Case Study · Zoho CRM + Inventory
A Sales Order & Dispatch System That Allocates Stock On Its Own
How Codroid Labs built FIFO stock reservation, automatic Delivery and Pending queues, two-way CRM–Inventory sync, and WhatsApp dispatch notices via WATI — so no order jumps the line and no customer is left guessing.
Snapshot
FIFO
Oldest order gets stock first
2
Auto-managed order queues
2-way
CRM ↔ Inventory sync
0
Manual dispatch notices
System Overview
From order booking to dispatch, without a spreadsheet in between
Codroid Labs designed a Sales Order & Dispatch Management System across Zoho CRM and Zoho Inventory that manages the full order lifecycle. The moment an order is booked, the system checks available stock and reserves it. Orders with stock fully reserved move into a Delivery Queue; those short on stock drop into a Pending Queue. Allocation always follows order date, so older orders are served first — and when new stock lands, the pending queue is re-evaluated automatically.
Platform
Zoho CRM + Zoho Inventory
Allocation Logic
FIFO by sales order date
Notifications
Email + WhatsApp via WATI
The Challenge
Stock promised twice, orders served out of turn
Order booking and stock allocation were being reconciled by people, not by rules. That created six recurring failures.
No Stock Reservation at Booking
Orders were accepted without locking inventory, so the same units could be promised to more than one customer.
No Queue Fairness
Newer orders could consume stock ahead of customers who had been waiting longer, with no rule to stop it.
Partial Orders Left in Limbo
An order that could only be half filled had nowhere to sit — it was neither dispatchable nor formally pending.
Manual Re-Checking on Stock Arrival
Every inward shipment meant someone manually reopening the backlog to see which orders could now be released.
Dispatch Notices Sent by Hand
Customers were informed of dispatch individually over calls and messages — slow, inconsistent and easy to skip.
CRM and Inventory Out of Sync
Order data and stock data drifted apart between systems, so neither could be trusted as the real position.
The Solution
Rules in the system, not in someone’s head
Every allocation decision was moved into configurable, traceable logic inside Zoho — with full stage history on every order.
FIFO
Booking & Stock Reservation
Oldest order served first
- Available stock is reserved automatically the moment a sales order is booked
- Reservation strictly prioritized by order date — first in, first served
- Reserved portion marked for dispatch; any shortfall classified as pending
QUEUE
Delivery & Pending Queues
Two custom CRM modules
- Fully reserved orders move into the Delivery Queue, ready for shipping
- Partially fulfilled or unfulfilled orders route to the Pending Queue with a dedicated custom view
- Queue movement is configurable and fully traceable through stage history
STOCK
Reallocation on Stock Inward
The backlog clears itself
- Incoming stock alerts the CRM admin and order management team by email and WhatsApp
- The entire Pending Queue is re-evaluated automatically using FIFO
- Stock availability and delivery status fields update, promoting eligible orders to the Delivery Queue
SYNC
Two-Way Synchronization
CRM ↔ Inventory ↔ Books
- Sales orders, stock updates and dispatch data sync bi-directionally across modules
- Changes in order, inventory or dispatch reflect in both systems in near-real time
- Invoices generated automatically off confirmed orders
WATI
Dispatch & WhatsApp Notices
Scheduled, then announced
- Dispatch schedules maintained in Zoho Sheet with a one-click push from the Delivery module
- Confirmed dispatches trigger an automatic WhatsApp notice through the WATI platform
- Email notifications run in parallel for internal record
RULES
Validation & Controls
Bad data cannot enter
- Quantity integrity enforced: Reserved + Dispatched + Pending must equal Ordered
- Read-only subforms and controlled discount handling on line items
- Shipping details and agent-based filtering built into the sales order layout
What Was Delivered
An order book that manages itself
Allocation, queueing, reallocation and customer communication — all handled by the system.
FIFO
Automatic stock allocation by order date
2
Custom queue modules with full stage history
2-way
Sync across CRM, Inventory and Books
Auto
WhatsApp dispatch notices via WATI
How It Works
The journey of a single order
01
Order booked
A sales order is created and validated — at least one line item, positive quantities, and no future-dated order.
02
Stock checked & reserved
The system checks on-hand inventory and reserves what it can, always giving priority to the oldest order in line.
03
Routed to a queue
Fully reserved orders enter the Delivery Queue. Short or unfulfilled orders drop into the Pending Queue automatically.
04
New stock arrives
The team is alerted by email and WhatsApp, and the pending backlog is re-evaluated on FIFO without anyone opening a sheet.
05
Dispatch scheduled
Dispatch details are pushed to Zoho Sheet from the Delivery module with a single button, keeping planning in one place.
06
Customer notified
A WhatsApp dispatch notice goes out through WATI the moment the schedule is confirmed, with the invoice raised automatically.
Data Integrity
Four rules the system will not let you break
Validation was built in at entry, so reconciliation stopped being a monthly exercise.
No future-dated orders
The order date cannot be set ahead of today, keeping the FIFO sequence honest and auditable.
At least one line item
An order cannot be saved empty, eliminating placeholder records that distort the pipeline.
Positive integer quantities
Quantities must be whole positive numbers, so allocation maths never produces a fractional or negative reservation.
Quantities always balance
Reserved plus Dispatched plus Pending must equal the ordered quantity — enforced by logic, not by trust.
Orders waiting while stock sits unallocated?
Codroid Labs builds sales order and dispatch systems on Zoho CRM and Inventory — FIFO allocation, automatic queues, two-way sync, and WhatsApp notifications your customers actually read.
Zoho CRM & Inventory automation — www.codroiditlabs.com