How a network's send is calculated
For every SKU at every fulfillment network, the Send Planner asks one question: how many units does this network need so it doesn't run out before the next send lands? The answer is the network's need. This page explains how the need is worked out. When your warehouses can't cover every network's need, the planner shares the stock out, which is explained in How stock is shared between networks.
You can see every step of this calculation for any SKU. Open the SKU's Why these numbers drawer and read the network's why N? card. For details, read See why a SKU gets its quantity.
The need, step by step
The planner fills each network to cover its sales until the next send lands, and then takes off whatever the network already has or has coming:
Need = sales per day × (target cover + buffer days + days to check in) − what's already at or on the way to the network
A real example from the why N? card for a 4 oz castor oil at Walmart WFS:
| Step on the card | Units |
|---|---|
| Velocity 21.0/day × (30 target + 7 buffer + 14 lead) days | 1,071 |
| − On hand at network | 380 |
| Need | 691 |
Each step means:
| Step | What it is |
|---|---|
| Velocity … /day | How fast this SKU sells at this network. See Sales velocity. |
| target | The network's Target cover: the days of sales the network should hold after the send lands. |
| buffer | The network's Buffer days: extra days on top of the target, for safety. Shown only when the network has buffer days. This has nothing to do with a buffer network such as AWD; see Amazon AWD is a buffer. |
| lead | The network's Days to check in: how long a send takes to ship and be received. See Lead time. |
| − On hand at network | Units the network holds now. |
| − In transit / receiving | Units already shipped to the network and not yet received. |
| − On order from suppliers, shipping direct | Units on draft or open purchase orders that a supplier delivers straight to the network. See Purchase orders that ship straight to a network. |
| − Open drafts not yet shipped | Units on shipment drafts from earlier plans that haven't shipped yet, so they aren't sent twice. |
| − Buffer stock that replenishes this network automatically | For Amazon FBA: stock in Amazon AWD that Amazon moves into FBA for you. See Amazon AWD is a buffer. |
| Need | What's left. A network that already has more than enough gets a need of 0, never a negative number. |
You set Target cover, Buffer days, Days to check in and the other rules for each network on the Network rules tab. See Set network rules.
The rules in one line
The plan summary on the Plan tab shows each network's rules under its name in Where it goes, for example 45 d target · 28 d floor · 9 d lead · 1×. Hover over the line to see what each part means:
- Target: days of cover after the send lands.
- Floor: the network never drops below this many days while stock lasts. The floor matters only when stock is short.
- Lead: days for a send to arrive. It says (measured) when SKU.io measured it from your past shipments.
- Priority: how much of the stock the network gets when there isn't enough for everyone, such as
1×or0.8×.
The Notes in the summary also hold a line that starts How much each network gets. It adds each network's target and lead time together, for example 54 days = 45 target + 9 to arrive, so you can see how far ahead each network is filled. Networks with the same rules share one chip. Click Change in Network rules to change them.
A maximum cover caps the need
If a network has a Max cover, the need never fills it beyond that many days. The card shows Capped at N days of cover (fee cliff). Use it for networks that charge more for stock that sits too long, such as long-term storage fees.
Sales velocity
Velocity is the average number of units a SKU sells per day at one network. The planner counts the orders that network fulfilled over a window of recent days, 30 by default. You set the window under Sales history to average (days) on the Network rules tab. The why N? card names the window it used and where that setting comes from, for example Velocity over a 30-day window (Send planner settings).
A chip at the top of each card shows the rate and where it came from:
| Chip text | Meaning |
|---|---|
| this network's own sales | Orders the network fulfilled, counted at the network's warehouse. |
| the channel's orders (not attributed to this warehouse) | The fallback described below. A Channel fallback chip appears beside it. |
| the network's report | A figure the network reports itself. |
| No sales yet | No sales at this network in the window. See New listings. |
Channel fallback. Sometimes a channel's network-fulfilled orders aren't reliably tied to the network's warehouse. When fewer than 80% of them are, the planner counts the channel's network-fulfilled orders directly instead, for example Walmart orders fulfilled by WFS. The card says Velocity from …: only N% of them are attributed to this warehouse.
For how velocity and days of supply work elsewhere in SKU.io, see How sales velocity and days of supply work.
Stock-out adjusted velocity
A network that was out of stock for part of the window sold nothing on those days. Averaging those zero days in would make the SKU look slower than it is, and the next send would be too small. So the Send Planner adjusts for stock-outs: it divides the units sold by the days the SKU was in stock, not by every day in the window.
