Fulfillment Eligibility

Fulfillment Eligibility for an item determines whether that item can be fulfilled using a particular fulfillment type, such as ship or pick. Fulfillment Eligibility is configured using rule-based templates which means Fulfillment Eligibility rules are organized into templates. Each template represents a set of rules that define the conditions under which an item is eligible for fulfillment.

Fulfillment Eligibility is a dynamic and essential aspect of logistics and fulfillment in retail and e-commerce. The Fulfillment Eligibility criteria will help determine which items can be shipped directly to a customer's address and which ones are available for pickup at a physical store.

The criteria for Fulfillment Eligibility can include the following factors:

• Physical Attributes: This includes the item’s size, weight, and dimensions. Bulky or extremely heavy items might not be eligible for certain methods like same-day delivery.

• Geographical Considerations: Depending on the location of the customer and the availability of the item in nearby stores, different fulfillment options might be applicable.

• Regulatory Restrictions: Certain items, such as hazardous materials, might be restricted from certain fulfillment types due to legal or safety reasons.

• Cost Considerations: Fulfillment Eligibility can also be influenced by cost considerations. For example, an enterprise might encourage in-store pickup for cost savings on shipping.

The following are the different levels of templates defined with priorities:

• FulfillmentType-ItemId-NodeType: Defines whether an item belonging to nodes that are of a specific node type is eligible or not eligible to be fulfilled by the given fulfillment type. For example, a sofa set is eligible to be shipped to customers from the distribution center, but not eligible for buying online and picking up at stores by customers.

• FulfillmentType-ItemId-NodeId: Defines whether an item belonging to a specific node is eligible or not eligible to be fulfilled by the given fulfillment type. For example, a deli store in Dallas allows curbside pickup and buying online and pick up from the store (BOPIS) for a food item, but does not ship the same item from the store.

Note: These templates are prioritized based on a numerical priority assigned to each template. In this context, the priority number indicates the importance or precedence of each template relative to others.

Fulfillment Eligibility helps enterprises streamline their fulfillment processes, manage customer expectations, optimize inventory allocation, and ensure compliance with their fulfillment policies by enforcing Allowed and Disallowed values based on well-defined Fulfillment Eligibility rules:

• Allowed Values: This indicates the fulfillment types that are permitted for specific conditions. For example, if an item meets certain size and weight criteria, the Allowed value might specify that standard shipping and in-store pickup are permissible options for fulfilling that item.

• Disallowed Values: This specifies the fulfillment types that are not allowed for specific conditions. If an item does not meet certain criteria or is temporarily out of stock, the Disallowed value might restrict the use of expedited shipping for that item.

The process of evaluating configured rules to determine an item's eligibility for a particular fulfillment type is a part of managing order fulfillment in an inventory or e-commerce system. This approach allows for real-time decision-making based on the current state of inventory and order details.