2025-09-22 – Order Combining Detection System

Order Management Enhancement – Duplicate Order Detection

Problem Identified

• Issue: Multiple pending orders for the same customer are being fulfilled separately
• Impact: Inefficient shipping, increased costs, poor customer experience
• Risk: Continued waste of shipping resources and potential customer dissatisfaction
• Priority: High – addresses operational inefficiency and cost savings opportunity

Investigation Plan

• [ ] Analyze current order structure and customer identification methods
• [ ] Identify how to detect orders that can be combined
• [ ] Evaluate combining orders in Shopify vs. internal system
• [ ] Design UI notifications for combinable orders
• [ ] Implement detection logic for same customer/same address orders

Current Analysis

• Order Structure: Need to examine mama_tried_orders and related tables
• Customer Matching: Identify how customers are linked across orders
• Address Matching: Determine if shipping addresses can be reliably compared
• Shopify Integration: Evaluate feasibility of combining orders at Shopify level
• Internal System: Assess benefits of internal order combining workflow

Technical Implementation Plan

Order Detection Logic ✅ IMPLEMENTED

• Customer Matching: Use customer_id, email, shipping name, and address for identification
• Status Filtering: Focus on pending orders that haven’t been processed yet
• Address Validation: Implement fuzzy address matching for slight variations
• Time Window: Consider orders placed within a reasonable time frame (e.g., same day)
• API Endpoint: /api/orders/combinable returns groups of combinable orders

UI/UX Enhancements ✅ IMPLEMENTED

• Notification System: Alert staff when combinable orders are detected
• Order Details Page: Show potential order combinations
• Batch Processing: Option to combine orders before fulfillment
• Visual Indicators: Clear flags for orders that can be combined

Integration Considerations

• Shopify API: Evaluate if Shopify supports order combining
• Shipping Impact: Ensure combined orders maintain proper shipping calculations
• Inventory Management: Verify stock levels can handle combined quantities
• Workflow Integration: Integrate with existing order processing workflow

Shopify vs Internal Order Combining Evaluation

Shopify Order Combining Limitations

• Shopify API Constraints: Shopify does not provide native order combining functionality
• Order Integrity: Each Shopify order has unique identifiers that cannot be merged
• Customer Experience: Combining at Shopify level would require order cancellation/recreation
• Third-party Dependencies: Would need to handle refunds, notifications, and customer communication
• Timeline Issues: Orders already in fulfillment pipeline cannot be easily combined

Internal System Combining Advantages

• Workflow Control: Full control over the combining process within existing workflows
• Data Integrity: Maintain order history and audit trails for each original order
• Customer Transparency: Keep original order numbers for customer reference
• Flexible Logic: Implement business rules for when/how orders can be combined
• Shipping Optimization: Better control over shipping calculations and methods

Recommended Approach: Internal System with Notifications

• Phase 1 (✅ Completed): Detection and notification system (implemented)
• Phase 2 (Recommended): Internal order combining with virtual consolidation
• Phase 3 (Optional): Shopify fulfillment grouping for shipping efficiency

Internal Combining Strategy

1. Virtual Consolidation: Create combined orders in internal system without modifying Shopify
2. Batch Processing: Process combined orders together for fulfillment
3. Shipping Optimization: Apply combined shipping rates and methods
4. Audit Trail: Maintain links between original and combined orders
5. Customer Communication: Reference original order numbers in combined shipments

Current Status

Completed

• Analyzed order management system structure
• Created API endpoint for detecting combinable orders (/api/orders/combinable)
• Built UI component for displaying combinable order alerts
• Integrated notification system into orders page
• Implemented customer-based and address-based matching logic

In Progress

• Evaluating technical approaches for order detection and combining

Next Steps

• Test with real order data
• Add order combining functionality (API endpoint to combine orders)
• Enhance UI with combine action buttons
• Evaluate Shopify vs internal combining approach

Notes

• Operational Efficiency: This addresses a real-world inefficiency observed in shipping
• Customer Experience: Combined orders provide better service and potentially faster delivery
• Cost Savings: Reduced shipping costs through order consolidation
• Implementation Strategy: Start with detection and notifications, then evaluate combining options