Orderflow

Automation

Automate order routing, fulfillment, and inventory management across channels. Use when the user needs real-time order processing, multi-warehouse routing, or complex fulfillment workflows for e-commerce operations.

Install

openclaw skills install orderflow

OrderFlow: Intelligent E-Commerce Order Management

Overview

OrderFlow is a production-grade order management automation skill that transforms how online businesses handle fulfillment. Unlike basic trigger-based automation, OrderFlow orchestrates complex order workflows across multiple channels, warehouses, and fulfillment partners in real time.

Why OrderFlow matters:

Multi-channel unification — Consolidate orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and custom APIs into a single intelligent routing system
Smart inventory orchestration — Automatically route orders to optimal fulfillment locations based on stock levels, shipping zones, and carrier rates
Workflow customization — Define complex rules: "If order > $500 AND customer = VIP AND item in warehouse_A, then use expedited shipping and add gift wrap"
Real-time visibility — Integrate with Slack, email, and dashboards to notify teams of order status, bottlenecks, and exceptions
Seamless integrations — Works with Shopify, WooCommerce, 3PL APIs (ShipBob, Flexport), shipping carriers (FedEx, UPS, USPS), and inventory systems

Key integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, Slack, Google Sheets, Twilio SMS, SendGrid, Zapier.

Quick Start

Try these example prompts immediately:

Example 1: Route High-Value Orders to Priority Warehouse

Route all orders over $500 to warehouse_east if inventory available, 
otherwise warehouse_central. Notify #orders-team in Slack when a VIP 
customer order is processed. Log the routing decision to Google Sheets.

Example 2: Auto-Fulfill Based on Inventory Levels

Create a workflow: if product_id=SKU123 has stock > 100 in warehouse_west, 
ship from west (2-day delivery). If stock < 100, ship from warehouse_central 
(5-day delivery). Notify customer via email based on selected warehouse.

Example 3: Smart Inventory Sync & Low-Stock Alerts

Sync real-time inventory across Shopify, WooCommerce, and internal database 
every 15 minutes. If any product drops below 20 units, send SMS alert to 
inventory manager and create a PO draft in Google Sheets.

Example 4: Complex Multi-Condition Fulfillment Logic

IF order source = Shopify AND order value > $1000 AND customer location = California 
AND warehouse_la stock > 0 THEN route to warehouse_la, include gift receipt, 
send priority label via email. Otherwise route to default warehouse and 
auto-generate shipping label via ShipStation.

Capabilities

1. Intelligent Order Routing

Evaluate orders against 50+ custom conditions (customer tier, order value, destination, product type, inventory levels)
Automatically route to optimal fulfillment location based on:
- Stock availability across multiple warehouses
- Shipping cost optimization
- Delivery time zone requirements
- Customer VIP status and preferences
Example: "Route all California orders under $200 to warehouse_la. Route all international orders to warehouse_central (has international contracts). Route B2B orders to warehouse_b2b."

2. Real-Time Inventory Management

Sync inventory from multiple sources (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, custom REST APIs) every 5-30 minutes
Automatic stock level reconciliation across channels to prevent overselling
Set minimum stock thresholds and trigger automated reorder workflows
Track inventory by warehouse, SKU, and variant level
Example: Configure thresholds—when product hits 15 units, auto-email supplier; when hits 5, escalate to manager.

3. Fulfillment Automation

Auto-generate shipping labels for USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL, and regional carriers
Select carrier based on weight, destination, delivery speed, and cost optimization
Batch process orders and send labels directly to fulfillment team or printer
Integration with ShipStation, Shippo, and direct carrier APIs
Support for multiple fulfillment scenarios: drop-ship, 3PL, in-house, hybrid

4. Customizable Workflow Engine

Build if/then/else workflows with visual rule builder or code
Chain multiple actions: route → label → notify → log → sync
Set up approval workflows for high-value or exception orders
Schedule recurring workflows (daily inventory sync, weekly reporting)
Example: "IF inventory < threshold AND supplier response time > 48 hours THEN escalate to secondary supplier"

5. Exception & Alert Management

Auto-detect fulfillment exceptions: insufficient stock, invalid address, payment issues
Route exceptions to appropriate teams via Slack, email, SMS, or dashboard
Create escalation rules: unresolved orders trigger manager alert after 4 hours
Provide detailed exception reports with recommended actions

6. Real-Time Notifications

Slack integration with rich message cards showing order status, routing decisions, and inventory alerts
Email notifications with order summaries, shipping confirmation, tracking links
SMS alerts for urgent issues (stockouts, delivery failures)
Webhook integration to push updates to custom dashboards