The card shows the adjustment, for example Velocity 4.0/day raw → 6.0/day adjusted (10 days out of stock), and a chip says how it went:
| Chip | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Stock-out adjusted (N of M d out) | The SKU was out of stock N of the M days, and the velocity was adjusted. |
| In stock all window | No out-of-stock days, so no adjustment was needed. |
| Stock-out adjusted, capped 3× | The adjustment would have more than tripled the velocity, so it stops at 3 times the raw rate. |
| Too little history (N d in stock) | The SKU was in stock fewer than 7 days of the window. That's too few to adjust from, so the raw velocity is used, and the need may be low. |
| No stock history | There's no daily stock history for this network yet, so velocity isn't adjusted. |
Where the in-stock history comes from depends on the network. For Amazon FBA it comes from Amazon's inventory ledger. For Walmart WFS and TikTok FBT, SKU.io records each network's stock every night, so a newly connected network shows No stock history until a few nights have been recorded. Amazon AWD has no stock-out status of its own, because it plans from FBA's sales.
Your own channels aren't adjusted the same way. When a network runs out, some buyers order from your own store instead, so your self-fulfilled sales may include that spill-over. The planner notes it on the card but doesn't correct for it.
Demand Planning and the Inventory Planning report don't adjust velocity for stock-outs. The Send Planner does, so its velocity for the same SKU can be higher.
Lead time (days to check in)
The lead is how many days pass between shipping a send and the network counting it as stock. A longer lead means the network has to be filled further ahead.
The screens call this setting by several short names: lead, to arrive, lead time and shipping time all mean the network card's Days to check in.
For Amazon FBA, the Send Planner uses the measured lead time into FBA from FBA Inbound → Lead times: the region's primary route when it ships from your own warehouse or a 3PL, otherwise the Own warehouse route. A lead time you entered on that page counts too. The summary's rule tooltip then says (measured). While the route has no measured or entered lead time, the planner uses its default, 9 days for FBA. A value you type in the FBA card's Days to check in on Network rules wins over the measured one. See Plan with lead times into FBA.
When a network runs out before the send lands
If a network's stock today won't last until a send could arrive, the line gets the Stocks out first flag. In other words, what's at the network plus what's already on the way to it covers fewer days than its Days to check in. That's a different number from Cover now, which counts only what's on hand. Ship these lines first. The plan summary counts them in N lines run out before this send lands, and clicking that signal filters the grid to them.
Days of cover
Days of cover is how many days the stock lasts at the network's current velocity. Each network cell on the grid shows two numbers, such as 15d → 35d:
- Cover now (left): units on hand at the network ÷ velocity.
- After (right): what the network holds after this send lands, counting on hand, inbound, open drafts and this send, ÷ velocity.
The right-hand number shows in red when it stays below the network's floor. A new listing shows new instead of a number.
Rounding to whole cases
Networks receive stock in cases, so each network's quantity is rounded to whole cases. The case size is the network's case pack when it has one, otherwise the product's case quantity. You choose how to round under Case rounding on the Network rules tab:
| Case rounding | What happens |
|---|---|
| Nearest case | Rounds to the nearest whole case. |
| Round down | Rounds down to whole cases. |
| Round up | Rounds up, as long as there's enough stock. When there isn't, it drops a case at a time until it fits. |
| No rounding | Sends loose units. TikTok FBT takes loose units. |
The card shows the step, such as Rounded up to 59 cases of 24, Rounded down to N cases of M or Reduced to N cases of M to stay within the pool. Rounding never goes past a capacity limit or a Max cover.
If a network needs less than one case and rounding takes it to nothing (with Round down, or with Nearest case when the need is under half a case), the card says Need of N is less than one case of M, so it rounds to nothing, and the line gets the Below one case flag. To send a case anyway, change the send quantity: a quantity you type never rounds down to 0.
The smallest send per SKU
Some networks won't accept a tiny quantity of one SKU. TikTok FBT rejects inbound plans with fewer than 10 units per SKU, and you can set your own minimum for any network under Smallest send on the Network rules tab. The minimum is rounded up to whole cases, so a case of 6 with a minimum of 10 means 12.
When a network's quantity falls below its minimum:
- If there's enough stock, it's raised to the minimum: Raised to the TikTok FBT minimum of 10 units.
- If there isn't, it's dropped to 0: Dropped: below the TikTok FBT minimum of 10 units.
When the plan splits a send across several of your warehouses, it never leaves one warehouse's share under the minimum. If one warehouse can cover the whole send, that warehouse sends it alone.
The minimum is checked again when you create shipment drafts. If a line is under the minimum by then, for example after you edited it, that SKU is left out of the draft and stays in the plan, and the rest of the draft goes ahead. The draft says N SKUs were left out of this draft and stay in the plan: with each SKU and its reason. SKUs that aren't listed on TikTok Shop, or aren't matched in FBT Goods, are left out the same way. A draft fails only when none of its SKUs can be drafted. See Follow up on shipment drafts.
TikTok FBT also limits the size of each carton (23 kg and 66 cm). A case that breaks the limit doesn't stop the send, but the line gets the Carton too big flag so you can split it into smaller cartons before you ship.
