What this page is for
By default, Spherecast recommends a purchase order for each product as it comes due. When you buy several products from the same supplier, that can mean a scatter of small orders landing on different days. Batching fixes this: you set an order cycle on the supplier, and Spherecast places that supplier’s purchase orders only on regular cadence dates, rolling everything due into one recommended purchase order per date. Batching works for both finished goods and raw materials (components) — anything you buy from that supplier. The reason you batch differs between the two, which is the important part below.How it works
Once a supplier has an order cycle, Spherecast holds that supplier’s ordering to the cadence dates you chose (for example, the 15th of each month). On each cadence date it gathers every product from that supplier that needs ordering by then and combines them into a single recommended purchase order, named like “Purchase Order for Almond Co., 2026-08-15.” Each order is sized to cover demand through to the next cadence date. A few things stay exactly as they were:| Still respected | What it means |
|---|---|
| MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) | Orders never fall below the supplier’s minimum. |
| Order / reorder multiples | Quantities still round to the supplier’s lot size. |
| Lead time | Orders are still timed so stock arrives when needed. |
Finished goods vs. raw materials
The mechanism is the same; the benefit is different. Finished goods — steady replenishment, no overstock. Each batched order is sized to cover the whole cycle, so your projected stock draws down to your safety stock right at the end of the cycle — just as the next cadence order arrives. You get fewer, predictable orders that keep the item on target without piling up excess inventory between deliveries. Raw materials / components — bulk pricing. The production runs happening across the cycle are combined into one larger order per component. Because the quantity is bigger, it can cross your supplier’s price-break thresholds and earn a better unit price. (Set those price breaks on Sourcing.) The bulk price is a natural consequence of the larger, batched quantity — you don’t configure it; you just get it.Set it up
You configure the order cycle on the supplier, not the product.- Go to Settings → Suppliers & co-manufacturers and open the supplier.
- In the Operations section, open the order cycle control.
- Choose the cadence: “Every N month(s), on the _D_th day” (the day can be 1–28). Both values are required to save.
- Save. From now on, Spherecast batches that supplier’s recommended purchase orders onto those dates. To turn it off, use Reset order cycle to clear the setting.
Note: The tooltip says it plainly — the order cycle sets “how often and on which day of the month purchase orders for this supplier are placed. Applies to all products sourced from this supplier. Overrides the product-level order cycle.”
What to expect
- One order per cadence date, not one order forever. A monthly cadence produces one recommended order each month across your planning horizon.
- Only what’s due appears. A product with no ordering need in a given window simply isn’t on that date’s order.
- Possible split by destination. Depending on your setup, a batch may be split into one order per destination warehouse rather than a single order across all destinations.
Example
Finished good. You buy Trail Mix 12oz from Almond Co. and set the supplier to every 1 month, on the 15th. Instead of a fresh order whenever coverage dips, you get one recommended order on the 15th of each month, sized so that stock coasts down to safety stock by the next 15th — right as the following order lands. Component. The same supplier also provides roasted almonds, cocoa nibs, and rolled oats used in your builds. Across the month you have several production runs. Rather than three separate small component orders as each run approaches, Spherecast combines the month’s needs into one larger order per component on the 15th — and the bigger almond quantity crosses Almond Co.’s next price-break tier, lowering your unit cost.Where to go next
- Raw-material planning — how components are planned from your finished goods.
- Finished-good planning — working the finished-good rows and recommendations.
- Sourcing — supplier terms, MOQ, and price breaks per product.
- Purchase orders — how a recommended order becomes a real one.
Tip: Batching is most valuable when you order many items from one supplier, or when that supplier gives volume discounts. If a supplier ships only one or two fast-moving SKUs, a cadence may add little — leave it off and let per-product timing drive the orders.