Cross Docking

June 26, 2026

Summary

Consolidating multiple unprocessed fulfillment requests going to the same vendor into a single purchase order - so items ship to your internal warehouse for repackaging before reaching the end customer.

What this covers

What cross docking does

Merges multiple unprocessed FRs going to the same vendor into one PO for bulk delivery and repackaging.

Standard flow

Vendor → your internal warehouse → repackaged → end customer. Used for split orders, custom packaging, and international consolidation.

Stub purchase orders

Flxpoint auto-creates a copy PO for your internal warehouse to sync shipment tracking back to channels.

250 FR limit

Maximum of 250 unprocessed fulfillment requests per cross dock PO.

How cross docking works

Unprocessed FRs (same vendor)

→

Consolidated into Cross Dock PO

→

Sent to vendor warehouse

→

Delivered to your internal warehouse

→

Repackaged + shipped to end customers

Cross dock PO: field reference

Field	Required	Description
Cross Dock PO #	Required	Unique identifier sent to the vendor. Used to reference the PO in Flxpoint (e.g. `CD12345`).
From Source	Required	The vendor's warehouse that will fulfill the PO and ship items to your internal warehouse.
To Source	Required	Your internal warehouse - where the shipment is received, repackaged, and reshipped to end customers.
Shipping Method	Required	The shipping method used by the vendor for delivery to your warehouse (e.g. Standard Shipping).
Shipping Address	Required	Your internal warehouse address. Auto-populates if the address is configured in your source settings.
Billing Address	Required	Billing address for the PO. Auto-populates from source settings if configured.
PO/FRs	Required	The unprocessed fulfillment requests to consolidate. Search by PO# or order reference#. Only Unprocessed FRs for the From Source are eligible.

When to use cross docking

Use case	Why cross docking helps
Split orders shipping to the same customer	Consolidate items from multiple FRs into one box - reduces shipping costs and customer experience friction from multiple deliveries.
Custom packaging or inserts	Items arrive at your warehouse, allowing you to add branded packaging, promotional inserts, or custom labeling before final shipment.
International orders	Consolidate multiple vendor shipments into a single international parcel - reduces per-package customs fees and carrier costs.
Reducing inventory holding costs	Items pass through your warehouse quickly (receive → repack → ship) without being added to long-term storage inventory.

Non-obvious failures

Only Unprocessed FRs are eligible for cross docking

Once an FR has been processed (sent to a source), it is no longer eligible to be added to a cross dock PO. You must use Unprocessed FRs only. Plan cross docking before running your normal processing flow - or use Stop Processing to revert a Processing FR back to Unprocessed if caught in time.

Committed stock releases when the cross dock PO is generated

When using committed stock, the committed inventory for the original FRs is released when you click Save and Generate PO/FRs. To properly track committed stock for the cross dock PO itself, add shipment information to the Cross-Docked PO under Fulfillments after it's generated.

Two POs per order is normal - the second is a Stub PO

After cross docking, every affected order shows two purchase orders: the original Cross Dock PO (sent to vendor) and a Stub PO (automatically sent to your internal warehouse to sync shipment tracking back to channels). The Stub PO is not a duplicate order - it's a copy that enables channel tracking updates.

Update button saves progress but does NOT generate the PO

If you click Update on the cross dock PO screen to save your work mid-session, the FRs are saved to the PO but the PO is not yet generated or sent to the vendor. You must click Save and Generate PO/FRs to create the actual PO. Then use Actions → Process to transmit it.

FAQs

Is there a limit to how many FRs I can cross dock at once?

Yes - a maximum of 250 fulfillment requests per cross dock PO. If you have more than 250 FRs for the same vendor, create multiple cross dock POs.

How do I send tracking information back to the end customer?

After receiving and repackaging at your internal warehouse, import or manually add shipment and tracking information to the Stub PO copy associated with each order. Flxpoint syncs the tracking from the Stub PO back to the originating channel automatically.

Why do I see two purchase orders on each cross-docked order?

This is expected behavior. The first is the Cross Dock PO - sent to your vendor. The second is the Stub PO - automatically created for your internal warehouse to enable Flxpoint to sync shipping information back to your sales channels. The Stub PO does not represent a second order or cause a duplicate shipment.

Can I add more FRs to a cross dock PO after I've already saved it?

Yes, as long as the PO has not yet been generated. Open the cross dock PO, click Add PO/FR, select additional unprocessed FRs, then click Update to save. Once you click Save and Generate PO/FRs, the PO is generated and locked - you cannot add FRs after that point.

How do I process a cross dock PO?

Cross dock POs are processed manually. Open the cross dock PO, click Actions, then Process. The PO moves to Processing while the fulfillment request job sends it to the source, and it becomes Processed once that job completes; you cannot set Processed by hand. If a PO is already Processing and you need to run it again, choose Stop Processing first, then Process.

Can I acknowledge a cross dock PO manually?

No. There is no option to acknowledge a cross dock PO yourself. Acknowledged is set only when the source acknowledges the PO, so an empty Acknowledged On means the source has not acknowledged it yet, and a PO that is still Processing has not been sent to the source at all.

Why is my cross dock PO stuck in Processing and never reaches the source?

Some sources limit the length of the order number they accept. Sports South, for example, accepts a Customer Order Number of at most 10 characters, and that field is mapped from the Fulfillment Request Number in the Send Purchase Orders mapping template, so an 11-character FR number is rejected and the PO never leaves Processing. Check the field limits in the mapping template for your source, and contact support if the PO still does not reach the source.

Back to Fulfillment Requests