Work Orders in ShipHero let warehouse teams schedule, assign, and track specialized tasks that fall outside the standard order fulfillment workflow. A work order (WO) is a structured task record — it can represent kitting and assembly or one-off value-added services. 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.
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Types of Work Orders
ShipHero provides two work order types. Assembly Work Orders are for kitting and pre-building inventory. Custom Work Orders are for unique value-added services and non-standard preparation tasks.
Assembly Work Orders in ShipHero
An Assembly Work Order tracks the process of combining multiple component SKUs into a single finished-product SKU. Use this type when you need to kit or pre-build products that are sold as a bundle. The component SKUs are consumed and the new finished SKU is added to inventory.
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 (for example, 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 in ShipHero
A Custom Work Order is a blank-slate task record for one-off or non-standard warehouse jobs that need specific instructions and documentation. Unlike an Assembly Work Order, it does not track component SKUs or finished-product inventory. Use it to:
- Provide detailed instructions: Type out manual steps for the task.
- Attach documents: Upload images, videos, or PDFs to provide visual examples or specifications.
- Track progress: Monitor assignment and completion at each step.
Custom Work Order Common Use Cases
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Relabeling or Barcoding | Received inventory that needs new labels — such as 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, such as checking for damage after a particular transit route. |
| Custom Packaging and Prep | Making 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
The Work Orders page lists all work orders and provides filters and configurable columns to help you find and manage them. This section defines the available filters and each column.
Work Orders Page Available Filters
Use the Search bar and Order Status filter to find a work order. 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 client account name. Available for 3PLs only. |
Work Orders Page Columns Defined
Customize the displayed columns by selecting the Columns icon. Check a column name to show it in the table; uncheck to hide it.
| Column Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Work Order ID | The numeric work order identifier. (Sortable) |
| Preview | Shows thumbnail images of products. Shows "–" when no images are available. |
| Customer (3PLs only) | The 3PL client account name. (Sortable) |
| Warehouse | The warehouse associated with the work order. (Sortable) |
| Order Type | Indicates whether the work order is Assembly or Custom. (Sortable) |
| Scheduled Date | Optional. Represents when work is scheduled to begin. Can only be edited when status is In Progress, Ready to Pick, or Assembly in Progress. (Sortable) |
| Requested Date | Required 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, or 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. Shows "–" when no name is set. (Sortable) |
| Actions | Shows 3 milestone dates with icons: Ready to Pick, Assembly in Progress, and Completed. Shows "–" for milestones not yet reached. |
Work Order Statuses
Work orders move through the following statuses after they are opened. Some statuses apply only to Assembly work orders.
| Status | Definition |
|---|---|
| Awaiting Approval | Initial status when a 3PL client submits a work order for 3PL approval. The 3PL approves it by moving it to another status, such as In Progress. |
| In Progress | Initial status when a Brand or 3PL creates a work order. The work order is approved and active work is being planned, but picking has not started yet. |
| Ready to Pick | The 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 set when an Assembly work order finishes before all requested items are created. 3PLs can still bill clients for completed work even if the work order is not 100% complete. |
| Canceled | The work order is canceled. No edits can be made. |
Work Order Status Rules and Restrictions
- Work order details — including name, dates, assigned users, and notes — can only be edited when status is In Progress, Ready to Pick, or Assembly in Progress.
- 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 the receiving location can only happen when status is Assembly in Progress.