7. Reporting & Analytics

Dashboard showing order fulfillment KPIs: avg fulfillment time, warehouse utilization, carrier performance
Export reports to Google Sheets, CSV, or Power BI
Track which routing rules are most effective and expensive
Identify fulfillment bottlenecks and optimization opportunities

Configuration

Environment Variables (Required)

# E-commerce Platform
SHOPIFY_API_KEY=your_key_here
SHOPIFY_API_PASSWORD=your_password_here
SHOPIFY_STORE_URL=yourstore.myshopify.com

# Inventory & Warehouse
WAREHOUSE_API_TOKEN=your_token_here
WAREHOUSE_API_URL=https://warehouse.example.com/api

# Notifications
SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL=https://hooks.slack.com/services/YOUR/WEBHOOK/URL
SENDGRID_API_KEY=your_sendgrid_key_here
TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=your_twilio_sid
TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=your_twilio_token

# Shipping & Fulfillment
SHIPSTATION_API_KEY=your_key
SHIPPO_API_TOKEN=your_token

Workflow Configuration (JSON)

Create an orderflow-config.json file in your OrderFlow directory:

{
  "routing_rules": [
    {
      "id": "rule_vip_priority",
      "name": "Route VIP orders to priority warehouse",
      "conditions": {
        "customer_tier": "VIP",
        "order_value": { "gte": 500 }
      },
      "actions": {
        "warehouse": "warehouse_priority",
        "shipping_speed": "expedited",
        "notification": "slack_channel:vip_orders"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "rule_inventory_fallback",
      "name": "Fallback routing on stock shortage",
      "conditions": {
        "primary_warehouse_stock": { "lt": 1 },
        "product_category": "electronics"
      },
      "actions": {
        "warehouse": "warehouse_fallback",
        "notify_inventory_team": true,
        "log_exception": true
      }
    }
  ],
  "inventory_sync": {
    "enabled": true,
    "interval_minutes": 15,
    "sources": ["shopify", "woocommerce", "custom_api"],
    "low_stock_threshold": 20,
    "critical_stock_threshold": 5
  },
  "fulfillment": {
    "default_carrier": "usps",
    "carrier_selection": "cost_optimized",
    "auto_generate_labels": true,
    "batch_processing": true,
    "batch_size": 50
  },
  "notifications": {
    "slack_enabled": true,
    "email_enabled": true,
    "sms_enabled": true,
    "sms_recipients": ["+1-555-0100"]
  }
}

Setup Instructions

Install OrderFlow CLI:

npm install -g orderflow-cli
orderflow init

Authenticate integrations:

orderflow auth shopify --api-key YOUR_KEY --api-password YOUR_PASSWORD
orderflow auth warehouse --token YOUR_TOKEN
orderflow auth slack --webhook YOUR_WEBHOOK_URL

Deploy configuration:

orderflow config:deploy orderflow-config.json
orderflow workflows:activate

Test end-to-end:
```
orderflow test --order-id test_12345
```

Example Outputs

Order Routing Decision (Slack Notification)

📦 Order Routed Successfully

Order ID: #ORD-2024-087654
Customer: Acme Corp (VIP)
Total: $2,450.00
Items: 12x Widget Pro, 4x ServicePack

🎯 Routing Decision:
├─ Primary Warehouse: warehouse_east
├─ Reason: VIP priority + lowest shipping cost ($45 vs $89)
├─ Stock Check: ✓ In stock (47 units available)
├─ Estimated Delivery: Jan 18-20, 2024
└─ Shipping Label: Generated & queued to printer

💬 Actions Taken:
✓ Label generated (FedEx 2-Day)
✓ Inventory reserved (12x SKU123, 4x SKU456)
✓ Customer notified via email
✓ Fulfillment team alerted in #fulfillment

Confidence: 98% | Route Score: 9.2/10

Inventory Sync Report (Google Sheets)

Product	SKU	Warehouse A	Warehouse B	Total	Status	Last Sync
Widget Pro	SKU123	47	12	59	✓ Good	2024-01-16 10:15 AM
ServicePack	SKU456	3	28	31	⚠️ Low	2024-01-16 10:15 AM
Premium Bundle	SKU789	0	8	8	🔴 Critical	2024-01-16 10:15 AM

Fulfillment Exception Alert (Email)

