Under used and overlooked is the virtual inventory system that we have at FinerWorks. When you sign up for an account you have access to a valuable time saving tool which allows you to store frequently ordered prints and products so that you don’t have to upload your files and setup your prints each time you want to order them. Below I share two examples of why it is so useful for many.
Let’s take for instance Christine, one of our users. Christine is one of our frequent customers, ordering a couple times a day to have us fulfill her Etsy and Shopify orders for her art prints. She has about 20 different images she sells in several combinations of styles and sizes for framed giclee prints on fine art papers as well as canvas prints. Overall though about 10 images were her top sellers.
Recently she said that the time to setup each print every time she needed to order was taking a toll and asked us if we had any suggestions. The first question we asked was if she had taken advantage of the virtual inventory system we have. Sadly, she had overlooked this feature and had not take advantage of it. When we explained that she could save the prints she frequently ordered, she immediately started to take advantage of it. She started by uploading the images she had us print the most often and followed up by adding the print products for those images which she had us fulfill frequently.
Now whenever she has an order she just selects the appropriate product/print in her inventory and adds it to her cart. She said that when she does not have the item in her inventory yet, she adds it there before ordering it intending to eventually have all her inventory items saved.
Another, example is the marketing department of a large home developer here in the U.S. The builder is constantly adding new neighborhoods all over the country, sometimes up to 4 a month. Each time they do so, they build a model home which is also where their realtors locate their offices.
Inside those offices they will display interior signage as canvas prints with everything from company logos and slogans to a stock images displaying happy families. Total is about a dozen large canvas prints which they have us crate and ship to the model homes.
Since their marketing department does not have time to setup 12 canvas prints each time, they set them all up only once. Now they can quickly select all the prints from their virtual inventory, add them to their cart and checkout with the delivery location.
Even if you are not like Christine or a large home developer, and only place an order occasionally, there might come a time when your order volume increases, and you become just like Christine. So, taking advantage of this tool now will help a lot.
Is the virtual inventory feature for everyone? Not at this time since many of our customers do commissioned on demand prints that might be personalized and shipped to their customers. Unless they anticipate their customer will later order additional copies there is no sense to store it as an inventoried item.
There are some limitations on inventory items. Checkout the frequently asked questions below which address some of the common questions surrounding the virtual inventory.
Virtual Inventory
FinerWorks virtual inventory is a system that allows artists and photographers to save their artwork as pre-configured products within their FinerWorks account. Instead of having to re-upload and set up a print’s specifications (like size, paper type, and framing) every time an order comes in, a virtual inventory item acts like a blueprint for a product. This streamlines the print-on-demand and order fulfillment process.
How It Works
The system is designed to simplify selling on third-party platforms like Shopify, Squarespace, WooCommerce or Etsy. Here’s a breakdown of the key steps:
- Create Virtual Inventory Items: An artist uploads their digital image to FinerWorks. They then create a virtual inventory item from this image, which involves specifying all the product details like size, print medium (e.g., giclée fine art paper, canvas), and framing options. Each virtual inventory item is assigned a unique **SKU** (Stock Keeping Unit) that begins with “AP”.
- Sync with an Online Store: The artist lists the product in their own online store (e.g., a framed print of their artwork). When they create the listing, they enter the unique SKU from FinerWorks’ virtual inventory into the SKU field of their store’s product variant.
- Order Fulfillment: When a customer purchases the product from the artist’s online store, the order is transmitted to FinerWorks through an integration app (e.g., for Shopify or Etsy). FinerWorks uses the SKU to identify the exact product from the virtual inventory and produces it on demand.
- Shipping and Branding: FinerWorks then prints, packages, and ships the product directly to the customer. The packing slip and shipping label can be customized with the artist’s name and logo, making it appear as though the order was shipped directly from them.
Key Advantages
- Efficiency: It eliminates the need for artists to manually set up each print each time they order, saving a significant amount of time, especially for those with high order volumes or who sell the same products repeatedly.
- Print on Demand: Artists don’t need to hold physical inventory. Prints are only created when an order is placed, reducing waste and financial risk.
- Integration: It connects an artist’s online storefront with FinerWorks’ fulfillment center, creating a smooth, automated workflow from sale to delivery.
Virtual Inventory gives you the ability to store “virtual” prints. Create and store as many prints as you wish, and when you are ready for us to print one, its only a matter of checking out. Use this quick video tutorial for a walk through the entire process.
You can do this by creating a virtual inventory of prints or cards. Once you have uploaded images to your account, you can set up individual giclee prints or cards with different sizes and styles. These will be stored in your Virtual Inventory. When you need to have an order dropshipped to your customer, go there and add the print you need to your cart.
No, you can create as many items as you’d like.
Occasionally, print products we have offered in the past have changed or have been discontinued. If those items can no longer be offered with the options selected then the item might automatically be removed.
Only images that are stored in your virtual inventory / my images can be used. Files you upload to temporary storage cannot be used.
Only if you want to use the Auto Export tool will syncing your products to your virtual inventory be necessary. Without that, we will not know what products to print and ship. Syncing involved making sure that your Virtual Inventory sku, matches your WooCommerce product sku.
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