ShipHero's Work Orders feature is a tool for managing specialized tasks that operate outside the standard daily order fulfillment workflow. This structured system allows warehouse teams to efficiently schedule, assign, and track unique projects. Work Orders can be created by Brand and 3PL accounts, or requested directly by 3PL clients. For step-by-step instructions, see How to Create Work Orders.
Table of Contents
Types of Work Orders
ShipHero provides two distinct work order types: Assembly Work Orders are used for controlled kitting and pre-building of inventory, while Custom Work Orders are used for managing unique value-added services and non-standard inventory preparation tasks.
Assembly Work Orders
The Assembly Work Order in ShipHero is specifically designed for kitting or pre-building products that are sold as a bundle. Assembly work orders track the process of combining multiple individual component SKUs into a single new finished product SKU that is then stocked and sold as one unit.
Assembly Work Order Common Use Cases
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Subscription Boxes | Building a monthly box that contains 5 or 6 different products and assigning the finished box its own single SKU (e.g., BOX-OCT2025). The components are consumed and the new finished box is added to inventory. |
| Gift Sets / Bundles | Creating a holiday gift set that contains a coffee mug, a bag of coffee, and a spoon. You build 100 of these kits and they are tracked in inventory as one item: COFFEE-GIFT-SET. |
| FBA Prep | Combining items into a single FBA-compliant polybagged unit with its own FBA SKU, which is then shipped to an Amazon Fulfillment Center. |
Custom Work Orders
Custom Work Orders are ideal for one-off or non-standard tasks that require specific instructions and documentation. Unlike an Assembly Work Order, the Custom Work Order is a blank slate, allowing you to:
- Provide Detailed Instructions: Type out manual instructions for the task.
- Attach Documents: Upload images, videos, or PDFs to provide visual examples or detailed specifications.
- Track Progress: The system tracks every step, making it easy to monitor assignment and progress.
Custom Work Order Common Use Cases
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Relabeling or Barcoding | Received inventory that needs new labels (e.g., FBA labels, corrected barcodes, or price tags) before it can be stored or shipped. |
| Inspecting and QA | Performing a detailed, non-standard QA check on a specific batch of products (e.g., checking for damage after a certain transit route). |
| Custom Packaging and Prep | Tasks to make products compliant with Amazon FBA guidelines: poly-bagging, adding suffocation warnings, or grouping items. Also covers bulk orders with unique palletizing, manifesting, or labeling requirements. |
Work Orders Page Overview
Understanding the Work Orders page and its components makes managing work orders straightforward. This section covers the available filters and column definitions.
Work Orders Page Available Filters
Use the Search bar and Order Status filter to find the work order you are looking for. The Search bar checks the following fields:
| Checked Field | Definition |
|---|---|
| Work Order ID | The numeric work order identifier. |
| Work Order Name | The name or title of the work order. |
| Warehouse Name | The warehouse associated with the work order. |
| Customer / Client Name | The customer account name. Available for 3PLs only. |
Work Orders Page Columns Defined
Customize the displayed columns by selecting the Columns icon. Checked column names show on the data table; uncheck to hide.
| Column Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Work Order ID | The numeric work order identifier. (Sortable) |
| Preview | Shows thumbnail images of products; if no images are available it shows "–". |
| Customer (3PLs only) | The 3PL customer account name. (Sortable) |
| Warehouse | The warehouse associated with the work order. (Sortable) |
| Order Type | Indicates if the work order is Assembly or Custom. (Sortable) |
| Scheduled Date | Optional field set on the work order details page. Represents when work is scheduled. Can only be edited when status is In Progress, Ready to Pick, or Assembly in Progress. (Sortable) |
| Requested Date | Required field when a work order is created. Represents when the work order should be completed by. (Sortable) |
| Order Status | Shows the current status: Awaiting Approval, In Progress, Ready to Pick, Assembly in Progress, Completed, Canceled, Closed. (Sortable) |
| Priority (3PLs only) | Shows a dropdown selector for High, Medium, or Low. Can be edited inline when status is In Progress, Ready to Pick, or Assembly in Progress. |
| Order Name | Shows the name or title of the work order; if not set, shows "–". (Sortable) |
| Actions | Shows 3 milestone dates with icons: Ready to Pick, Assembly in Progress, and Completed. Shows "–" for statuses not yet reached. |
Work Order Statuses
After a work order has been opened, it will progress through the following statuses:
| Status | Definition |
|---|---|
| Awaiting Approval | Initial status when a 3PL client submits a work order to a 3PL for approval. The 3PL approves it by moving it to another status, e.g., In Progress. |
| In Progress | Initial status when a Brand or 3PL creates a work order. Indicates the work order is approved and active work is being planned, but has not been picked yet. |
| Ready to Pick | Assembly work order is configured and ready for picking components. Not applicable to Custom work orders. |
| Assembly in Progress | Components are deducted from pick locations and moved to the staging location. Items are assembled and can be transferred to the receiving location during this step. Not applicable to Custom work orders. |
| Completed | Assembly: all requested items have been created. Custom: work is marked complete. |
| Closed | Manually marked Closed when an Assembly work order finishes before all requested items are created. 3PLs can still bill clients for work completed even if the work order is not 100% complete. |
| Canceled | The work order is canceled. No editing can be done. |
Things to Consider with Work Order Statuses
- Work order details can only be edited when status is In Progress, Ready to Pick, or Assembly in Progress. Editable fields include: name, dates, users, and notes.
- Fees cannot be added or edited when status is Canceled or Completed.
- Picking sheets can only be generated when status is Ready to Pick.
- Transfers to receiving location can only happen when status is Assembly in Progress.