Inventory2 min read
3D Warehouse Management: Visualising Stock in 3D
What 3D warehouse management offers: bin occupancy views, slotting decisions, space planning, and how to build a 3D view on ERP location data.
Industry · Retail & Commerce
eCommerce ERP for brands that have outgrown their storefront
Most online brands start with a storefront platform and an accounting tool. That works until there are three sales channels, two warehouses, a 3PL, a dozen suppliers and a finance team trying to work out margin after fees, shipping and returns.
- M01Sales
- M02Inventory
- M03Purchasing
- M04Accounting
- M05eCommerce Connectors
- M06Helpdesk
Context
ERP in ecommerce
An ERP becomes the operational backbone behind the storefront: one inventory, one purchasing process, one set of numbers.
01Operational challenges
What usually breaks before the ERP project starts
01
Overselling across channels
Stock updates lag between Shopify, Amazon and other channels.
02
Payment reconciliation
Payouts net of fees and refunds hard to match to orders.
03
Unknown unit economics
Margin per SKU ignores marketplace fees, shipping and returns.
04
Purchasing on gut feel
Reorders placed without demand data or lead-time awareness.
02Core flows
How the ERP should handle each part of the business
- Sales flow
- Orders from all channels imported into one queue; customer and order data normalised.
- Procurement
- Reorders driven by sales velocity and supplier lead times, including long overseas lead times.
- Inventory
- Single source of stock pushed to all channels with safety buffers.
- Warehouse
- In-house fulfilment or 3PL integration; returns inspected and restocked or written off.
- Accounting
- Payouts reconciled to orders, fees and refunds; margin per SKU and channel.
- CRM
- Customer service view across channels with order history.
03Industry workflows
Workflows specific to ecommerce
01
Channel stock sync
Available quantity pushed to channels with buffers per channel.
02
Payout reconciliation
Settlement reports matched to orders, fees and refunds.
03
Returns processing
Returns authorised, received, inspected and refunded with reasons tracked.
04
Bundles and kits
Bundles sold online deplete component stock correctly.
04 — Reporting
Reports that should come out of the system, not a spreadsheet
- Margin per SKU after fees, shipping and returns
- Sales by channel
- Stock cover and reorder alerts
- Return rate by product and reason
- Payout reconciliation status
- Fulfilment time
05 — Compliance
Compliance considerations
Sales tax and VAT across jurisdictions, consumer rights for returns, product safety and data protection. Tax calculation services and clear return policies help.
Regulatory requirements vary by jurisdiction. We configure the system to support your obligations; confirm specific rules with your auditor or compliance advisor.
06 — Integrations
Systems the ERP needs to talk to
Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon and other marketplaces, Stripe and PayPal, 3PLs, shipping platforms and tax engines are the core integrations.
07AI opportunities
Where AI is genuinely useful here
Practical uses that sit on top of clean ERP data. None of them replace getting the core transactions right first.
01
Customer support drafting
Draft responses to WISMO and return queries using order data.
02
Listing content
Generate draft product titles and descriptions per channel.
03
Return reason analysis
Cluster free-text return reasons to identify product issues.
08ERP modules
Modules a typical deployment includes
- M01Sales
- M02Inventory
- M03Purchasing
- M04Accounting
- M05eCommerce Connectors
- M06Helpdesk
- M07Shipping
- M08Reporting
09Roadmap
Implementation roadmap
- 01
Inventory and purchasing
Single stock source and supplier ordering.
- 02
Channel integrations
Orders and stock synced with storefronts and marketplaces.
- 03
Finance
Payout reconciliation and margin reporting.
- 04
Service and returns
Helpdesk and returns workflows.
10Common mistakes
Mistakes we see repeatedly
01
Real-time sync on every movement
Batch updates with buffers are more reliable than chatty sync.
02
Ignoring fees in margin
Marketplace and payment fees must be in unit economics.
03
Duplicate customers
Define matching rules for guest checkouts and marketplace buyers.
04
No error monitoring
Failed order imports must alert someone.
Explore further
Related services, solutions and platforms
Insights
Related reading
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Multi-Warehouse Inventory Management: A Practical Guide
Managing stock across several warehouses: structure, inter-warehouse transfers, replenishment, order sourcing, costing and reporting, with notes on setting it up in Odoo.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do we keep Shopify if we adopt an ERP?
Usually yes. Shopify remains the storefront while the ERP handles inventory, purchasing, fulfilment and accounting.
Can the ERP reconcile Amazon payouts?
Yes, by importing settlement reports and matching them to orders, fees and refunds.
Can we use a 3PL?
Yes, with integration for orders, shipments and stock levels.
Similar industries
Industries with related workflows
RetailMulti-store retail ERP: POS, store replenishment, promotions, loyalty and unified stock across channels.RestaurantsRestaurant group ERP: recipe costing, central kitchen, purchasing, POS integration and food cost control.HospitalityBack-office ERP for hotels and hospitality groups: procurement, inventory, finance and property integration.
Next step
Outgrown your storefront's back office?
We will map your channels, stock and finance into one system.