As your research assistant, I’ve devised a system to manage your Amazon FBA inventory with Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD). This system accounts for the complexity of tracking inventory across locations and ensures you can separate standard and oversized products, as Amazon requires separate shipments for these categories. A spreadsheet is a simple, effective starting point, and below is how you can structure it.
Create a master sheet with these columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| SKU | Unique product identifier |
| Product Name | Brief description of the item |
| Size Category | Label as "Standard" or "Oversized" |
| Current Stock | Total units on hand (across all locations) |
| AWD Stock | Units currently in AWD |
| FBA Stock | Units currently at Amazon FBA fulfillment centers |
| Available to Send | Units available to ship (Current Stock - AWD Stock - FBA Stock) |
| Unit Dimensions (L x W x H) | Dimensions in inches (e.g., 18” x 14” x 8” for oversized check) |
| Unit Weight | In pounds, for reference |
| Last Updated | Date of the latest inventory update |
Create a second sheet to plan and track shipments:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Shipment ID | Unique identifier (e.g., "SHP-001") |
| SKU | Pulled from Core Inventory (e.g., via dropdown) |
| Product Name | Auto-populated based on SKU |
| Size Category | Auto-populated from Core Inventory |
| Units to Send | Number of units planned to ship |
| Destination | AWD or FBA |
| Shipment Date | When you plan to send it |
| Status | e.g., "Planned," "In Transit," "Received" |
| Notes | Special instructions (e.g., "Split due to size") |
If your business grows, consider:
Start with a Google Sheets setup as outlined. It’s free, accessible, and sufficient for now. Test it, refine it, and upgrade to software if needed later.