Once you order your swag inventory with Printfection you'll want to know when and how you can use it. This article provides a rundown of how your inventory works, and when you can use it in your campaigns.
Understanding Inventory
The first step of this entire process requires that you place an Inventory Order with Printfection. Once you've placed that order for stock with us you can start using that inventory. The thing to note is that inventory has different stages. Each of these stages applies to how much inventory is left.
Stages of Inventory
Ordered In-Route:
Inventory that is not yet in-stock and cannot be shipped out. Printing usually takes a week or two. During this time Giveaway Orders can be placed using this inventory, those orders are queued (see below).
Queued:
Inventory that is associated with outstanding Giveaway Orders and will ship out when the inventory becomes stocked.
Currently Stocked:
Inventory that is now available for use in all campaigns, any outstanding queued Giveaway Orders are shipped out right away.
Allocated:
Inventory that is physically stocked, but is already allocated to an order. Collection Campaign Orders that are verified (these orders have a 
icon) are an example of allocated inventory.
Total Available:
Taking into account all of the above, this is the total available amount of inventory that can be used.
A Real-World Example
Let's review with a quick example that might help add additional context:
- 50 Coffee Mugs are ordered for inventory.
- The inventory is being printed (estimated stock in two weeks).
- In the mean time, 32 mugs are redeemed in a Giveaway campaign (these orders are queued).
- Two weeks pass and the inventory is now stocked (the 32 queued Giveaway orders are now sent out).
- This means there are 18 mugs now Currently Stocked and Available for use.
- Now, Sales reps use a Collection campaign to order 12 mugs (the inventory for these mugs is now allocated, and can't be touched).
- So, as of now there are 18 mugs physically stocked, but only 6 mugs are available for use (the rest are allocated for the Collection orders).
- Next, a Drop Ship order is placed for 60 mugs, the remaining 6 available mugs will be pulled from inventory and shipped (this leaves 12 mugs in-stock, still allocated to the Collection campaign).
- To complete the rest of the Drop Ship order 54 mugs will be printed and immediately sent to the destination address (these 54 mugs will never be inventoried).
- The final count is now 12 mugs stocked & allocated and 0 mugs available.
Note: If any Collection campaign orders are canceled, that allocated stock will return to the total available inventory count.