Every paid order is now split by SKU and routed to the right supplier's system in 45 seconds, with a two-hour confirmation watchdog that escalates anything unconfirmed. Nothing silently stalls, and tracking flows back to the store automatically.
Typical results
98%
Same-day supplier confirmation
0
Orders stalled unnoticed
6
Suppliers routed automatically
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
With six dropship suppliers behind one storefront, every order had to be split, re-keyed into supplier portals and emailed by hand — about three hours from checkout to routing. Orders that suppliers never confirmed sat unnoticed for days; roughly 35 a month stalled silently, surfacing only when angry customers asked where their orders were.
Before and after
Order routing time
−99%Orders stalling unnoticed per month
−100%Same-day supplier confirmation
+40%The automation
We built a routing engine in Make that reads each paid order, splits the line items by SKU against a supplier map, and pushes every sub-order straight into the right supplier's system — API, portal or formatted email. A watchdog checks for confirmation: anything unanswered after two hours escalates to the team on WhatsApp with one-tap resend. Supplier tracking numbers sync back onto the order and out to the customer automatically.
How it works
- 01
Order lands
A paid order arrives and the engine reads every line item instantly.
- 02
Split by SKU
Line items are matched against the supplier map and split into sub-orders.
- 03
Pushed to suppliers
Each sub-order posts into the right supplier's system — API, portal or formatted email.
- 04
Watchdog counts down
Sub-orders unconfirmed after two hours escalate to the team on WhatsApp.
- 05
Tracking returns
Supplier tracking numbers sync onto the order and out to the customer.
Starts from
- Paid store orders
- Supplier SKU map
Delivers
- Supplier sub-orders
- Two-hour escalations
- Tracking to customer
The impact
Routing time collapsed from three hours to 45 seconds, and same-day supplier confirmations climbed from 70% to 98%. The 35 orders a month that used to stall silently dropped to zero — every exception now surfaces within two hours — and the team stopped touching routine orders entirely.
Questions about this automation
How does each supplier receive its part of the order?
The flow uses whatever channel each supplier supports. Suppliers with an API get the sub-order posted directly, portal-only suppliers get it entered through an automated step, and the rest receive a formatted email or spreadsheet in their own layout. A supplier map links every SKU to its supplier and cost.
What happens when a supplier does not confirm an order?
Every sub-order starts a two-hour countdown. If no confirmation arrives in that window, the team gets a WhatsApp alert with the order details and a one-tap option to resend or reroute to a backup supplier. Out-of-stock replies are handled the same way, so no order sits waiting unnoticed.
Which store platforms and tools does it work with?
It is usually built in Make and connects to common storefronts such as Shopify or WooCommerce, plus each supplier's API, portal or inbox. Tracking numbers returned by suppliers are written back to the store order and sent to the customer. This is a multi-step build, usually rolled out in stages, one supplier at a time.