Half a case of this, three of that
Small customers want small quantities. A corner shop wants six of a line that comes in cases of twenty-four. A cafe wants two bottles of a syrup that comes in sixes. Your terms say split cases carry a charge, and some lines cannot be split at all. In practice, it depends who takes the order.
In the warehouse, a picker opens a case, takes six, and leaves eighteen loose on the shelf. The system still thinks there is a full case there. Next week the count is off. A customer who ordered 'one' gets a case, or the other way round.
Where the confusion starts
Most wholesale systems hold stock and price in one unit per product. When customers order in a different unit, the conversion happens in someone's head. Rules about which products can be split, the charge, and the minimum split quantity are in the terms document or the office's memory, not on the product. So orders, prices and stock all slip.
| Issue | Cause |
|---|---|
| Wrong quantity delivered | Unit ordered not clear on the order |
| Split charge missed | Applied by hand, sometimes |
| Stock count wrong | Opened cases not tracked |
| Unsplittable lines split | Rule not on the product |
| Loose stock damaged or lost | No place for opened cases |
What unmanaged split cases cost
Handling time for splitting is real, and without a consistent charge, you absorb it. Stock errors from opened cases cause false availability, back orders and write-offs. Wrong quantities delivered lead to returns and credits. And customers get different answers from different staff, which creates arguments about fairness.
Your web shop usually makes this more visible. Online, the rules are either applied rigidly or not at all, and customers who order in singles online and by phone get different results. They notice, and they ask why.
There is also a buying effect. If sales of singles are recorded as fractions of cases, or as whole cases, the demand figures your buyer relies on are distorted, which feeds into how much you reorder.
The split case handling we build
- Each product holds its units (single, inner, case) with conversions, and whether it can be split and in what minimum quantity.
- Orders from any channel record the unit ordered clearly, and the office screen, web shop and rep app all show the options allowed for that product.
- Your split case charge, whether a percentage, a fixed amount per line or a different price per single, is applied automatically, with exemptions set per customer.
- Pick lists show the unit to pick, and opened cases are moved to a split location so stock is counted correctly.
- Stock is held in the smallest unit behind the scenes where your system allows, or converted consistently by a layer alongside it.
- A report shows split case volume by customer and product, so you can judge whether your charge and rules make sense.
What you charge for split cases, and for whom, is your commercial decision. The build makes sure whatever you decide is applied every time.
After the rules are in
Customers see what they can order in singles and at what price before they order. Office staff stop making judgement calls. Pickers know exactly what to pick, and opened cases have a home. Stock counts line up. And you can see whether split case business is worth what it costs to serve.
Does this happen in your business?
- Split case charges are applied sometimes.
- Customers receive a case when they ordered singles, or the reverse.
- Opened cases are left loose on the shelf.
- Stock counts are regularly wrong on splittable lines.
- Nobody knows how much split case work you do.