Introduction

Patchworks pulls fulfilled orders from Shopify and the dispatch is then sent to Virtualstock Supplier, with the associated tracking number.

We pull newly updated orders with a fulfilled or partially-fulfilled status and filters on source_name = VS_Patchworks for sales orders.

Process flow snapshot

Operations count

The operations count for this process flow is: 2 per fulfillment.

Process flow shapes

For reference, all shapes in this process flow are documented below. Do not change shape settings unless advised to do so in our installation guide.

Scripts used in this process flow

Cross-reference lookups used in this process flow

Introduction

This section provides a technical overview of process flows that are included with the Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier blueprint.

Available process flows

Introduction

The Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier blueprint syncs Shopify products associated with your Patchworks sales channel (created in the previous stage). As such, you should ensure that any products you want to sync between Shopify and Virtualstock Supplier are added to this sales channel.

The steps

Step 1 In Shopify, access your product list and find the first product you want to sync with Virtualstock Supplier.

Step 2 In the Publishing section, select the manage sales channels option:

Step 3 Select your Patchworks app/sales channel (created in the previous stage) and save changes:

Step 4 Repeat steps 1 to 3 for all other products that need to be synced with Virtualstock Supplier.

Step 5 Go to the next stage.

Introduction

In Shopify, you need to create an app/sales channel for Patchworks and then grant access for Patchworks to access your data. This is completed in two parts:

• . Create a Patchworks app/sales channel and enable general API scopes for Patchworks to access your data.

• . Enable specific scopes for Patchworks to access products associated with the Patchworks app/sales channel.

Part 1: Shopify Admin API scopes

Admin API scopes must be set to allow the Shopify connector to access your data via the Shopify Admin API. This is a standard requirement for the Shopify connector, irrespective of whether it's been installed as part of an app or as a standalone connector.

Please follow the steps detailed on our page under Obtaining credentials, then go to .

Part 2: Shopify Storefront API scopes

Storefront API scopes are not required for general use but they ARE needed for the Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier blueprint. Please follow the steps below to grant the required access permissions.

Step 1 Still in the Shopify admin portal with your Patchworks app/integration, select the review configuration option from the overview tab:

Step 2 Scroll to the end of the page and select the configure button for Storefront API integration:

Step 3 In the list of scopes, scroll down to the Products section and enable the following three items:

• unauthenticated_read_product_listings

• unauthenticated_read_product_inventory

• unauthenticated_read_product_tags

For example:

Step 4 Save your changes.

Introduction

The Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier blueprint includes everything you need to sync orders, fulfillments, and inventory between Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier. This section guides you through installing and configuring the blueprint.

Pages in this section

• Stage 1: Create a Shopify app/sales channel for Patchworks

• Stage 2: Add required products to your Patchworks sales channel

• Stage 3: Define connector instances & install the blueprint

• Stage 4: Update cross-reference lookups

• Stage 5: Review & test the orders process flow

• Stage 6: Review & test fulfillments process flow

• Stage 7: Review & test the inventory process flow

• Stage 8: Deploy process flows & go live

Introduction

This process flow retrieves the product listing associated with the Patchworks sales channel that you defined in Shopify, and then updates Virtualstock Supplier with new stock levels:

Any SKUs pulled from Shopify are checked against the SKU Lookup cross-reference table and mapped to the relevant Virtualstock Supplier part number.

Then, Patchworks makes a call to Virtualstock Supplier to retrieve the product by part number (this is needed to obtain the associated URL ID of the product). We then use the URL ID to make a second call into Virtualstock Supplier to update the stock level.

Process flow snapshot

Operations count

The operations count for this process flow is: 3 per sync.

Process flow shapes

For reference, all shapes in this process flow are documented below. Do not change shape settings unless advised to do so in our installation guide.

Scripts used in this process flow

Cross-reference lookups used in this process flow

Introduction

Cross-reference lookup tables are used to convert given Shopify values to Virtualstock Supplier values. Conversion values are defined here and then called in process flow runs via cross reference lookup transformations applied to field mappings.

The following cross-reference lookup tables are installed as part of the Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier blueprint:

You need to update these with your required values. You can add just a few that you know will cover testing requirements and come back to complete these tables later, or you can add everything now - it's up to you.

The steps

Step 1 Select process flows > cross-reference lookups from the left-hand navigation menu (or click here). You will see two installed cross-reference tables: Carrier Mapping and SKU Lookup. For example:

Step 2 Click the Carrier Mapping entry to view existing entries for converting Shopify carrier values (on the left) to Virtualstock Supplier carrier values (on the right):

Step 3 Add/update/remove existing entries as appropriate (placeholder values can be edited or removed).

Step 4 Check the default value and change it as appropriate (leave blank for no default). If you change the default value, click the update button to confirm.

Step 5 Save changes.

Step 6 Navigate back to the Cross-Reference lookups page and click the SKU Lookup entry to view existing entries for converting Virtualstock Supplier part numbers (on the left) to Shopify SKUs (on the right), and versa:

Step 7 Add/update/remove existing entries as appropriate (placeholder values can be edited or removed).

