How to Set an Inventory Buffer to Prevent Backorders

DecoNetwork makes it possible to control how products behave when they are out of stock. You can prevent customers from adding unavailable items to their cart, apply a buffer so items appear out of stock before they hit zero, and configure low-stock warnings to ensure you maintain inventory for popular products. Watch the video below, then follow the instructions in this guide.

In this article

• Prerequisites
• Why use out-of-stock controls
• Step 1: Open Inventory Settings
• Step 2: Select Out-of-Stock Behavior
• Step 3: Apply a Supplier Stock Buffer
• Step 4: Configure Low-Stock Warnings
• Step 5: Update Inventory Levels
• Best-Practice Tips
• Troubleshooting
• FAQs
• Additional Resources

Prerequisites

Why use out-of-stock controls

Out-of-stock behavior ensures customers have a smooth shopping experience and your fulfillment process stays accurate.

• Prevent overselling: Stop customers from ordering unavailable SKUs.
• Protect fulfillment timelines: Avoid delays caused by supplier shortages.
• Set stock buffers: Reduce the risk of supplier stockouts by marking products as out of stock before hitting zero.
• Get notified: Use low-stock emails to replenish your own warehouse inventory on time.

Step 1: Open Inventory Settings

1. In Admin, go to Products → Inventory Settings.
2. This is where you control out-of-stock behavior globally.

Step 2: Select Out-of-Stock Behavior

1. Choose how the system should behave when a product is out of stock:
   • Allow add to cart: Customers can still order regardless of stock.
   • Don’t allow add to cart (on-hand only): Restricts based on stock you’ve entered.
   • Don’t allow add to cart (supplier only): Restricts based on supplier stock.
   • Don’t allow add to cart (on-hand + supplier): Restricts based on both your stock and live supplier inventory.

Step 3: Apply a Supplier Stock Buffer

1. Select one of the following from the Add to cart behavior when out of stock setting:
   • Do not allow adding to cart (check supplier inventory)
   • Do not allow adding to cart (both on-hand and supplier inventory)
2. Enter a buffer amount in the Supplier our of stock threshold field (e.g., 10) to mark items as out of stock earlier.

Set a buffer to prevent overselling supplier stock

Step 4: Configure Low-Stock Warnings

1. Open a product.
2. Select the SKU, GTIN & Inventory tab.
3. Check the Enable inventory on hand for this product checkbox.
4. For each SKU:
   1. Check the Stock Item? checkbox and enter the on-hand quantity quantity in the New Inventory Level field.
   2. Set a Low Stock Warning level to trigger an email alert.

Step 5: Update Inventory Levels

1. Go to the product you want to adjust.
2. In the SKU, GTIN & Inventory section, update quantities as needed.
3. Click Save to apply changes.

Best-Practice Tips

• Always use a small buffer when relying on supplier inventory to avoid last-minute stockouts.
• Use bulk actions for faster updates when adjusting inventory across multiple products.
• Remember: low stock warnings apply only to inventory you manage on hand, not supplier catalogs.

Troubleshooting

• Customers can’t add items despite stock: Check if a buffer has been set too high.
• No low stock emails received: Verify that an email warning option has been selected for the Low stock email warning setting and a warning threshold entered.

FAQs

• Do I get email alerts for supplier stock? No. Supplier inventory is managed by suppliers and replenished automatically.
• Can I allow backorders? No. DecoNetwork does not currently support backorder workflows.

Additional Resources

• Product Inventory Management
• Using Supplier Live Inventory