Venue Transfer Requests

How to request stock from a distribution / wholesale venue in a multivenue setup

Nick Neale avatar
Written by Nick Neale
Updated over a week ago

Article Contents

Introduction

In some multi venue setups, one venue acts as a central supplier/distributor for all other venues.

This central supplier may be a stockroom/warehouse, or a commissary kitchen / bakery where food items are prepared.

Venues place order requests, and the central supplier either accepts them and begins preparation, or rejects / declines them.

Accepted orders are prepared and the stock is transferred from the supplier to the requesting venue when ready.

Learn more about different venue setups:

The “Venue Transfers” feature allows you to perform and track these movements in WISK.

Venue Transfers are broken down into the following steps:

  1. Requesting venue creates and sends transfer request / order to the central distributor

  2. Central distributor receives the request and accepts or rejects it

  3. Central distributor views all active transfer requests and begins preparation

  4. Accepted orders are prepared, either from existing stock, ordering product or making items on-site. When prepared, orders are sent from the central distributor to the requesting venue (in the form of a "transfer out")

  5. The requesting venue must process a draft invoice to add the items to their inventory

Initial Setup

Before you can use Venue Transfers, your venue(s) needs to be configured for it.

Based on your requirements when speaking with WISK, this will most likely be done during your initial account setup.

There are 2 components:

  1. Any venues where stock is transferred between them need to be designated as partner venues

  2. The central distributor venue needs to have the "Venue Transfers" feature enabled

Learn more here:

Create & Send Transfer Request

As we go through the process from end to end, we’ll be using two venues:

  • Central Supplier - “Test Distributor Venue

  • Requesting Venue - “Test Cafe Venue

Test Cafe Venue gets all of its baked goods from Test Distributor Venue, and needs more stock after completing an inventory count. To start the process, you’ll need to generate a purchase order from Test Cafe Venue’s account.

Generating a Purchase Order

When generating your purchase order, you’ll need to select the supplier venue as the distributor. Since it’s a partner venue, it will appear as “Linked with (Venue Name)”. To learn more about generating purchase orders, please see:

Automatic Purchase Orders

You can also set up automatic purchase orders that generate every time an inventory count is completed. The amount to order is based on the stock count from the inventory and the par levels you have set.

In the Requesting Venue account ("Test Cafe Venue" in this example):

  1. Click "Items" > "Distributors" on the side menu

  2. Click the details column beside the Central Supplier venue

  3. Click the "Auto ordering" checkbox

Whenever a purchase order is generated, you're sent an email notification.

Sending the Transfer Request / Purchase Order

You can send the transfer request / purchase order to the distributor venue, using the WISK Web Portal or mobile app.

Note: You can also send the purchase order at the time it is generated, if you created it manually.

WISK Web Portal

  1. On the “Purchase Orders” page, click the “Details” button beside the order

    An arrow points to the "Details" column
  2. If needed, you can make any changes to the quantity requested by clicking in the “Quantity” column beside an item

  3. Click the “Actions” menu

    An arrow points to the "Actions" button.
  4. Click “Email / SMS order to distributor”

    An arrow points to the "Email / SMS order to distributor" menu option.
  5. Fill in the contact info and add any notes then click "Send"

    Note: You can add an email address and phone number for this distributor on the "Distributors" page so it populates automatically

  6. The purchase order and email is sent to the distributor venue and the “Email sent status” changes to sent.

    The "Email Sent Status" now displays as Sent.

Mobile App

  1. Tap “Orders” on the bottom menu bar, then “Orders History”

  2. Tap a purchase order with the message status “Not Sent”

    An arrow points to an order that hasn't been sent.
  3. You can make any changes to the quantity requested by tapping the - or + icons When ready to send, tap the “...” icon

    An arrow points to the "..." menu button at the top of the screen.
  4. Tap “Email / SMS order to distributor”

    The "Email / SMS order to distributor" menu option is highlighted for emphasis.
  5. Tap “Send email / SMS”

    An arrow points to the "Send email / SMS" button.
  6. The purchase order is sent to the distributor venue and is marked as sent

    The status of the purchase orders changes to "Sent"

Canceling an Order

If you send an order to the central supplier but then need to cancel it, you can do this as long as the status remains as "Requested".

To cancel an order:

  1. On the WISK Web Portal, open the purchase order

  2. Click Actions > Cancel

    The actions button is highlighted and an arrow points to the "Cancel" button
  3. Click "OK" on the confirmation message

    An arrow points to the "OK" button
  4. The order is marked as "Canceled" in both the requesting venue and the central supplier and an email is sent about the change of status

    The "Invoice status" shows as Canceled

Distributor Approves or Rejects the Transfer Request

After sending the purchase order, it appears in the distributor’s WISK account. At that stage, they can either approve, modify, or reject the order in the WISK Web Portal or mobile app.

WISK Web Portal

  1. Click “Multivenue” then “Venue Transfers” on the left-hand toolbar

    An arrow points to the "Venue Transfers" menu button under Multivenue.
  2. On this page, you’ll see all of the orders that have been requested from other venues / locations. Orders with the status “Requested” require your attention. Click the “Details” button beside an order.

