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Managing Pre-orders
on Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory

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Zoho Inventory is a cloud-based solution that integrates seamlessly with Shopify to sync product data, orders, and stock levels. It supports negative inventory to accommodate pre-orders or overselling, and offers partial fulfillment workflows, but does not natively recognize Shopify’s “on hold” status or sync Shopify tags/metafields without additional tools.

This guide will break down how Zoho Inventory 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 Zoho Inventory

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 Zoho Inventory interacts with Shopify pre-orders and what you might need to adjust.

Syncing Shopify Products

Zoho Inventory integrates with Shopify to synchronize product data (titles, SKUs, inventory levels). This ensures consistent product information across both platforms and helps prevent overselling with real-time stock updates.
• Product Info Sync: When items are created in Shopify, Zoho Inventory matches them via SKUs or item names.
• Inventory Updates: Stock levels adjust automatically upon sales or stock changes.
• Order Sync: Shopify sales orders push into Zoho Inventory for centralized fulfillment.

Syncing Shopify Orders

Zoho Inventory synchronizes Shopify order details—statuses, customer info, line items—ensuring accurate order management.
• Order Synchronization: A sales order in Zoho Inventory is generated automatically from each Shopify order.
• Customer Details: New shoppers are added as contacts in Zoho Inventory, keeping records up to date.
• Line Items & Statuses: Item-level details, taxes, and payment/fulfillment statuses carry over to Zoho Inventory.

Handling Negative Inventory

Yes, Zoho Inventory can allow negative inventory, helpful for managing pre-orders or overselling.
• Negative Inventory Tracking: Sales resulting in below-zero stock levels are permitted, capturing orders even if items aren’t currently in stock.
• Inventory Management: Close monitoring and regular reconciliations remain crucial.
• System Configuration: Permissions and workflows must be set to handle negative stock.

Respecting Shopify’s “On Hold” Status

Zoho Inventory doesn’t natively recognize Shopify’s “on hold” order status. If an order is put on hold in Shopify, it won’t reflect in Zoho Inventory automatically.
• Workaround: Create custom tags or notes in Shopify for “on hold” orders. In Zoho, reference those tags to manage them as needed.

Pre-Order-Specific Features

Zoho Inventory offers workflows and features to handle pre-orders effectively.
• Backorder Management: Accept orders for out-of-stock items, then fulfill once stock is replenished.
• Drop Shipment: Ship directly from supplier to customer for timely delivery.
• Sales Order Management: Create orders for pre-ordered items and track them until fulfillment.
• Purchase Orders: Generate POs to suppliers for pre-ordered products.

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

Zoho Inventory’s native integration with Shopify doesn’t sync tags or metafields by default.
• Third-Party Tools: Use Zapier or similar platforms to trigger actions in Zoho from Shopify tags/metafields.
• Custom Development: Build scripts via the Zoho Inventory and Shopify APIs to transfer custom data.

Supporting Full vs. Partial Order Fulfilment

Zoho Inventory supports both full and partial order fulfillment. You can fulfill sales orders in multiple shipments, shipping in-stock items first and sending backordered items later. This ensures customers receive what’s available quickly while outstanding products await restock.

Summary

Zoho Inventory support for
Shopify Pre-orders

Pre-order touchpoint	Zoho Inventory support
Products sync with Shopify	✅ Syncs product data (titles, SKUs, stock) with Shopify
Orders sync with Shopify	✅ Imports Shopify orders and statuses for central management
Negative inventory support	✅ Allows negative stock for pre-orders/overselling
Shopify “On Hold” status recognition	⚠️ No native recognition of Shopify “on hold” status
Specific pre-order support	✅ Backorder workflows, drop shipment, and purchase order creation
Custom workflows	⚠️ No direct tag/metafield sync; requires Zapier or custom API
Partial fulfilment support	✅ Permits multiple shipments and partial fulfillment

Strengths & Limitations

✅ Strengths
• Straightforward Shopify integration for orders and stock
• Can track negative inventory and backorders
• Flexible partial fulfillment and drop shipment features

⚠️ Limitations
• Lacks native quoting tool (requires Zoho CRM/Books)
• Doesn’t sync Shopify tags/metafields without third-party tools
• No direct support for Shopify “on hold” status