ShopSite added the Inventory API (officially called the “Custom Inventory Tracking Add-on”) in Version 10. From its name, you might think it’s for connecting to an external inventory server or application and that’s what it does. (Note that ShopSite also has built-in inventory tracking if you don’t have to synchronize with inventory that’s maintained somewhere else.)
But the Inventory API has another useful feature — the ability to assign an alternate SKU to an item for external processing. This is what you need if you use Ordering Options and need unique SKUs for each variation of a product.
For example, you sell clothing. One of your products is Cotton Pants offered in 3 sizes (Small, Medium, Large) and 4 colors (White, Blue, Black and Green). If you’re using Ordering Options, your product might look like this:
Product Name: Cotton Pants SKU: 1005 Pull-down Menus: -- Select a Size --;n Small Medium Large -- Select a Color --;n White Blue Black Green
The SKU is always 1005 regardless of what the shopper selects for size and color. But your external inventory control and/or your fulfillment house needs a different SKU for each variation, e.g. Medium Black Cotton Pants are SKU 1005-25.
The API can return an alternate SKU via the optional “pXnewsku” parameter. The alternate SKU will be displayed on the cart and checkout pages, and it will be passed to the Order API (if you have one). The alternate SKU does not change the SKU entered into ShopSite’s product database.
