How to Create Transfer Orders in Luminous
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- Step 1. Navigate to Transfer Orders
- Step 2. Create a New Transfer Order
- Step 3. Configure Auto-Receive Options
- Step 4. Add Items to the Transfer Order
- Step 5. Save and Post the Transfer Order
- Step 6. Understanding What Happens Next
- Step 7. Tracking Inventory in Transit
Transfer orders in Luminous are used to move inventory from one warehouse to another when there is a lead time between shipping and receiving. This is different from an instant inventory transfer, which assumes no transit time. Transfer orders allow you to track inventory in transit and ensure proper documentation for both the source and destination warehouses.
Step 1. Navigate to Transfer Orders
- Go to the Inventory tab.
- Select Transfer Orders to view all existing transfer orders.
Step 2. Create a New Transfer Order
- Click Add New Transfer Order in the top-right corner.
- Fill out the transfer order details:
- Source Warehouse: Select the warehouse where the inventory is coming from (e.g., "Warehouse Main").
- Destination Warehouse: Select the receiving warehouse (e.g., "ShipHero").
- Order Date: Enter the date the transfer order is created (e.g., today’s date).
- Projected Arrival Date: Enter the expected delivery date.
- Order Number: Assign a unique identifier for the transfer order (e.g., TO-299).
- Notes and Shipping Method (optional): Add details like "Freight" or "LTL" for clarity.
Step 3. Configure Auto-Receive Options
- Auto-Receive Transfer Order on Arrival Date: Automatically generate a receiving report when the arrival date is reached.
- Open Receiving Report Form on Close: Immediately generate a receiving report after saving the transfer order (useful for past transfers).
Step 4. Add Items to the Transfer Order
- Click Add Multiple Line Items to include products in the transfer order.
- Select the SKUs you want to transfer.
- Specify the quantities (e.g., 10 units of each product).
- Click Done to add the items.
- (Optional) Add a Shipping Cost if you want it included in the total cost upon arrival.
Step 5. Save and Post the Transfer Order
- Click Save to create the order.
- Mark the order as Posted to finalize it.
Step 6. Understanding What Happens Next
- Source Warehouse:
- A Sales Order is automatically created, indicating that inventory needs to be shipped.
- Go to the Sales Order page, filter by Warehouse Group, and update the order status:
- Mark as Shipped to deduct inventory.
- Optionally, create a Pick List to track specific lot numbers or storage locations.
- Destination Warehouse:
- A Purchase Order (PO) is created, allowing the destination warehouse to prepare a receiving report when the items arrive.
- On the Purchase Orders page, filter by Order Type and select Transfer Order to track incoming inventory.
Step 7. Tracking Inventory in Transit
- Go to the Stocks Page and search for the SKU(s) involved in the transfer order.
- You will see:
- Incoming Inventory at the destination warehouse (e.g., "10 on its way to ShipHero").
- Pending Inventory at the source warehouse (e.g., "10 pending shipment from Warehouse Main").
Transfer orders in Luminous are a powerful tool for managing inventory movements between warehouses while tracking the transit phase. By following these steps, you can ensure seamless transfers and maintain accurate inventory records.
Video transcript
When to use a transfer order
Hey there, this is going to be a quick tutorial about creating transfer orders in Luminous. A transfer order is handy when you're moving inventory from one warehouse to another and there's some lead time between the product shipping from the source and arriving at the destination warehouse.
That's what makes it different from a quick inventory transfer on the Locations page. That's an instant transfer, whereas with a transfer order, the assumption is that there's lead time between leaving one warehouse and arriving at the other.
Create a new transfer order
To do this, go underneath Inventory to Transfer Orders. You can see all of our existing transfer orders here. I'm going to click Add New Transfer Order.
Here you choose the source warehouse and the destination warehouse. I'm moving from Warehouse Main, and we'll say we're moving it to ShipHero.
This is where I can set the order date, so we'll say it's today, and the projected arrival, a week from today. I can also include an order number, so I could call this TO-299, or whatever makes the most sense for you. I can also include any notes, as well as the shipping method, maybe freight or LTL.
Receiving options
There are a couple of options here. You can click Auto Receive Transfer Order on Arrival Date, meaning that when the arrival date hits, a receiving report will be auto-generated and the inventory will be received at the destination warehouse.
You can also click Open Receiving Report Form on Close, meaning that once I save this transfer order, it'll prompt me to receive it immediately into the destination warehouse. This isn't used very often, but it's useful if you did the transfer a week or two ago and want to receive it into the new warehouse right away. I'm going to click Auto Receive Transfer Order on Arrival Date.
Add items and shipping cost
Now I can add items to this transfer order. Similar to invoices or POs, you can click Add Multiple Line Items. I'll add these different items, let's do 10 of each, and click Done, and they'll all populate here.
You can also add an additional shipping cost if you want it included in the cost when the inventory arrives at the destination warehouse. Now I'm going to save this order and mark it as Posted.
What happens when the transfer order is created
I'm going to add the PO number and sales order number here. So what happens when a transfer order is created in Luminous? A sales order is automatically created on the source warehouse. So in Warehouse Main, you'll see a pending sales order, meaning there are inventory items that need to be shipped and then deducted from inventory.
On the destination warehouse end, ShipHero, there's a PO number. This lets the destination warehouse create a receiving report for those items and make sure they get received in.
Ship from the source warehouse
If I click into the sales order number, it takes me to the sales orders page, just like any other sales order. This is where you can mark it as shipped once it's gone. You can filter by warehouse group, then go to Update Order Status and Mark as Shipped, which officially deducts the inventory.
Or, if you'd like to go through a pick and pack flow, you can create a pick list to make sure you're grabbing the right lot number, maybe, or deducting from the right locations.
View the PO on the Purchase Orders page
On the Purchase Orders page, if I click into the PO number, you'll see this is a different type. The Purchase Orders page has an Order Type filter, and we can choose Transfer Order. That shows this is being transferred from one warehouse to another.
Track inventory in transit on the Stocks page
Another insightful place to look is the Stocks page. I can look up a SKU that's on the transfer order, which was this JS SKU. Here I can see incoming to ShipHero: there are 10 on the way, because the transfer order created a PO to ShipHero. On the flip side, at Warehouse Main, 10 has been added to the pending total, meaning there's an order that needs to be shipped out to another warehouse.
So again, transfer orders are extremely useful when you want to move inventory from one warehouse to another and track the transit phase, so you know where your inventory is at all times. Thanks, guys.