Learn how to create and manage assembly products in Pulse Commerce. Assembly products allow you to sell finished goods that are manufactured or built from individual component SKUs you stock. This guide covers creating assembly products, managing components, and building assembly work orders to track inventory accurately.
What Are Assembly Products?
Assembly products are finished goods built from multiple component parts that you also stock and sell individually. This product type is essential for manufacturing businesses, custom builders, and retailers who assemble products in-house before selling them.
Unlike product bundles (which sell multiple items together without affecting component inventory), assembly products actually deduct component inventory when work orders are built, and add finished product inventory when assembly is complete.
Common Use Cases
- Computer Assembly: Build desktop computers from motherboards, RAM, hard drives, power supplies, and cases
- Custom Manufacturing: Create finished products from raw materials or subassemblies
- Kit Assembly: Package individual items into ready-to-ship kits or gift sets
- Product Customization: Build made-to-order configurations from standard components
Assembly Products vs Product Bundles
Understanding the difference is critical for inventory accuracy:
| Feature | Assembly Products | Product Bundles |
| Inventory Tracking | Tracks finished product and components separately | Only tracks component inventory |
| Component Deduction | Deducts when work order is created | Deducts when order ships |
| Build Process | Requires assembly work order | No build process needed |
| Best For | Manufacturing, custom builds | Pre-packaged sets, promotions |
Create the Assembly Product SKU
1Navigate to Products → Product Catalog Manager → Product Editor
2Enter the required product information:
- SKU: Unique identifier for the finished assembly (e.g., "DESKTOP-E7150")
- Product Name: Descriptive name customers will see
- Category: Appropriate product category for storefront display
3In the Product Type dropdown, select Assembly Item
4Complete the remaining product fields (description, pricing, images, etc.)
5Click Save Changes
Add Assembly Components
After creating the assembly product, define which components are needed to build one unit:
1In the Product Editor for your assembly product, locate the Components section
2Click Add Component
3Search for and select the component SKU (e.g., "RAM-8GB")
4Enter the Quantity Needed (how many of this component are required per finished unit)
5Repeat steps 2-4 for each component needed
6Click Save Changes to save the component list
Example: Desktop Computer Assembly
- 1× Motherboard (SKU: MB-001)
- 4× RAM Module 8GB (SKU: RAM-8GB)
- 1× Hard Drive 1TB (SKU: HDD-1TB)
- 1× Power Supply 500W (SKU: PSU-500W)
- 1× Computer Case (SKU: CASE-ATX)
When to Create Work Orders
Build assembly work orders when you need to manufacture finished products from component inventory. Work orders track the production process and ensure accurate inventory accounting.
Create a Work Order
1Navigate to Products → Inventory → Build Assembly Work Order
2Select the Location (warehouse) where you'll build the assembly
3In the Item SKU field, search for and select your assembly product
4Click Select Item to load the assembly details
5Enter the Quantity to Build (how many finished units you want to create)
6The system automatically calculates and displays:
- Component Qty: Quantity needed per finished unit
- Qty. On Hand: Current inventory of each component
- Qty. Available: Available inventory after commitments
- Qty. Needed: Total components required for your build quantity
7(Optional) Enter an Expected Date for when assembly will be complete
8(Optional) Enter an Alternate ID or production batch number for tracking
9(Optional) Enter a Unit Cost if tracking manufacturing costs
10Add any special instructions in the Instructions field
11Review the component list to ensure sufficient inventory is available
12Click Submit Order to create the work order
What Happens When You Submit
The system performs these inventory adjustments automatically:
1. Component Inventory Reduction
- Each component SKU's inventory is reduced by the required quantity
- Inventory is deducted from the selected warehouse location
- A negative inventory adjustment is created for each component
2. Work Order Creation
- Work order is assigned a unique ID number
- Status is set to "Pending" until assembly is received
- Work order appears in search and can be tracked
Find and Receive Work Orders
Once your assembly work is physically complete, receive the work order to add finished product inventory:
1Navigate to Products → Inventory → Search Assembly Work Orders
2Locate your work order using filters or search by work order ID
3Click the work order to view details
4Verify the Assembly Item Name and Quantity to Build are correct
5Enter the Quantity Received (typically matches Quantity to Build)
6Click Save Changes to receive the work order
What Happens When You Receive
- Finished assembly product inventory is increased by the received quantity
- Work order status changes to "Received"
- Assembly is now available for sale and can be added to orders
- A transaction record is created for the inventory adjustment
Partial Receipts
If you only complete part of the work order, you can receive a partial quantity. The work order remains open for the remaining units.
Example:
- Work order created for 10 units
- First day: Receive 6 units (adds 6 to inventory)
- Second day: Receive remaining 4 units (adds 4 to inventory)
- Work order is now fully received and closed
How Inventory Tracking Works
Assembly products maintain separate inventory from their components, allowing you to stock both finished and unfinished products simultaneously.
Assembly Product Inventory:
- Tracks only completed, received assemblies ready for sale
- Increases when work orders are received
- Decreases when assembly products are sold and shipped
Component Inventory:
- Tracks individual parts that can be sold separately or used in assemblies
- Decreases when work orders are created (components consumed)
- Also decreases when components are sold individually
Storefront Availability Configuration
You can configure how assembly products behave when components are in stock but the finished product is not:
Default Behavior:
- Customers can purchase assembly products as long as components are available
- System allows sales even if finished assembly inventory is zero
- Assembly becomes unavailable only when components run out
Alternative Configuration (Requires Support):
- Restrict sales to only completed, in-stock assemblies
- Prevents storefront orders when only components are available
- Useful for long build times or scheduled production runs
MOTO Orders and Backorder Settings
Phone orders (MOTO) placed through the admin panel can always add assembly products to orders, regardless of storefront availability settings or backorder options. This allows customer service to accept special orders for custom assemblies.
Can I create an assembly from other assemblies?
No. Component SKUs must be regular inventory items, not other assembly products. Nested assemblies (assemblies built from other assemblies) are not supported.
What happens if I don't have enough components in stock?
The system prevents you from creating a work order if component inventory is insufficient. You'll see a warning showing which components are short, and you must receive more component inventory before building the assembly.
Can I cancel or delete a work order after it's created?
No, work orders cannot be directly cancelled. However, you can receive the work order with a quantity of zero, which will leave the component inventory deducted but not add finished product inventory. Contact support if you need to reverse component inventory deductions.
How do I update component lists for existing assemblies?
Edit the assembly product in the Product Editor and modify the component list. Changes only affect future work orders, not existing ones. Work orders in progress use the component list from when they were created.
Can components be in different warehouses than the finished assembly?
Yes, but the work order location determines which warehouse the components are deducted from and where the finished assembly inventory is added. All components must be available at the selected location when creating the work order.
How do I track work order costs and production expenses?
Use the Unit Cost field when creating work orders to track assembly costs. This helps calculate total manufacturing expenses and can be used for cost of goods sold (COGS) reporting. You can also track labor and overhead by recording them as additional component SKUs.