Update Inventory

Overview

The Update Inventory step adds returned items back to available inventory. It respects the return type configuration and individual line item settings to determine whether each item should be restocked.

Identifier

Configuration Properties

Sample

{
  "Name": "UpdateInventory",
  "Active": true,
  "TranslateKey": "WorkflowStep_UpdateInventory",
  "Properties": [
    { "Key": "PriorityInventoryOutsideAssortment", "Value": "true" }
  ]
}

Whether a line is restocked at all is controlled by:

• Return type's UpdateInventory setting
• Individual return line item settings
• The "Update Stock" selection made when creating the return

Behavior

What It Does

1. Iterates through all return line items
2. Checks if each item should update inventory based on:
   • Return type configuration (UpdateInventory property)
   • Line-level override settings
3. Increases warehouse inventory for applicable items
4. Marks the restocked quantity as priority stock when the return type has IsPriorityInventory set to true, or when PriorityInventoryOutsideAssortment is true and the product is outside the receiving store's assortment
5. Records inventory adjustment transactions

Prerequisites

• Return must have line items with valid SKUs
• Products must exist in the inventory system
• Warehouse must be identified on the return

Side Effects

• Increases available inventory quantities
• Creates inventory adjustment records
• May trigger inventory sync to external systems
• Updates product availability status

Business Cases

When to Use

• Restocking returned items that can be resold
• Adjusting inventory after receiving returns
• Maintaining accurate stock levels

Example Scenarios

Standard Return Customer returns 3 units of SKU-123. Return type has UpdateInventory: true. Inventory increases by 3 units.

Defective Item Customer returns defective item. Return type "Defective" has UpdateInventory: false. Inventory remains unchanged (item may be sent to supplier or disposed).

Mixed Return Customer returns 2 resellable items and 1 defective. Only the 2 resellable items update inventory.

Wrong Item Sent Item is returned because warehouse shipped wrong product. Return type "WrongItem" has UpdateInventory: true since item is still sellable.

Return Outside the Assortment A customer returns a product bought from another store to a store that does not carry it. With PriorityInventoryOutsideAssortment: true, the unit is restocked in the receiving store as priority stock. The store can then sell it even though the product is outside its assortment, and allocation set up to prefer priority stock sends orders for the product to that store first. See Priority Stock. When units are marked as priority stock, the step's result message ends with the number of lines marked.

Warehouse Selection

Inventory is updated in the warehouse associated with the return. For split orders with IsReturnSplitOrdersToMainWarehouse enabled, returns go to the main warehouse.

Error Handling

Related Steps

• Credit Return - Often runs together to complete return
• Update Order Status - Update original order after inventory adjustment
• Priority Stock - How priority units are counted and preferred by allocation