Cross Docking

Table of Contents

🔍 What Is Cross Docking? 🛠️ How-to Guides Cross Docking Standard Flow A. Navigating to Cross Docking Navigating to Cross Docking B. Reading the Cross Dock PO C. Creating a Cross Dock PO D. Generating a Cross Dock PO/FR E. Processing a Cross Dock PO 🧪 Tutorial Create and Process a Cross Dock PO 📚 Reference Cross Dock PO Components Example Cross Dock PO Frequently Asked Questions

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of cross docking in Flxpoint, explaining the process of consolidating fulfillment requests into a single purchase order. Explore what cross docking entails, how to manage it, follow a hands-on tutorial, and refer to detailed examples and tools, designed for all users, especially newcomers. (Last updated: 08:55 PM -04, Sunday, June 15, 2025)

🔍 What Is Cross Docking?

In Flxpoint, Cross Docking is the act of consolidating multiple fulfillment requests going to the same source into a single purchase order. The shipment will be delivered to your facilities, where it will be repackaged and sent to the customer.

Cross Docking can be used to:

Reduce inventory holding costs by reducing storage times.
Ship split orders in the same box.
Use custom packaging, slips, and labels.

Example Scenario:

A supplier ships a cross dock PO to your internal warehouse, consolidating three unprocessed orders from Amazon.
You repackage the items with promotional inserts and ship them to end customers.
This reduces costs and improves shipping efficiency for international orders (video: 0:28-0:51).

Image: This diagram outlines the standard cross docking flow, showing the movement from vendor warehouse to internal warehouse and then to end customers.

Insight: Cost Efficiency

Cross docking reduces holding costs and enables custom packaging, making it ideal for scenarios where direct shipping isn’t viable (video: 0:21-0:47).

Key Fact: Requires unprocessed POs for consolidation (video: 1:07-1:14).

🛠️ How-to Guides

Cross Docking Standard Flow
Set your internal warehouse as the To Source. Input your internal warehouse's address into the Shipping Address field. If you have updated the address in your source settings, the shipping address will autopopulate. Combine multiple fulfillment requests into a single Cross Dock Purchase Order. Generate and process Cross Dock Purchase Order to Source. Receive package(s) at your facilities. Repackage and ship to the end customer.

A. Navigating to Cross Docking

Navigating to Cross Docking
Go to the Orders section. At the top of the screen, select the Cross Dock POs tab. Click New Cross Dock PO to get started.

Image: This screenshot shows the Orders section with the Cross Dock POs tab highlighted, where you can initiate a new cross dock PO (video: 0:59-1:02).

B. Reading the Cross Dock PO

Cross Dock PO #: Is the purchase order number that will be sent to your source and can be used to reference the Cross Dock PO in Flxpoint.
From Source: This is where you are sending the Cross Dock PO to be fulfilled (i.e., your vendor's warehouse).
To Source: This is where the Cross Dock PO is relabeled or repackaged (i.e., your internal warehouse).
Shipping Address & Billing Address: This is the address where the Cross Dock PO will be shipped for repackaging.

Image: This screenshot displays the Cross Dock PO details, including the PO number, From Source, To Source, and shipping address fields (video: 1:34-2:18).

C. Creating a Cross Dock PO

Creating a Cross Dock PO
Add a Cross PO number (e.g., CD12345). Select the From Source (i.e., your vendor's warehouse). Select the To Source (i.e., your internal warehouse). Choose the desired Shipping Method (e.g., Standard Shipping). Input your internal warehouse's Shipping and Billing Addresses if they do not autopopulate. Click Add PO/FR. In the pop-up menu, select the desired Unprocessed POs to be cross docked. You can search your library of fulfillment requests using the PO # or order reference #. Click Add PO/FR to add the selected Unprocessed POs to your Cross Dock PO.

Creating a Cross Dock PO

Add a Cross PO number (e.g., CD12345).
Select the From Source (i.e., your vendor's warehouse).
Select the To Source (i.e., your internal warehouse).
Choose the desired Shipping Method (e.g., Standard Shipping).
Input your internal warehouse's Shipping and Billing Addresses if they do not autopopulate.
Click Add PO/FR.
In the pop-up menu, select the desired Unprocessed POs to be cross docked. You can search your library of fulfillment requests using the PO # or order reference #.
Click Add PO/FR to add the selected Unprocessed POs to your Cross Dock PO.

Image: This screenshot shows the pop-up menu for selecting unprocessed POs to add to the Cross Dock PO, allowing multiple selections (video: 2:52-3:13).

This will take the line items from the unprocessed fulfillment requests and add them to the Cross Dock PO. The original fulfillment requests will now say Cross Docked.

