This guide shows you how to divide a single purchase order's inventory based on backorder sales between multiple warehouse locations using Split Purchase Order feature.
Note: This feature is currently in beta access and available to selected companies. Contact us via chat to request access.
What you'll learn
How to split PO based on backorder sales
How to fine-tune quantities after initial distribution
What happens to your original purchase order after splitting
Step-by-step instructions
Step 0: Access the Split feature
Open the purchase order (PO) you want to split
Locate and click the "Split purchase order" button in the top-right corner of the PO details page
Note: Currently only Draft and Approved POs can be split.
Note: Backorder should be activated for splitting PO based on backorder sales.
Step 1: Select your splitting method
In the split workflow modal, select "Split Between Locations"
This option allows you to distribute inventory across multiple warehouses
Step 1.1: Choose destination locations
Select two or more warehouses from your location list
Each selected location will appear with a checkmark
Step 1.2: Choose the Based on Backorder Sales Distribution Method
Under "Quantity Distribution Method" choose "Based on Backorder Sales" from the dropdown
Click "Continue to Step 2" to proceed
Step 2: Allocate Quantities
Review the automatically calculated quantities for each product across your selected locations
You can modify these numbers by clicking directly in the quantity fields
The sum of quantities across all locations must equal the original PO total (shown in the right column)
If quantities don't balance correctly, a red exclamation mark will appear with validation errors
Click "Continue to Step 3" when quantities are properly distributed
Step 3: Choose what happens to the original PO
Select one of these options for the original purchase order:
Change Status To Draft: Keeps the PO in your system but removes it from inventory calculations
Archive PO: Preserves the PO for record-keeping and disables any linked backorders
Delete PO: Permanently removes the PO (if deletion isn't possible, it will be archived automatically)
2. Review all your selections carefully
3. Click "Confirm Split" to finalize the process
Step 4: View your new purchase orders
After successful splitting:
A confirmation message will appear showing that the split was completed
You'll see the newly created purchase orders with:
Their unique PO numbers
Destination locations
Total quantities
Expected arrival dates
You'll also see the status of your original PO (draft, archived, or deleted)
Click the view next to any new PO to view its details.
Tracking split purchase orders
The relationship between the original PO and the resulting split POs is automatically recorded in the activities log. You'll see entries indicating:
Which PO was split
Which new POs were created from the split
The action taken on the original PO
This tracking makes it easy to trace the history of each order in your inventory system.
How Splitting Works Based on Backorder Sales
We analyze historical backorder fulfillment data to distribute your inventory where it's most needed:
The Distribution Logic
Backorder Fulfillment Ratio: The system calculates how many times each product has been fulfilled from each of your selected warehouse locations.
Proportional Distribution: Products are distributed proportionally based on these fulfillment ratios.
Example:If SKU-1 has been fulfilled 25 times from Berlin and 20 times from Siena:
Total fulfillments = 45
Berlin receives ~56% of the inventory (25/45)
Siena receives ~44% of the inventory (20/45)
Equal Distribution Fallback: If a product has no fulfillment history across your selected locations, the system will distribute it equally between warehouses.
Rounding Logic: When calculating proportional distributions, rounding ensures the sum of distributed quantities exactly matches your original PO quantity.
Manual Adjustment: After automatic distribution, you can still manually adjust quantities to account for other factors like warehouse capacity or local promotions.