New listings: the first send
A listing that has never sold at a network has no velocity to plan from. Rather than send nothing, the planner sends a seed: a first quantity to get the listing started. The line gets the New listing flag, the cell shows new, and the card shows No sales history yet (new listing) and Seed quantity (…).
You choose the seed under First send for a new listing on each network's card in Network rules:
- Fixed units: the same number of units for every new listing.
- Copy another network's sales: a share of what the SKU sells at another network, over this network's target and lead time. You pick the Network to copy (or The fastest-selling other network) and the Share of the other network's sales. If you also set fixed units, those cap the seed.
If no other network sells the SKU yet, the fixed seed is used. If no seed is set at all, the card says No sales at this network and nothing is sent. Once the listing has enough days of sales, its real velocity takes over from the seed.
A listing that has stock at the network but no sales isn't new. It's simply not moving, so its need is 0 and it gets no seed.
Multi-pack listings
Some listings sell a pack, such as a 3-pack of one product. If the listing is mapped to the single-unit product, set its Pack size under Product overrides in Network rules. The planner then counts the network's stock and sales in single units, and the card says Listing sells packs of 3: its stock and sales are counted in single units (× 3). The case pack becomes a multiple of the pack size.
The send itself still has to go out as packs. A multi-pack line can't be drafted until the listing is mapped to a matching pack product, such as a bundle. See Set product overrides.
Purchase orders that ship straight to a network
A purchase order whose destination is the network's own warehouse, from a supplier that ships direct, counts as already on its way. Draft and open POs both count. The card lists up to three of them under − On order from suppliers, shipping direct, for example PO123 (draft) 240 in 12 d, so the same units aren't also sent from your warehouses.
Once such a PO is linked to the network's own inbound shipment in FBA, AWD or WFS, the network's In transit / receiving figure counts it instead, so it's never counted twice. POs aren't counted for products that aren't listed or aren't eligible at the network. See Order from suppliers that ship straight to a network.
Amazon AWD is a buffer
Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) doesn't sell anything itself. It holds stock that Amazon moves into FBA for you, according to the auto-replenishment setting you choose in Seller Central. So the planner treats AWD as a buffer for FBA, and its summary row reads Buffer · 45 d target · 14 d lead:
- AWD's need comes from FBA's sales. Its card shows FBA velocity X/day × N days buffer, minus − AWD stock not already counted as FBA cover. Here N is the Target cover on the AWD card. It isn't the Buffer days field, which adds safety days to any network.
- AWD stock counts toward FBA. The FBA card takes off − Buffer stock that replenishes this network automatically, because that stock reaches FBA without a send from you.
- AWD is filled last. It gets only what's left after the selling networks. The card says AWD is a buffer: it gets what is left after selling networks, and the Notes may say Amazon AWD US buffer: N more units would fill it. That's expected, not a problem.
- AWD can take what FBA can't. When FBA hits its capacity limit, the units FBA can't take stay available to AWD.
- AWD follows FBA's listing. If the FBA listing is stranded, AWD is left out too, and with no FBA sales the card says No FBA sales to buffer.
- AWD has its own limits. It takes only products that fit Amazon's sortable size and weight, and lots need more shelf life left on arrival than FBA.
See Track AWD inventory for how AWD stock is tracked.
The network's own suggestion
Amazon and Walmart publish their own restock suggestions: Amazon's Restock report and Walmart's restock recommendations. The Send Planner shows the network's number under each send quantity on the grid, such as Amazon 4,100, so you can compare. The plan doesn't copy it. You can choose to use it, one cell at a time or in bulk; see Change a send quantity. TikTok has no suggestion of its own.
When the two numbers are far apart, by more than 2 cases and more than half the network's number, the line gets the Differs from network flag. The why N? card names the one reason it differs:
| What the card says | Why |
|---|---|
| We agree within a case or two. | The difference is within normal rounding. |
| … uses raw velocity, which includes N out-of-stock days. Adjusted velocity is higher, so we send more. | The network didn't adjust for its own stock-outs. |
| Your N-day target is longer than …'s horizon. | Your target cover asks for more days than the network plans for. |
| … capacity allows N units of this SKU right now. … does not see your capacity limit. | Your capacity limit cut the send. |
| The source pool is short, so it is shared across networks by priority. … assumes unlimited stock. | Your warehouses don't have enough for every network. |
| N units already in the buffer network (e.g. AWD) will move here automatically. … plans a send from your warehouse on top of that. | AWD stock is on its way to FBA. |
| … plans for a longer horizon and does not see your self-fulfilled orders. | The network can't see what you keep back for your own orders. |
To fetch a fresh copy of the network's numbers, use Refresh in the plan's Notes. See Recalculate the plan and fix calculation problems.
FBA minimum stock levels aren't planner floors
The FBA minimum stock levels page sets an alert for when FBA stock drops too low. It doesn't change what the Send Planner sends. The planner's own minimum is each network's Floor in Network rules. See Set FBA minimum stock levels.