Step 8 Ensure that the default value is set to n/a. This is important as a subsequent filter will check for this.

Step 9 Save changes.

Step 10 Go to the next stage.

Introduction

Sales orders are pulled from Virtualstock Supplier and created in Shopify with a paid and unfulfilled status. Finally, an acknowledgement is sent back to Virtualstock Supplier.

Any orders with an ORDER status are pulled from Virtualstock Supplier. Once an order is successfully sent into Shopify, we send an ORDER_ACK back to Virtualstock Supplier - the order is then moved into ORDER_ACK status so that it won't be picked up in subsequent flow runs.

Process flow snapshot

Operations count

The operations count for this process flow is: 4 per order.

Process flow shapes

For reference, all shapes in this process flow are documented below. Do not change shape settings unless advised to do so in our installation guide.

Scripts used in this process flow

Cross-reference lookups used in this process flow

Introduction

The process flow includes a field mapping which takes Shopify's order.created_at date and (via a script transform function on the mapping row) adds 5 days before sending this to Virtualstock Supplier as the supplier_delivery_date.

The 5 days that gets added here can be changed by amending the script that is used by the script transform function on the mapping row.

The steps

The required steps are detailed below:

Stage 1: Update the script

Step 1 Select process flows > scripts from the left-hand navigation menu (or click ).

Step 2 Click the Calculate dispatch date using orderDate entry:

Step 3 Move down to the code panel and change the existing 5 days to your required number:

Step 4 Save and deploy the script:

Stage 2: Update the process flow map shape

Step 2 Access the Orders process flow.

Step 3 Scroll down the flow and access settings for the LAST map shape:

Step 4 Click the transform icon associated with the order.created_at > supplier_delivery_date row:

Step 5 Click the edit icon associated with the other script function:

Step 6 Select the latest version of the Calculate dispatch date using orderDate script:

Step 7 Accept changes and save the shape.

Introduction

It is strongly recommended that you provide authentication credentials for Shopify and Virtualstock Supplier connector instances as part of the . This approach means that newly installed process flows are pre-configured with the required instance/endpoint details.

However, if you don't have your credentials but want to install the blueprint anyway (or if you missed this step during installation), you can add instances retrospectively and then update process flows manually.

The steps

Step 1 Follow the steps in our guide to add one instance for Shopify and one for Virtualstock Supplier.

Step 2 Access the Orders process flow and edit settings for each connector shape in the flow (there are 4). Ensure that each one is set as per our .

Step 3 Access the Fulfillments process flow and edit settings for each connector shape in the flow (there are 2). Ensure that each one is set as per our .

Step 4 Access the Inventory process flow and edit settings for each connector shape in the flow (there are 3). Ensure that each one is set as per our .

Step 5 Continue with this installation guide.

Introduction

In this stage you will access the [[Inventory]] Virtualstock >> Shopify process flow.

Here, we pull products from Shopify (via their ) that are assigned to the Patchworks sales channel - i.e. only SKUs associated with Virtualstock Supplier. This data is manipulated before Virtualstock Supplier part numbers are updated with a free stock quantity.

The process flow is pre-configured with all required settings, including any connector instances you defined as part of the . On this page, we guide you through recommended checks so you can ensure the flow meets your requirements.

The steps

Step 1 Select process flows > process from the left-hand navigation menu (or click ). Your process flow list is displayed - for example:

Step 2 Click the [[Inventory]] Virtualstock >> Shopify entry to open the process flow in edit mode.

Step 4 Access settings for the first connector shape (Shopify) and review/update parameter values:

These parameters are associated with Shopify's Retrieve product listings published to your app endpoint - they determine which products are retrieved.

Click the edit icon associated with each parameter and set it as required. Default settings are:

Before saving/exiting these settings, ensure the source instance is for a test/sandbox environment.

Step 5 Access settings for other connector shapes (there are three in all) and double-check that the source instance is for a test/sandbox environment - for example:

Step 6 When you're satisfied that the flow is ready to test, click the initialise flow button from the actions bar:

The process flow should run and complete successfully. Check that the outcome is as expected in Virtualstock Supplier.

Introduction

When you're satisfied that your process flows are working as expected with test credentials, you're ready to go live. This is a two-stage process:

Stage 1: Change connector instance credentials from testing to live

Currently, all connector shapes in your three process flows are configured with authentication credentials for access to sandbox/testing systems. These must now be changed to live/production credentials.

To do this, follow the instructions on to edit your Shopify and Virtualstock Supplier connector instances and apply new authentication credentials for your live/production environments.

Stage 2: Enable & deploy process flows

Currently, your three Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier process flows are in a draft state, and disabled. For a process flow to run according to your defined trigger schedule, it must be deployed and enabled.

When you are ready, follow the instructions on the pages linked below for all three of your Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier process flows:

Introduction

In this stage you will access the [[Orders]] Virtualstock >> Shopify process flow.

The process flow is pre-configured with all required settings, including any connector instances you defined as part of the installation stage. On this page, we guide you through recommended checks so you can ensure the flow meets your requirements.