Subject: ⚠️ Fulfillment Exception: Order #ORD-2024-087654

High-Priority Issue Detected

Order #ORD-2024-087654 (Acme Corp, $2,450)
Status: EXCEPTION - Inventory Mismatch
Time Detected: Jan 16, 2024, 10:30 AM

Problem:
• Ordered quantity: 12x Widget Pro
• Available in warehouse_east: 11 units (changed since routing)
• Status: PARTIALLY FULFILLABLE

Recommended Actions:
1. Source 1 unit from warehouse_central (in stock, +$12 shipping)
2. Split shipment: 11 from warehouse_east, 1 from warehouse_central
3. Contact customer & offer 10% discount for split delivery
4. Escalate to Ops Manager if not resolved in 2 hours

Action Required: YES | Severity: Medium | Auto-Escalate In: 1h 45m

Tips & Best Practices

1. Master Warehouse Scoring

Design your routing rules to score warehouses based on multiple factors:

Stock availability (50 points if in stock, -100 if out of stock)
Distance/shipping cost (vary by destination)
Speed capability (50 points if warehouse can meet delivery SLA)
Utilization (penalize over-utilized warehouses)

Use weighted scoring to automatically select the best warehouse, avoiding manual decision-making bottlenecks.

2. Implement Smart Fallback Chains

Define 3-4 fallback warehouses in priority order. When primary warehouse can't fulfill:

Try secondary warehouse
If unavailable, try tertiary warehouse
If all fail, trigger exception workflow (backorder, split shipment, or external 3PL)

This prevents order rejections and keeps fulfillment flowing.

3. Set Realistic Inventory Thresholds

Reorder threshold: Trigger PO when stock hits 20% of monthly demand
Safety stock: Keep 10-15% buffer above reorder threshold
Critical threshold: Alert team at 5% of monthly demand
Review monthly: Adjust based on demand variability and supplier lead times

4. Automate Low-Touch Workflows

Identify orders that don't require human intervention:

Standard domestic orders under $500 ✓ Auto-route and label
International orders or exceptions ✓ Route to queue for review
VIP or complex scenarios ✓ Require approval

Target: 70-80% of orders auto-fulfilled, 20-30% requiring human review.

5. Monitor & Optimize Carrier Performance

Track per-carrier metrics:

On-time delivery rate (target: >95%)
Cost per shipment vs. market average
Damage/loss rates
Customer satisfaction rating

Rotate carriers quarterly or use dynamic selection based on real-time performance.

6. Integrate with Your Accounting System

Export fulfillment costs to your accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite) to calculate true product margins and identify unprofitable order types.

7. Use A/B Testing for Routing Rules

Test two routing strategies on 10% of orders:

Strategy A: Cost-optimized routing
Strategy B: Speed-optimized routing

Measure fulfillment time, shipping cost, and customer satisfaction. Roll out winner to 100% of orders.

Safety & Guardrails

What OrderFlow Will NOT Do

❌ Not a fraud detection system. OrderFlow does not validate payment legitimacy, detect credit card fraud, or flag suspicious accounts. Integrate with third-party fraud tools (Sift, MaxMind) for that.

❌ Not a customer communication platform. OrderFlow sends transactional notifications (routing decisions, shipping alerts) but does not handle general customer support, returns/refunds, or dispute resolution. Use Zendesk, Gorgias, or similar for customer service.

❌ Not a financial forecasting tool. Reporting shows fulfillment costs and metrics but does not predict demand, manage cash flow, or provide business strategy recommendations.

❌ Not a compliance or tax system. Does not calculate sales tax, VAT, duties, or enforce shipping regulations. Integrate with TaxJar or Vertex for tax compliance.

❌ Not a data migration tool. Cannot bulk import legacy orders or perform complex data transformations. Use ETL tools (Talend, Stitch) for one-time migrations.

Limitations & Boundaries

Rate limits: Most carrier APIs limit to 100-500 label requests/minute. Batch processing may add 5-15 second delays during peak volume.
Real-time sync latency: Inventory sync occurs every 5-30 minutes; same-minute sync requires direct API integration (additional setup).
Warehouse capacity: Assumes warehouses don't have space/weight constraints. Add custom capacity checks if needed.
International shipping: Requires additional configuration for customs documentation, international carriers, and duty calculations.
Order size: Tested with up to 10,000 orders/day per instance. Scale horizontally for larger volumes.

Privacy & Security

Credentials stored in encrypted environment variables; never logged or transmitted in plain text
Warehouse location data and inventory levels not shared externally
Webhook payloads