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Managing Pre-orders
on NetSuite

Oracle

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Oracle NetSuite is a cloud-based ERP used by mid-market and enterprise ecommerce. As the central hub for inventory and order management, NetSuite plays a key role in pre-orders—syncing stock levels, processing orders, and integrating with Shopify and 3PLs.

This guide will break down how NetSuite handles key pre-order functions like negative stock, Shopify’s “On Hold” status, and fulfilment workflows—so you’ll know what to expect, where it excels, and any workarounds you may need.

How ERPs and pre-orders work together in the modern ecommerce stack

As the central source of truth for your ecommerce operations, ERPs play a crucial role in pre-orders—primarily in two areas:

Product & inventory management (tracking stock, syncing availability).
Order processing (handling pre-order statuses and fulfilment flows).

Below is a typical flow. Click through to see how Shopify, the ERP and pre-order application interact.

1

Order & Inventory Sync

The ERP synchronizes orders and inventory across various sales channels (e.g., Shopify, Amazon, retail POS).

Key Considerations for Managing Pre-orders on NetSuite

In the diagram above you may have noticed the word “should” being used a couple of times… That’s because not all ERPs fully support Shopify’s pre-order features out of the box. Some may lack support for negative inventory counts or fail to respect Shopify’s “On Hold” order status, requiring workarounds or additional configuration. Read on to see how NetSuite interacts with Shopify pre-orders and what you might need to adjust.

Syncing Shopify Products

NetSuite can sync product data (titles, SKUs, prices, inventory levels, etc.) with Shopify, but this typically requires an integration platform. Merchants can use NetSuite’s own Shopify connector or a third-party solution like Celigo, FarApp, or Patchworks to handle data exchange. Once connected, product sync operates bidirectionally, keeping NetSuite and Shopify updated.

Syncing Shopify Orders

NetSuite syncs Shopify orders, including statuses, customer details, and line items, but this also depends on a connector solution. Merchants need to ensure that their connector is configured correctly to push order updates back to Shopify, including status changes like fulfilment or cancellations.

Handling Negative Inventory

By default, NetSuite does not allow negative inventory, but this setting can be enabled. Merchants need to activate “Allow Negative Quantities on Hand”  under Setup → Company → Setup Tasks → Enable Features in the Items & Inventory tab. This allows pre-orders to be processed even when stock is depleted.

Resources:

• NetSuite Negative Inventory Documentation

Respecting Shopify’s “On Hold” Status

Whether NetSuite recognizes Shopify’s “On Hold” order status depends on the connector used. Some integrations may require merchants to manually map “On Hold” in Shopify to a corresponding custom status in NetSuite to ensure correct processing.

Pre-Order-Specific Features

NetSuite does not have a built-in pre-order module, but it is highly customizable. Merchants can use negative inventory, custom statuses, and workflow automations to manage pre-orders effectively. Some third-party connectors offer pre-order-specific enhancements.

Resources:

• NetSuite Order Reservations Guide

Custom Workflows with Order Tags, Line-item Properties or Metafields

Merchants can use Shopify tags, line-item properties and metafields in NetSuite, but only if the connector supports them. Once imported into NetSuite, SuiteFlow (NetSuite’s workflow builder) can automate actions based on pre-order tags, such as delaying fulfillment until stock arrives.

Resources:

• Celigo: Mapping Shopify Metafields to NetSuite

Supporting Full vs. Partial Order Fulfilment

NetSuite supports both full and partial fulfillment through item fulfillment records and fulfillment requests. Merchants can ship in batches (e.g., when one item is backordered),  and automate the process further with SuiteFlow or SuiteScript.

Resources:

• NetSuite Item Fulfillment Documentation

Summary

NetSuite support for
Shopify Pre-orders

Pre-order touchpoint	NetSuite support
Products sync with Shopify	✅ Supported (via connectors)
Orders sync with Shopify	✅ Supported (via connectors)
Negative inventory support	✅ Supported (must be enabled manually)
Shopify “On Hold” status recognition	⚠️ Requires connector configuration
Specific pre-order support	⚠️ No native support, but can be customized
Custom workflows	✅ Supported (via connectors & SuiteFlow)
Partial fulfilment support	✅ Supported (via fulfillment requests)

Strengths & Limitations

✅ Strengths
• Highly customizable and scalable for growing businesses.
• Strong inventory and order management tools.
• Supports custom workflows and automation via SuiteFlow and SuiteScript.

⚠️ Limitations
• Requires third-party connectors to sync Shopify data.
• No built-in pre-order management—must be configured manually.
• Some Shopify pre-order features (e.g., order holds) may not be fully supported without adjustments.