A release is a set of products in a given order that have the same ship-to address, fulfillment center, and shipping carrier. A single release might be packaged in the same box, but it might also be in multiple boxes. This could happen if part of the release is fragile or oversized, if an item is designated to ship separately, or if the release simply does not all fit in one box.
In the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator, releases are grouped together to create pick batches. Each pick batch has a pick ticket, which is a list of the products that need to be gathered to fulfill the orders in those releases. Once the inventory has been gathered, products are packaged into their boxes to be shipped. Each release has a packing slip, detailing what is shipped. Sometimes there is only one packing slip for multiple boxes.
Products are configured for fulfillment in the Product wizard and the Product notebook. This includes options to track inventory, allow backorder, force backorder, release separately, and specify that the product should not be returned.
Information about each package is recorded in a manifest when the package is shipped. The manifest often includes package tracking information that may be shared with the customer.