Results: The base Roast Coffee inventory is reduced by 1lb (10lbs – 1lb = 9lbs). Then, the pack 2lb inventory is automatically adjusted (from 5 to 4 packs available).
Combined Purchase with Sufficient Inventory:
Base Roast Coffee product inventory: 10lb available.
Customer orders: 2 packs of 1lb and 3 packs of 2lb. Total coffee needed: 8lb (2 x 1lb + 3 x 2lb).
Results: Order processes smoothly as the available inventory covers the total needed amount.
Results: Since the order includes both 2 packs of 1 lb and 1 pack of 2 lbs (totaling 4 lbs needed), the available 2 lbs is insufficient, and the sync will fail.
Notes:
If the customer orders only 2 Packs of 1 lb (or 1 Pack of 2 lbs), the inventory for the unpurchased pack will be updated after the order is placed and shown as out of stock, preventing overselling.
First and foremost, it’s important to note that even if there is an inventory and sync issue, Shopify will still record the customer order as successful and deduct the quantity of each ordered product accordingly (e.g., if a customer orders 2 packs of 1lb and 1 pack of 2lb, the quantities of 1lb and 2lb packs will be deducted by 2 and 1, respectively, both to 0 inventory). However, this does not reflect the actual inventory.
In the app, what happens in case of a sync issue when lacking inventory depends on your settings. On the Settings page, you can enable one of these two options: “Pause syncing and report sync failure” and “Keep syncing and allow negative stock”.
If this setting is enabled, and your inventory is only sufficient for part of the order (e.g., 2 packs of 1lb or 1 pack of 2lb), the sync will prioritize the first product added to the cart. For example:
A customer adds 2 packs of 1lb to the cart first. The quantity of pack 1lb in Shopify will be deducted from 2 to 0.
This triggers a sync for the bundle group, which includes the 1lb pack (Master) and the base Roast Coffee product (Component with the quantity per bundle of 1). The Roast Coffee inventory will also be updated (from 2 to 0).
After the 1lb pack sync is processed, the sync for the 2lb pack will start:
The inventory of the 2lb pack in Shopify is deducted by 1 to 0.
This triggers a sync for the bundle group, including the 2lb pack (Master) and the base Roast Coffee product (Component with the quantity per bundle of 2). After the 2lb pack inventory is updated, the Roast Coffee inventory should be deducted by 2.
However, since the Roast Coffee stock is already 0 after the first sync, there won’t be enough for the second sync, causing the sync to pause and record as Failed.
If you have enabled email notifications for sync failures (explained in the next section), you will be notified and can visit the Sync History page to see which order includes the failed sync, the available inventory versus what the customer ordered, and how much inventory is lacking. This will help you find ways to handle the issue.
If you choose this setting, the sync will continue even if the inventory goes negative. Here’s what happens:
The quantity of the 1lb pack is deducted by 2 to 0, then syncs to the component/base Roast Coffee product, which is also deducted to 0.
The sync for the 2lb pack to Roast Coffee will proceed, deducting the 2lb pack quantity by 1 to 0, and the Roast Coffee inventory will be deducted from 0 to -2.
Next, if the setting “Update Master based on changes in Component inventory” is typically enabled, the negative Roast Coffee inventory (–2) will sync back to the Master products:
The new quantity of the 1lb pack will be deducted by 2, resulting in -2.
The quantity of the 2lb pack will be deducted by 1, resulting in -1.
In short, if you choose the “Keep syncing and allow negative stock” setting, after an order of 2 packs of 1lb and 1 pack of 2lb when the inventory is only enough to fulfill part of the order, the inventories of the 1lb pack, 2lb pack, and the base Roast Coffee product will be -2, -1, and -2, respectively. You can check the inventory of the base Roast Coffee product to see how much inventory is lacking.
1. Set up inventory thresholds for timely stock alerts#
Sync failures can occur when stock levels are very low. To mitigate this, use the app’s Inventory Threshold feature. This allows you to set one or multiple threshold levels. When stock falls below these levels, the app will notify you via email, giving you the chance to replenish stock and prevent sync failures.
It’s important to note that low stock can lead to sync failures, but it doesn’t always cause them, so there’s no need to worry too much. Sync failures occur only in specific cases, such as when customers add products from different Bundle groups that share the same Component (base product for inventory tracking) in a single order, and the stock is too low to fulfill the entire order.
For stores with smaller inventories that frequently experience low stock, inventory thresholds might not be as effective. In such cases, enabling sync failure notifications can be crucial. This app feature allows you to receive timely alerts when a sync failure occurs so you can take immediate action.
For example, you might contact the customer to suggest an alternative product, restock the item to fulfill the order, or inform the customer of a possible delay, etc.
To enable this feature:
Open the Settings page.
Scroll down to the Email Notifications section.
Select the “Experiencing sync failure” checkbox.
Add the email addresses where you want to receive notifications.
Notes:
Email notifications only work if you enable the “Pause syncing and report sync failure” feature when products in the group are out of stock.
If you choose “Keep syncing and allow negative stock”, the sync will continue successfully, no sync failure will be recorded, and no email notification will be sent.
For more information on the difference between “Pause syncing and report sync failure” and “Keep syncing and allow negative stock,” refer to the earlier section of this guide.
