Why are my FBA transfer orders stuck in "Draft" status?

Why Are My Transfer Orders Stuck in "Draft" Status?

Transfer orders in Finale Inventory may occasionally appear stuck in "Draft" status, preventing the order from moving forward. This typically happens for a couple of reasons, both related to the syncing of product data and the shipment's status in Amazon. Here’s a breakdown of the common causes and how to resolve them.

1. Missing Product Mapping Between Amazon and Finale

The most common reason for a transfer order to remain in the "Draft" stage is that one or more products in the shipment from Amazon do not have a matching product lookup to a Product ID in Finale Inventory. For Finale to accurately build the transfer shipment and sync with Amazon, each product in the Amazon shipment must be mapped to a corresponding Product ID in Finale.

How to Resolve:

• Verify the SKU Mapping: Check the SKU from Amazon for each product in the transfer shipment. Then, use Finale's Product Lookup screen to ensure that each SKU is correctly mapped to a Product ID in Finale.
• Correct the Mapping: If any products are missing this mapping, add the correct Product ID for each product. This will allow Finale to complete the transfer order and move it out of the draft status.

Without proper mapping, the system cannot proceed with the transfer order, as it does not know which products to move. Once the mapping is addressed, Finale will update the order, and the inventory will be transferred and synced as expected.

2. Shipment Still in "Working" Status on Amazon Seller Central

Another reason a transfer order might remain in "Draft" status is if the order is still marked as "Working" in Amazon Seller Central. This typically occurs when the carrier has not yet picked up the inventory, meaning that the shipment has not officially started the transfer process.

In this case, Finale is waiting for confirmation that the shipment is in transit or inbound before completing the order.

How to Resolve:

• Check Shipment Status on Amazon: Log into Amazon Seller Central and review the status of the shipment. If it is still in "Working" status, wait for the carrier to pick up the inventory.
• Update Status Once In Transit: Once the carrier picks up the shipment, Amazon will update the status, and Finale will sync with this change, allowing the transfer order to move out of the draft stage.