1. Basic Concepts of ATO/PTO

In inventory Attribute settings within ERP, ATO and PTO are two common inventory Attributes. Proper use of these Attributes to handle the delivery stage of order transactions can significantly improve order fulfillment efficiency for manufacturing customers and reduce inventory costs.

• ATO (Assemble to Order): Assemble finished goods according to the order’s product bundle details, then ship the assembled finished product.
• PTO (Pick to Order): Pick the specified items from Inventory according to the order’s product bundle details and ship directly without assembly.

2. Typical ATO/PTO Use Cases

2.1 ATO Example: Bicycle

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• A bicycle is a common ATO product bundle; customers typically receive an assembled bicycle.
• The bicycle bundle includes components such as frame, seat, and wheels, but delivery, pricing, and Inventory control are handled at the assembled finished-product level (the Primary Object).

2.2 ATO Example: Oral Care Display Stand

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• An oral care display stand is a typical ATO product bundle.
• The display stand may contain varying counts of dental floss, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, affecting bundle pricing. Delivery and Inventory control are handled for the assembled display stand (Primary Object).

2.3 PTO Example: Tool Set

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• A tool set is a typical PTO product bundle.
• A tool set includes separate tools (for example, drill, screwdriver, wrench). Because items are delivered individually without assembly, pricing, delivery, and Inventory control are managed per component line item.

2.4 PTO Example: Branded Desktop Computer

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• A branded desktop computer is a typical PTO product bundle.
• Vendors may quote a complete system but deliver components separately (monitor, chassis, keyboard). Each component is controlled by its own Inventory quantity.

3. Enabling Shipping Order ATO/PTO Capability

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ATO/PTO functionality is an advanced plugin for Shipping Orders. You must meet all prerequisite conditions before enabling it:

• You must enable the new product bundle feature; the legacy product bundle is not supported.
• You must enable the predefined Shipping Order object.
• Path: CRM platform Admin -> Inventory Management -> Plugin Management. Enable the ATO/PTO plugin manually.

4. Using Shipping Order ATO/PTO Functionality

4.1 Configure bundle delivery mode

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• When creating a new product bundle, set the delivery mode on the bundle’s Primary Object.
• Choose ATO when the bundle is delivered only as an assembled parent item (the Primary Object).
• Choose PTO when the bundle does not require assembly and only child items are delivered.

4.2 Create an order that contains product bundles

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• Creating an order that contains product bundles follows the same logic whether the ATO/PTO plugin is enabled or not.
• Both ATO and PTO bundles display as a tree structure in the order line items.

4.3 Order Fulfillment — ATO mode

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• For bundles set to ATO, you may only select the parent (Primary Object) when adding order products. The full bundle populates the Shipping Order lines and preserves the full tree structure.
• When shipping, you can only enter shipped quantity for the parent item. Child items cannot have shipped quantities entered individually and cannot be deleted separately. Deleting the parent line removes the entire bundle from the Shipping Order.
• After Shipping Order confirmation, the system updates the order’s shipped quantities and shipped amounts based on the parent item’s shipped quantity and amount. When the parent line is fully shipped, the entire bundle is considered fully shipped.

4.4 Order Fulfillment — PTO mode

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• For bundles set to PTO, you may select either the parent (Primary Object) or child items when adding order products. The selected items populate the Shipping Order lines and may preserve the full or partial tree structure.
• When shipping, you can only enter shipped quantity for child items. The parent item cannot have shipped quantity entered. You may delete individual child lines; deleting the parent line removes the selected bundle items from the Shipping Order.
• After Shipping Order confirmation, the system updates the order’s shipped quantities and shipped amounts based on child items’ shipped quantities and amounts. When all child lines are fully shipped, the bundle is considered fully shipped.