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      Setting Category Cut-off Times

      How to setup and manage pre-order deadlines by product category.

      Setting up and managing pre-order deadlines

      The Category Cut-Off Rule feature allows you to define specific deadlines for when customers must place orders for different categories in your pre-order inventory. This ensures you can manage production timelines effectively while providing a seamless customer experience.

      • Example Scenario: Your general cut-off time for pre-orders is 1 day before at 11:59pm, but for the Platters category, you require a cut-off time of 3 days before at 5:00pm.
      • Setup: Create a category cut-off rule for the Platters category with a 3-day cut-off at 5:00pm.
      • Expected Outcome: If a customer wants to order for January 10th, the Platters category will no longer appear at checkout after January 7th at 5:00pm while other categories will remain available.

      Benefits using this feature

      • Streamlined Operations: Manage different cut-off times without creating separate locations for different categories, reducing complexity.
      • Improved Customer Experience: Customers can browse and order from a single location, avoiding confusion caused by inconsistent cut-off rules.
      • Flexibility and Control: Easily adjust cut-off times for seasonal or promotional periods without altering regular schedules.
      • Better Order Management: Ensure production timelines are met by enforcing appropriate deadlines for different categories.

      Schedule Types

      You can configure two types of schedules for category cut-off times:

      1. Ongoing
        • Use this for ongoing cut-off rules that apply indefinitely
        • Example: The Platters category always requires a cut-off time of 3 days before at 5:00pm.
      2. Specific Dates
        • Used this for fixed date ranges, such as festive periods or one-off promotions.
        • This schedule overrides an Ongoing schedule when fulfillment dates overlap.
        • Example: During the holiday season (Dec 24–26), a Specific Schedule sets a 5-day cut-off before 5:00pm. This takes precedence during that period, and after Dec 26, the 3-day Ongoing rule resumes automatically.

       

      How to Set Up a Category Cut-Off Plan

      1. Log in to your Controls Dashboard.
      2. Go to the ‘Locations’ tab and select the location you want to configure the cut-off plan for
      3. Click on the ‘Availability Rules’ button.
      4. On the ‘Availability Rules’ page, click ‘CREATE AVAILABILITY RULE’ or ‘ADD NEW RULE’ to open the setup form.
        1. Define Categories and Locations: Choose the categories and locations your rule will apply to.
        2. Select Schedule Type: Choose either Ongoing or Specific Dates schedule.
        3. Configure Cut-Off Times:
          1. Set the start and end (not required for an Ongoing schedule) dates for the rule.
          2. Define the cut-off time for each day of the week
      5. Click ‘Save’ to activate the category cut-off plan. The rule will begin on the specified start date.

      Integration with Special Availability

      This feature works seamlessly with Special Availability. A category with both cut-off times and special availability will only appear during the defined availability period if it meets the cut-off time.

      Example:

      • The Platters category is available Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 2:00pm (via Special Availability).
      • A cut-off time of 3 days before at 5:00pm is set.
      • To order for Wednesday, customers must place their order by Sunday at 5:00pm. The category will appear for fulfillment times between 10:00am and 2:00pm on Wednesday.