What Is Changing with the New Workflow and Why?

Why Is Amazon Changing the Workflow?

For years, Amazon’s Selling Partner API has allowed sellers to manipulate which fulfillment center they ship their inventory to. Amazon is now cracking down on this by forcing everyone to use the Send to Amazon flow.

What Is Changing?

Previously, Amazon required you to input your items first. Shipment destinations were then provided to InventoryLab based on your Inbound Settings within Seller Central. Once you selected a shipment destination, you then created those shipments and boxed your items.

Now, Amazon wants you to input items first, then box them before choosing your shipment splits. You will have three shipment options (Optimized, Partial, or Minimal) and be able to see all your shipment costs and inbound placement fees before selecting your shipment destinations.

Note: You will only receive Optimized Shipment splits if your shipment qualifies by having five or more cartons for each unit in your shipping plan, with each carton having the same combination of items. 

When Does This Change Take Place?

Amazon has advised us that they will turn off the old workflow features on December 20th, 2024. However, we have advocated for extending this, and Amazon has been known to make last-minute concessions in the past. Once Amazon removes the old workflow, you will no longer be able to create batches/shipments using the old List workflow and will need to use the List 2.0 workflow within InventoryLab. 

Why Does It Take a Long Time to Create My SKUs?

Unfortunately, Amazon has implemented a new process in which your FNSKU / SKU is created, verified, and returned to us. Depending on how busy the system is, it can take 10 minutes to 2 hours to create these new SKUs. However, the time doesn’t stack, so you can add 100 new MSKUs at once and still only have to wait 10 minutes to 2 hours after you finish adding the last item. 

What Are Pack Groups, and How Do They Relate to Shipments? 

Pack Groups are Amazon's new way of separating items based on what can be boxed together. Factors determining which SKUs can be packed together include weight and dimensions, prep-and-labeling requirements and ownership, and whether the SKUs are dangerous goods (hazmat) requiring special handling at the fulfillment center.

The new Pack Groups workflow gives you more control over boxes and shipments. In the old system, you added items to a batch, then Amazon split them into shipments, and then you boxed items according to how Amazon wanted them split. For example, they may have said they wanted 5 of Item X in one fulfillment center, 3 in another, and 2 in another. In the new system, you add your items to a batch, Amazon categorizes them into items that can be shipped together, and then you get to box your items--so if you want all 10 of item X in one box, that's your call to make. Amazon then gives you options for where to send your boxes.

Why Did InventoryLab Change the Layout Instead of Only the Workflow? 

Adapting InventoryLab to the new API required a complete List & Prep workflow redesign as Amazon changed when a seller boxes their items. 

Will Everything from the Old Workflow Be Available in the New Workflow? 

We understand your concern about certain features from the old List still needing to be added to the new one. Our team is actively working on this. Amazon’s changes have presented significant challenges, but our developers are committed to improving and enhancing InventoryLab. We’re focused on creating a better experience for you, and we’ll continue to keep you informed about updates and additions as they’re rolled out.