    An arrow points to the "Details" column beside a Requested order.

    Note: To view completed or cancelled orders, click the "Predefined Filters" drop-down menu on this screen

  3. In the order, you’ll see all of the items requested, and the amount

    The order is opened and displays all of the requested items.
  4. If you need to change the quantity of an item, click into the “Line measurement” column and enter the new amount. You can also remove an item by clicking the blue arrow on the far left.

    The cursor is placed over an item and an arrow points to the "Edit" button in the Line Measurement column.

    Note: You can change the quantity at any point prior to sending the order back to the requester. If something happens during preparation and you need to modify the quantity, you can.

  5. After reviewing the order, click “Actions” to either accept or reject it

    "Actions" has been clicked and there is the Accept or Reject options.

Accept Order

When you accept the order, the status changes to “In preparation”, and will appear under “Active Transfer Requests” on the WISK Web Portal.

The status of the accepted order now displays as "In preparation".

Reject Order

When you reject the order, a confirmation window appears to enter the reason why the order couldn’t be fulfilled. Click “OK” after entering the reason.

A reason has been entered in the "Reason" field and the OK button is highlighted.

The status of the order changes to “Rejected”.

The status for the transfer request has changed to "Rejected".

Note: The central supplier can Reject an order at any stage of the process, even if preparation has already begun. If for any reason the order can't be fulfilled it should be rejected to close it out in both venues.

Mobile App

  1. From the “More” menu, tap “Multivenue”

    An arrow points to "Multivenue" on the More screen.
  2. Tap “Venue Transfers”

    An arrow points to the "Venue Transfers" button.
  3. On the “Venue Transfers” page, you’ll see all of the orders that have been requested from other venues / locations. Orders with the status “Requested” require your attention. Tap an order.

    An arrow points to a order with the status of "Requested".
  4. In the order, you’ll see all of the items requested, and the amount. If you need to change an amount, use the - or + buttons. If you need to remove an item, swipe it to the left and tap delete.

    All of the items in the order display, and the amounts can be modified if needed.

    Note: You can change the quantity at any point prior to sending the order back to the requester. If something happens during preparation and you need to modify the quantity, you can.

  5. After reviewing the order request, tap “Accept” to prepare the order, or “Reject” if it can’t be fulfilled

    The "Accept" and "Reject" buttons at the bottom of the screen are highlighted.

Accept Order

After tapping “Accept”, tap “Accept Request” on the confirmation pop-up.

An arrow points to the "Accept Request" button.

The status of the order changes to “In Preparation”, and the requesting venue receives an email notification.

The status changes to "In Preparation".

Reject Order

After tapping “Reject”, enter a reason why and tap “Reject” on the confirmation pop-up.

An arrow points to the "Reject" button.

The status of the order changes to “Rejected” and the requesting venue receives an email notification.

Alternate Method - Distributor Adds Transfer Request

If the Requesting Venue is unable to generate the purchase order, the Central Supplier venue can add it manually.

The Central Supplier can then accept or reject the order to insert it into the standard flow.

To create a new transfer request:

  1. Click the "New venue transfer" button

    An arrow points to the "New venue transfer" button
  2. Select the requesting venue from the drop-down menu

    The list of available partner venues display in the drop-down menu

    Note: This only displays venues that are partners with the Central Supplier venue. If you're filling orders for venues external to WISK, speak to your account representative about adding a placeholder partner venue

  3. Click "OK"

    An arrow points to the "OK" button

  4. The venue transfer request is added, and has the status of "Draft". Add the requested items as needed using the "Add WISK Item" field, then click "Actions" to send it to In Preparation

Venue Transfer Status Email Notifications

Accepted Order Email Notification

When an order is accepted, the requesting venue receives an email notification saying that their order is being prepared:

An example of the email that the requester receives when the order is accepted.

Rejected Order Email Notification

When an order is rejected, the requesting venue receives an email notification and includes the reason why it couldn’t be fulfilled (if provided).

An example of the email the requester receives when the order is rejected.

Active Transfer Requests

View all Active Requests

As orders come in and are accepted, they need to be prepared. To view all active transfer requests on the WISK Web Portal:

  1. Click the “View active transfer requests” button on the top right

    An arrow points to the "View active transfer requests" button on the Venue Transfer page.

  2. Active transfer requests are grouped by venue by default. It displays the requesting venue, the request #, the item, and the quantity

    It displays are order/transfer requests that are in the "In Preparation" status.
  3. You can use the preset views to change how the items are grouped, including by item, or by request #. You can also create your own views

    A gif showing how you can change the views to display the items needed.

    In the example below, the “By item” view has been toggled on, and it shows the total amount required per item across all requests.

    The "By Item" view has been selected, which shows the total amount of each item required across all active requests.

For more information on creating your own views, see:

Note: Active transfer requests can only be viewed on the WISK Web Portal at this time

Active Transfer Request PDF

On the top right there are buttons to download PDFs of the active transfer requests.

Download venue transfers - by item

This PDF has a breakdown by item, showing the total quantity requested

Download transfer details - by venue

This PDF has each venue as a column, with the requested amount of each item in a row.