Image: This screenshot shows the updated status of original fulfillment requests as 'Cross Docked' after being added to the Cross Dock PO (video: 3:50-4:04).

Saving Your Progress

If you would like to pause and return to adding unprocessed fulfillment requests to your Cross Dock PO, you can click Update in the bottom right of the Cross Dock PO screen.

Clicking Update will save any changes you've made to the Cross Dock PO.

The Update button does not generate a PO/FR for the Cross Dock PO.

D. Generating a Cross Dock PO/FR

Generating a Cross Dock PO/FR
Once you have selected all the desired unprocessed fulfillment requests, scroll to the bottom of the page. Click Save and Generate PO/FRs in the right-hand corner. Doing so will generate and create the Cross Dock PO at the top of the screen.

Image: This screenshot shows the 'Save and Generate PO/FRs' button, which creates the Cross Dock PO with aggregated line items (video: 3:19-3:34).

Next, let's Process the Cross Dock PO, so it can be sent to the source to be fulfilled.

E. Processing a Cross Dock PO

Processing a Cross Dock PO
Once you have generated the Cross Dock PO, click the Actions drop-down menu at the bottom right of the PO. Click Process.

This sets the Cross Dock PO's status to Processing so the next time Flxpoint runs a Send FR/FOs job to this source, it will send the Cross Dock PO.

Using Committed Stock

When using Committed Stock, the fulfillment requests that were originally generated for the From Source will have their committed stock released when a Cross Dock PO is generated.

To release committed stock for the Cross Dock PO, make sure to add the shipment information to the Cross-Docked PO under Fulfillments.

Stub Purchase Orders

Flxpoint automatically sends a copy of your cross docked purchase orders to your internal warehouse and syncs shipping information back to your channels.

Due to this, you will see two purchase orders on each order that has been cross docked. The second PO is merely a copy and will not cause a duplicate order. This copy is known as the Stub Purchase Order.

Insight: Processing Automation

Processing the Cross Dock PO automates its transmission to the source, with manual tracking updates required for end customer delivery (video: 4:09-4:49).

Key Fact: Committed stock is released upon generation, affecting inventory management.

These guides ensure you can manage cross docking effectively.

🧪 Tutorial

Create and Process a Cross Dock PO

Goal: Create and process a cross dock PO for multiple orders.

Scenario: Three unprocessed orders (Orders #9001, #9002, #9003) need to be consolidated into a Cross Dock PO for Vendor Warehouse A.

Steps:

Go to the Orders tab and select the Cross Dock POs tab.
Click New Cross Dock PO, enter PO# CD12345, and set From Source to Vendor Warehouse A.
Select To Source as Internal Warehouse and choose Standard Shipping.
Click Add PO/FR, select unprocessed POs for Orders #9001, #9002, #9003, and add them.
Click Save and Generate PO/FRs to create the Cross Dock PO.
Click Actions > Process to set the status to Processing.
Add tracking numbers after repackaging and sync to end customers.

Video: This 5:02 video guides you through creating and processing a cross dock PO, including navigation and tracking setup (transcript available for reference).

Insight: End-to-End Management

Creating and processing a cross dock PO streamlines fulfillment, with manual tracking updates ensuring customer satisfaction (video: 4:43-4:55).

Key Fact: Limit is 250 fulfillment requests per cross dock PO (FAQ #2).

🧪 You’ve created and processed the cross dock PO! Use this insight to optimize your workflow.

Requirements:

You must have at least one unprocessed fulfillment request previously routed to the From Source (i.e., your vendor's warehouse).

Once a fulfillment request has been processed, it is no longer eligible for cross docking.

📚 Reference

Cross Dock PO Components

Component	Description
Cross Dock PO #	Unique identifier sent to the source (e.g., CD12345).
From Source	Vendor warehouse fulfilling the PO.
To Source	Internal warehouse for repackaging.
Shipping Method	Method used (e.g., Standard Shipping).
Shipping Address	Address for repackaging (autopopulates if set).
Billing Address	Address for billing (can autopopulate).
PO/FRs	Unprocessed fulfillment requests added.

Example Cross Dock PO

Cross Dock PO #	From Source	To Source	Shipping Method	Total Items
CD12345	Vendor Warehouse A	Internal Warehouse	Standard Shipping	5

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I send tracking back to the end customer?

You can import or manually add shipping information and associate it to the copy of your Cross Dock PO.

2. Is there a limit to the number of fulfillment requests that can be cross docked at once?

Yes. You may only cross dock 250 fulfillment requests at once.

3. Why do I see two purchase orders on my order?