Inventory Workbench - Partner Setup
Set up your Inventory Workbench - Partner in Claret with our detailed guide. Understand the master data requirements and configure your items, partners, and supply/demand mappings.
In order to use the Inventory Workbench - Partner module and manage shipment forecasts to your distributors, there are master data items that need to be configured. Many of these are also used in other modules and so may already be set up, but here we will walk through what information is needed and how this informs the Partner Workbench.
Core Data
The foundation of the Partner Workbench is built on three key elements, and the relationships between them:
Items - The products you ship to partners
Customer Groups - Your distributors and partners
Locations - Your supply locations (where products ship from)
These are connected through Item @ Customer Groups, Item @ Locations, and the Supply and Demand Map.
The following steps take you through each set of data required to get Inventory Workbench - Partner up and running.
Master Data Requirements
Follow these steps to configure the master data required for Inventory Workbench - Partner.
Step 1: Set Up Your Item Hierarchy and Items
The Item Hierarchy Type you select in your View configuration determines which items appear in the workbench.
Go to Settings > Master Data > Item Hierarchy.
Create or finalise a Finished Goods Item Hierarchy.
Go to Settings > Master Data > Items.
Add items to the hierarchy.
Step 2: Set Up Your Customer Group Hierarchy and Customer Groups
Customer Groups represent the groups you sell to.
Go to Settings > Master Data > Customer Group Hierarchy.
Create or finalise a Customer Group Hierarchy.
Go to Settings > Master Data > Customer Groups.
Create customer groups representing your distribution partners.
Step 3: Link Items to Customer Groups
Item @ Customer Group links define which items are sold to/which customer. A row appears in the workbench for each item linked to the selected customer group.
Go to Settings > Master Data > Item @ Customer Groups.
Create links between items and the customers you sell them to.
Item @ Customer Group links should represent your end customers or market segments, not the partner location itself. The Partner Workbench aggregates demand and supply data across all customer groups mapped to the selected location via the Supply and Demand Map. Values displayed in the workbench are totals across all mapped customer groups.
Step 4: Set Up Partner Locations
Create locations representing where your partners hold inventory. These are the locations you will select in the workbench dropdown.
Go to Settings > Master Data > Location Maintenance.
Create locations for each partner distribution point (e.g., "Partner A - East Warehouse", "Distributor B - Main DC").
Partner locations represent where inventory is held at the partner/distributor, not your internal supply locations.
Step 5: Link Items to Partner Locations
Create Item @ Location links for each item stocked at each partner location.
Go to Settings > Master Data > Item @ Locations.
Create links between items and the partner locations where they are stocked.
Only locations with Item @ Location links will appear in the workbench dropdown.
Step 6: Configure the Supply and Demand Map
The Supply and Demand Map connects Item @ Customer Groups (demand) to Item @ Locations (supply). This tells the workbench which customer group demand data to use for each item at a partner location.
Go to Settings > Master Data > Supply and Demand Map.
For each item, create mappings that link the Item @ Customer Group to the Item @ Location at the partner.
For example, if "Chardonnay" is sold to customer group "West Coast Retailers" and stocked at "Partner A Warehouse", create a Supply and Demand Map entry linking the Chardonnay @ West Coast Retailers to Chardonnay @ Partner A Warehouse.
The Supply and Demand Map is required for the workbench to function. Items will only appear in the workbench grid if they have Supply and Demand Map entries linking their Item @ Customer Group to their Item @ Location at the selected partner.
Step 7: Set Up Sale Types for Depletion
Go to Settings > Master Data > Sale Types.
Create sale types for tracking partner depletion (e.g., "Partner Depletion", "Distributor Sales").
Sale Types for depletion are assigned in your View configuration (Demand tab) to track how quickly partners are selling through inventory.
Step 8: Set Up Sale Types for Shipments
Go to Settings > Master Data > Sale Types.
Create sale types for tracking shipments to partners (e.g., "Partner Shipments", "Distributor Replenishment").
Sale Types for shipments are assigned in your View configuration (Supply tab) to track inventory being sent to partners.
Step 9: Import Partner Depletion Data
Go to Settings > Transactional Data > Sales.
Import partner depletion data (forecasts and/or history).
Step 10: Import Partner Inventory Data
Go to Settings > Transactional Data > Inventory.
Import current inventory levels at each partner location.
Partner inventory levels are used to calculate Days on Hand and inform shipment recommendations.
Step 11: Check Calendars (Optional)
Go to Settings > Master Data > Calendars.
Check existing setup to confirm Fiscal Years are in line with your requirements. Note changing calendars here will affect all areas of Claret.
Calendars define fiscal periods for time-based planning. Select calendar-based time settings in your View to use these.
Verifying Your Setup
Once you have completed the setup, verify everything is working:
Navigate to the Inventory Workbench - Partner.
Create a new View and select your Item Hierarchy Type and UOM.
Select a partner from the Location dropdown.
You should see items appear in the grid.
If no items appear or you see an empty state message, check the following:
Verify Item @ Customer Group links exist for items sold to the selected partner.
Verify Item @ Location links exist at your supply locations.
Verify the Supply and Demand Map connects your supply locations to the partner customer group.
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