Transfer Prepared and Ready to Send

After the transfer/order has been prepared, you can send it to the requester via the WISK Web Portal or mobile app.

WISK Web Portal

  1. Click the “Details” button beside the request on the “Venue Transfers” page

    An arrow points to the "Details" column beside a request "In preparation".
  2. Verify that you are sending the requested quantity for each item. If you aren’t able to provide the full amount click into the “Line measurement” column and enter the new value. You can also remove an item by clicking the blue arrow on the far left

    An arrow points to the "Edit" button beside the item
  3. Click “Send items” when ready

    An arrow points to the "Send Items" button.
  4. The status of the request changes to “Sent”

    The status displays as "Sent".
  5. The venue that requested the order receives an email notification saying that their order has been sent, and a draft invoice appears in their account

Mobile App

  1. On the “Venue Transfers” page, tap an order with the “In Preparation” status

    An arrow points to a venue transfer with the "In Preparation" status.
  2. Verify that you are sending the requested quantity for each item. If you need to change an amount, use the - or + buttons. If you need to remove an item, swipe it to the left and tap delete. When ready, tap “Send Items”

    An arrow points to the "Send Items" button.
  3. Tap “Send Items” on the confirmation prompt

    An arrow points to "Send Items" on the confirmation pop-up.
  4. The status of the request changes to “Sent”

    The status of the order changes to "Sent"
  5. The venue that requested the order receives an email notification saying that their order has been sent, and a draft invoice appears in their account

Order Sent Email Notification

An example email that the request receives when the order has been sent to them.

Transfer Out Created

After sending the transfer / order, a "Transfer out" is created in the Central Supplier venue (in this case, Test Distributor Venue).

The timestamp of this action is the moment that the "Send items" button is pressed.

At that moment, the items in the transfer/order are subtracted from the stock of the Central Supplier.

To view the transfer out:

  1. In the Central Supplier venue, go to Orders > Invoices / Returns

    "Invoices / Returns" is highlighted on the menu bar
  2. In the description column, you'll see actions marked as "Transfer out to...". Click the "Details" column to view the items in the transfer

    The "Transfer out" is underlined and an arrow points to the details button

Converting the Draft Invoice

With the transfer request fulfilled, the last step is to convert the draft invoice when the items arrive at the requesting venue.

Note: This step is only available on the WISK Web Portal

To convert the draft invoice:

  1. In the requesting venue’s account, click “Orders” > “Draft Invoices”. The number beside draft invoices indicates how many need to be reviewed and converted

    The "Draft Invoices" menu button is highlighted under "Orders".
  2. Click the “Details” column beside the draft invoice

    An arrow points to the "Details" column beside the draft invoice.
  3. The "Date" on the draft invoice has the same timestamp as the transfer out in the central supplier venue. If there was a delay in receiving the order, click the "Date" field and adjust the date/time to reflect when the items arrived

  4. Review the draft invoice, and address any items that require attention, then click “Convert to invoice”

    An arrow points to the "Convert to invoice" button.

    Note: The draft invoice gives you an opportunity to review what is going into the venue before the stock is updated. Please see the article below on processing draft invoices:

  5. Click “OK” on the confirmation window

    An arrow points to the "OK" button.
  6. The order has been received and the stock is added to the venue. If you return to the “Purchase Orders” page, the status displays as “Received”

    The order status now changes to "Received" on the "Purchase Orders" page.

Movement Timeline Summary

For reporting purposes, each step of the process creates a movement/action in WISK with a timestamp. Using our two example venues, we'll summarize each step and how it appears in the system:

  • Requesting Venue - “Test Cafe Venue

  • Central Supplier - “Test Distributor Venue

Steps

  1. Requesting Venue generates a purchase order with a timestamp of Aug 17, 2022 4:30PM

  2. Requesting Venue sends the purchase order to the Central Supplier at Aug 17, 2022 4:37PM (Note: The time the purchase order is generated and the time it is sent are not always the same)

  3. A venue transfer request appears in the Central Supplier venue with a timestamp of Aug 17, 2022 4:37PM. The request is either rejected, or approved and preparation begins. In this example we'll say it's approved, with the intent to be ready early next morning

  4. The Central Supplier venue prepares the request and then sends it to the Requesting Venue. This generates a transfer out in the Central Supplier with a timestamp of Aug 18, 5:00AM (This date/time is the moment the "Send Items" button is pressed)

  5. At the same moment the transfer out is generated in the Central Supplier venue, a draft invoice is created in the Requesting Venue with the same timestamp, Aug 18, 5:00AM (This is operating under an assumption that the item will arrive at the requesting venue not long after it is sent)

  6. The Requesting Venue processes the draft invoice. If there was a delay, the "Date" field can be edited to reflect when the items arrived. In this example, we'll say there were no issues, and leave the timestamp as Aug 18, 5:00AM.

  7. The draft invoice is converted into an invoice that appears in the Requesting Venue with a timestamp of Aug 18, 5:00AM

Actions / Movements by Venue

Requesting Venue

Central Supplier

  • Purchase Order

  • Draft Invoice

  • Invoice

  • Venue Transfer Request

  • Transfer Out

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