What leaders see
Work keeps moving, but only because people fill the gaps.
Teams rely on manual checks, side files, rekeying, status meetings, and individual knowledge to keep the process alive.
Services
Process Automation · Inventory Allocation
Inventory Allocation Engine
Allocate inventory by rules, not by whoever asks first. When demand exceeds supply, allocation decisions determine who gets product and who waits. Most operators make these decisions in spreadsheets, email threads, or by whoever gets to the warehouse manager first. We replace that with rules-based allocation logic that's governed, auditable, and integrated with your ERP.
01
The Problem
Inventory Allocation by Spreadsheet and Politics
The problem is not one broken tool. It is an operating gap between who owns the work, which record can be trusted, and how exceptions move through the business.
What is actually happening
The workflow has no clean source of truth.
Records, rules, approvals, and handoffs are split across systems, so each step introduces delay or reconciliation.
What gets worse
Automation amplifies the weak spots.
The faster the business moves, the more bad data, exception work, and decision ambiguity compound across the operation.
02
What Changes
What Inventory Allocation Engine includes.
When demand exceeds supply, allocation decisions determine who gets product and who waits. Most operators make these decisions in spreadsheets, email threads, or by whoever gets to the warehouse manager first. We replace that with rules-based allocation logic that's governed, auditable, and integrated with your ERP.
01
Rules-Based Allocation Logic
Define allocation rules by customer tier, channel priority, order type, and product category. Rules execute automatically when inventory is received or demand changes -- no manual intervention.
02
Multi-Warehouse Allocation
Allocate across warehouses based on proximity, stock levels, shipping cost, and fulfillment capacity. The engine considers all locations simultaneously, not one at a time.
03
Channel Priority Management
Prioritize allocation by channel -- contract orders before spot sales, key accounts before general distribution, backorders before new orders. Business priorities enforced systematically.
04
Available-to-Promise (ATP) Accuracy
Real-time ATP that reflects current allocations, not just raw inventory counts. Sales and portal systems show what's actually available to promise, not what's in the warehouse.
05
Allocation Visibility & Audit Trail
Full visibility into what's allocated to whom, why, and when. Every allocation decision is logged with the rule that triggered it -- no more "who took my inventory?" conversations.
06
ERP & WMS Integration
Allocation engine reads inventory from and writes allocation commitments back to your ERP and WMS. Sales, operations, and warehouse all see the same allocated state.
03
How It Fits Your Operations
How Inventory Allocation Engine fits your operation.
Operations layerWhich manual workflow is costing the most time, rework, or decision delay.
Governance dependencyThe workflow needs clear ownership, trusted data, and exception rules before automation is worth building.
Operating data involved
orders
approvals
documents
exceptions
reporting handoffs
What Launchpad defines before engineering begins
- What the business needs to change and why.
- Which systems, records, risks, and readiness gaps shape the work.
- What should be built, how it fits the architecture, and in what order.
Related Foundations
What to evaluate next.
Follow the dependencies behind this service instead of treating it as an isolated project.
01
API and systems integration
Connect the records, applications, and ownership boundaries the workflow depends on.
Explore next step02
Data engineering and analytics
Give automation and reporting a dependable source of operating truth.
Explore next step03
AI automation and agents
Evaluate where governed AI can reduce repetitive work or improve a decision.
Explore next step04
Launchpad readiness and Roadmap
Assess readiness, dependencies, risk, architecture, and implementation order before engineering begins.
Explore next stepLaunchpad Before Engineering
Decide what to build and in what order.
Launchpad assesses the business and turns discovery into priorities, risks, readiness, architecture, and an implementation Roadmap. Metrotechs then engineers and supports the approved solution.
Metrotechs designs, builds, integrates, and supports the approved solution.
Launchpad keeps priorities, risks, owners, decisions, and delivery governance connected.
04
Delivery sequence
How Metrotechs delivers Inventory Allocation Engine.
When demand exceeds supply, allocation decisions determine who gets product and who waits. Most operators make these decisions in spreadsheets, email threads, or by whoever gets.
01
Allocation Policy Audit
Document current allocation practices, customer tiers, channel priorities, and pain points. Identify where allocation decisions are being made and what rules (if any) govern them.
02
Rules Engine Design
Design the allocation rules hierarchy -- tier priorities, channel rules, product-level overrides, and exception handling. Get business stakeholder sign-off on the priority logic before building.
03
Integration & Build
Build the allocation engine and integrate with your ERP inventory module and WMS. Real-time inventory feeds trigger allocation recalculation as stock moves.
04
Testing & Validation
Test allocation scenarios against historical demand patterns. Validate that the rules produce the expected outcomes for normal, constrained, and peak-demand situations.
05
Production & Tuning
Deploy with allocation dashboards and audit reporting. Tune rules based on real-world results and evolving business priorities.
05
FAQ
Questions that usually decide the scope.
Straight answers to what operators ask before committing budget to this work.
Yes. The engine handles mixed-mode allocation -- reserving MTO production output for specific orders while allocating MTS inventory by tier and channel rules. Both modes coexist in the same rules framework.