configuration – whether the SKU is a bundle and how it should be fulfilled.
• Unit of measure setup – parent/child relationships for cartons vs eaches, etc.
• Tracking type – Standard (none), Batch or Serial.
• Allocation strategy – FIFO, LIFO, FEFO or LEFO.
• Image – product images can be loaded from any domain, which helps when hosting images outside Starshipit.

You can edit these settings from the product detail page in WMS. Changes affect how future stock movements and orders behave, so it is best to review them carefully during onboarding.

Bundle products

Starshipit WMS supports bundle or kit SKUs made up of other SKUs. These are configured as bundle products and can be handled in two ways:

Exploding bundles

An exploding bundle is a bundle SKU that breaks down into its component SKUs when an order is processed. The WMS does not pick the bundle SKU directly. Instead, it:

• Allocates and picks the individual component SKUs
• Tracks inventory at the component level
• Treats the bundle as a logical grouping for ordering and reporting

This is useful when you never hold a pre-built kit in stock but always assemble it from individual components when fulfilling an order.

Require stock bundles (pre-kitted)

A bundle set to Require stock behaves like its own physical item. In this case:

• The bundle SKU has its own inventory that must be on hand to fulfil orders
• When stock is not available, WMS can create a kitting job prompting staff to assemble bundles from components
• Once assembled, the on hand quantity for the bundle SKU is increased

Kitting jobs support Pending and Assigned statuses, allow assignment management, and can auto-allocate components to speed up kitting workflows.

This mode is ideal when you keep pre-built packs on the shelf and want to ensure they are either available or explicitly assembled as a separate process.

Choosing the right bundle mode

• Use exploding bundles when you do not store pre-made kits and always pick component items.
• Use require stock when you store finished kits and want kitting to be a separate, trackable activity.

Quick comparison:

	Exploding bundles	Require stock bundles
How it works	Breaks down into component SKUs when an order is processed	Bundle SKU has its own inventory that must be on hand
Inventory tracking	At component level	At bundle level
Picking	WMS picks individual component SKUs	WMS picks the bundle SKU directly
Kitting	Components assembled at fulfilment	Pre-built kits stored on shelf; kitting jobs create bundle stock
Best for	Never store pre-made kits, always pick components	Keep pre-built packs on shelf and track as separate inventory

Parent/child SKUs and units of measure

WMS allows you to link products in parent/child relationships to represent different units of measure for the same item. For example:

• A case of 24 could be the child
• A single unit could be the parent (what the inventory is ultimately tracked in)

Each child SKU stores:

• Its own SKU and description
• A conversion factor (for example, 24 eaches per case)

Inventory is tracked at the child SKU level, while transactions can be recorded in any defined unit. This is useful when:

• You purchase in cartons or pallets
• You sell in smaller units (e.g. eaches or inner packs)
• You want consistent visibility of the same underlying stock

Tracking types

Each product can be configured with one of three tracking types. This controls what information is required during receiving, stocktake and picking.

Tracking type	Description
Standard	Inventory is tracked purely by quantity. The system does not require or store any batch or serial identifiers. Use this for products where it is enough to know how many you have, not exactly which units.
Batch	Records stock by lot or batch. Common examples include food and beverage with expiry dates, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and manufactured goods requiring traceability. WMS will prompt for a batch/lot number during receiving, optionally capture an expiry date, and show stock at the level of product + batch + location.
Serial	Each individual unit is uniquely identified by a serial number. WMS will require one serial number per unit during receiving, prompt for serials during picking/packing, and track movements per serial for a detailed audit trail.

Allocation strategies

Allocation strategies define which specific stock is reserved first when orders are released. You can configure this per product to match your operational and compliance needs.

Strategy	Description
FIFO (First In, First Out)	Allocates the oldest stock first, based on when it entered the warehouse. This is typically the default setting and suits most non-perishable products.
LIFO (Last In, First Out)	Allocates the newest stock first. Useful in specific operational scenarios where newer stock is more accessible or preferred.
FEFO (First Expiry, First Out)	Allocates stock with the earliest expiry date first. Commonly used with batch-tracked products to reduce write-offs due to expired stock.
LEFO (Last Expiry, First Out)	Allocates stock with the latest expiry date first. A specialised option for when you intentionally want to ship the longest-dated stock first.

The chosen allocation strategy is used when orders are released. WMS looks at the available stock (including batch and expiry where applicable) and reserves the correct units according to that rule.

Shopify product and inventory sync (if connected)

If you have connected Shopify stores to your Starshipit account, the WMS product sync dialog will show those stores as a selectable dropdown. Make sure you select the correct store before starting a sync.

The same dialog includes inventory sync controls:

• Enable inventory sync back to Shopify – turns on inventory writeback.
• Run a hard sync – forces a full inventory sync when needed.
• Set inventory values – lets you push specific inventory values during the sync.

These options now align with the underlying API behavior, so the dialog reflects what the sync will actually do.

If inventory updates fail, confirm the sync toggle is enabled and that your Shopify credentials allow inventory updates.

Product lookup and management

Looking up products by barcode

On both the Inventory and Products pages, you can look up products by scanning or entering a barcode. This supplements the existing SKU and name search and is useful for quickly finding a product on the warehouse floor.

Cloning a product

A Clone action button is available on the products list. This creates a copy of an existing product with all its settings, allowing faster creation of similar products. You can then edit the cloned product to change the SKU, name and any other fields that differ.

Bulk editing products

You can select multiple products and open a Bulk Edit dialog to update fields across all selected products at once. This supports:

• Country of Origin
• Allocation Rule (FIFO, LIFO, FEFO, LEFO, or Specific Lot)

If you open Bulk Edit but do not change any editable fields, WMS returns Nothing to update.

CSV stock on hand report

An Export SOH Report action on the inventory dashboard generates a CSV file of current stock-on-hand levels across all products and locations. This is useful for reporting, reconciliation with finance systems, and sharing stock data with external partners.

Best-practice configuration

• Decide tracking rules per product family.
  For example, all perishable items use Batch + FEFO, all electronics use Serial + FIFO, and accessories use Standard + FIFO.
• Keep bundles simple where possible.
  Use exploding bundles when you never hold pre-kitted stock. Use require-stock bundles when you do and want kitting to be a planned activity.
• Align units of measure with purchasing and selling.
  Set up parent/child SKUs so receiving, storage and selling match how you operate day to day.
• Test with a small subset first.
  Configure a small group of high-volume SKUs, run through a full inbound and outbound cycle, and only then roll out to the full catalogue.

FAQ