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

Automated cross-docking workflow

You can automate the consolidation of fulfillment requests by enabling the Auto Process CrossDock Requests setting in your post-order workflow. When active, Flxpoint's hourly Get Orders process collects eligible orders into a single cross-dock PO rather than creating individual fulfillment requests. This consolidated PO is then sent to the vendor on a defined schedule, allowing them to process multiple channel orders as a single bulk shipment to your warehouse. Existing order-routing rules still apply to these automated requests, and because the vendor is shipping in bulk to your internal location, individual customer delivery addresses are excluded from the consolidated vendor PO.

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.

Automated Cross-Dock PO Consolidation

What it does

Cross-dock PO consolidation allows you to group multiple individual channel orders into a single purchase order (PO) sent to your vendor. This workflow is designed for vendors who cannot process a high volume of individual orders throughout the day and prefer a single, consolidated request for their internal shipping and delivery workflows.

How it works

When this feature is enabled, Flxpoint collects orders in a specialized queue rather than immediately generating individual fulfillment requests. The automated process follows these steps:

Order Collection: As Flxpoint runs the Get Orders process (typically hourly), orders meeting your routing criteria are added to the Auto Process CrossDock Requests queue.
Consolidation: Instead of creating a unique PO for every order, Flxpoint aggregates the items from all pending orders into one consolidated cross-dock PO.
Scheduled Sending: The consolidated PO is sent to the vendor on a predefined schedule, ensuring they receive one comprehensive document rather than dozens of separate notifications.

Note: Because this is a cross-dock workflow intended for bulk shipment to your facility or a central hub, delivery addresses for individual end-customers are not included in the consolidated PO sent to the vendor.

Configuration

To implement this workflow, you must adjust your post-order settings for the specific source.

Navigate to your Source settings and locate the Post-Order Workflow section.
Enable the Auto Process CrossDock Requests setting. This replaces the standard option that immediately generates individual Fulfillment Requests (FRs).
Ensure your Order Routing Rules are configured. The consolidation logic still respects your existing routing priorities, such as cost, distance, or brand preference.
Set the schedule for sending the consolidated PO to your vendor (e.g., once daily or every four hours).

Why use consolidated POs?

This workflow is highly beneficial for retailers managing a high volume of small orders who use a central warehouse for sorting before final delivery. It reduces vendor administrative overhead, potentially lowers inbound shipping costs, and simplifies the reconciliation process by matching one vendor invoice to one consolidated PO.

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