The steps

Step 1 Select process flows > process from the left-hand navigation menu (or click here). Your process flow list is displayed - for example:

Step 2 Click the [[Orders]] Virtualstock >> Shopify entry to open the process flow in edit mode.

Step 3 Access settings for the trigger shape and edit the default schedule to reflect the frequency you want this process flow to run:

Step 4 Access settings for the first map shape and scan down the list to ensure the default settings meet your requirements. Here we are mapping FROM Virtualstock Supplier TO Shopify.

Generally, default mappings do not need to be changed however, the following fields should be checked with particular care and changes can be made if necessary:

Step 5 Access settings for the second map shape and scan down the list to ensure the default settings meet your requirements. Here we are mapping FROM Shopify TO Virtualstock Supplier.

Generally, default mappings do not need to be changed however, the following fields should be checked with particular care:

Step 6 In Virtualstock Supplier, make sure you have some test orders (with an ORDER status) using part numbers that you added to the SKU lookup table previously.

Step 7 Access settings for every connector shape in the flow (there are four) and double-check that the source instance is for a sandbox environment - for example:

Step 8 When you're satisfied that the flow is ready to test, click the initialise flow button from the actions bar:

The process flow should run and complete successfully. Check that the outcome is as expected in Shopify and Virtualstock Supplier.

Step 9 Go to the next stage.

Introduction

In this stage you will access the [[Fulfillments]] Virtualstock >> Shopify process flow.

This flow assumes that the sales order is now in Shopify, and has been picked, packed, and shipped by the warehouse (with a tracking number). Now, Patchworks picks up any shipped or partially shipped orders from Shopify, sending tracking IDs and expected delivery dates to Virtualstock Supplier.

The process flow is pre-configured with all required settings, including any connector instances you defined as part of the installation stage. On this page, we guide you through recommended checks so you can ensure the flow meets your requirements.

The steps

Step 1 Select process flows > process from the left-hand navigation menu (or click here). Your process flow list is displayed - for example:

Step 2 Click the [[Fulfillments]] Virtualstock >> Shopify entry to open the process flow in edit mode.

Step 3 Access settings for the trigger shape and edit the default schedule to reflect the frequency at which you want this process flow to run:

Step 4 Access settings for the first connector shape (Shopify) and update parameter values:

These are parameters associated with Shopify's Retrieve a list of orders endpoint - they determine which orders are retrieved.

Click the edit icon associated with each parameter and set it as required. Default settings are:

Step 5 Access settings for the map shape and scan down the list to ensure that the default settings meet your requirements. Here we are mapping FROM Shopify TO Virtualstock Supplier.

Generally, default mappings do not need to be changed however, the following fields should be checked with particular care:

Step 6 Access settings for the Virtualstock Supplier connector shape and double-check that the source instance is for a sandbox environment - for example:

Step 7 When you're satisfied that the flow is ready to test, click the initialise flow button from the actions bar:

The process flow should run and complete successfully. Check that the outcome is as expected in Shopify and in Virtualstock Supplier.

Step 8 Go to the next stage.

Introduction

In this stage you will locate the Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier blueprint in the Patchworks marketplace, then configure instances for required connectors and install the blueprint.

Having completed all the steps detailed below, the Shopify to Virtualstock Supplier blueprint will be installed and all required resources become available in your dashboard. These include:

• Connectors & instances

• Process flows

• Scripts

• Cross-reference lookups

• Caches

• Data pools

The steps

Step 1 Log in to the Patchworks dashboard and navigate to the public marketplace.

Step 2 Ensure the blueprints tab is selected, then locate the Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier app:

Step 3 Click the Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier blueprint to view details:

Step 4 Scroll down to the Connectors section and select the Add instance option for Shopify:

...then enter details for the Shopify store that you want to use for testing:

Step 5 Move over to the Virtualstock Supplier connector and select the Add instance option:

...then enter details for Virtualstock Supplier that you want to use for testing:

Step 6 Click the install button at the top of the page to install the app:

Step 7 Once the blueprint is installed successfully, go to the next stage.

Overview

The Shopify & Virtualstock Supplier blueprint includes everything you need to sync orders, fulfillments, and inventory between Virtualstock Supplier and Shopify. The high-level architecture is illustrated below:

Orders are pulled from Virtualstock Supplier and created in Shopify with a paid and unfulfilled status. When a fulfilment partner ships an order in Shopify, Patchworks pulls shipment information and sends this (together with a tracking number) to Virtualstock Supplier. Finally, inventory is synced from Shopify to Virtualstock Supplier.

Prerequisites

Operations summary

In Patchworks, an operation is counted whenever a request is made to send or receive a payload to/from an endpoint. The operations count for installed process flows is shown below:

* You can change the frequency at which process flows run - please see our installation guide for details.

Blueprint installation & setup

Please see our installation guide.

Available process flows

Please see our available process flows section.

Out of Scope

• Cancellations both from Virtualstock Supplier and From Shopify

• Returns/Refunds

• Product Creation

• Lead Time updates to Virtualstock Supplier