🚦 How To: Read the Colored Dots in Your Purchase Advice
When reviewing a purchase order in Optiply, you will notice a colored dot displayed next to each product. These dots are a quick visual indicator of the algorithm's confidence score—they tell you exactly how reliable the system considers its own purchase advice based on historical data.
Understanding these colours allows you to quickly scan an order and know exactly which lines need your human expertise and which ones you can trust to automation. Here is how to decode them.
🟢 1. The Green Dot: Accurate Prediction
A green dot means the system has high confidence in its calculation.
What it means: The product has a stable, consistent sales history with enough data points for the algorithm to accurately forecast future demand.
The Action: We highly advise you to trust the system and follow this advice without making manual adjustments.
🟠 2. The Orange Dot: Less Predictable
An orange dot acts as a warning sign that the data is a bit messy.
What it means: The product is currently less predictable. This usually happens if the item has recently suffered from highly fluctuating demand (enormous unexpected highs and lows) or if it has been completely out of stock for a long time (meaning the system lacks recent data).
The Action: You should check these products manually. Review the deviating advice, consider your own external market knowledge, and adjust the order quantities where necessary.
🔴 3. The Red Dot: Insufficient Data
A red dot means the algorithm does not have enough data to make a reliable mathematical prediction.
What it means: This product is either brand new to your catalogue or it has had fewer than five total sales orders in its lifetime. Because it cannot predict a trend, the system's default fallback advice is often to simply order one single piece.
The Action: Do not rely on the automation here. You must adjust the red dots to your own preference based on your initial stocking strategy or gut feeling for this new item.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does it take for a red dot to turn green?
A product will lose its red dot once it surpasses the threshold of five sales orders. From there, as the sales history becomes more consistent over the coming weeks and months, it will transition to a green dot as the predictability stabilises.
Should I just delete the products with red dots from my order?
Not necessarily! If it is a brand-new product launch, you still need to buy stock. The red dot is simply reminding you that the suggested quantity (usually 1) is just a placeholder, and you need to manually input the actual amount you wish to invest in your initial inventory.
Can I filter my purchase order by these dot colours?
Yes! To save time, you can sort your active purchase orders to bring all the orange and red dots to the top of the list. This allows you to quickly review the unpredictable items first, knowing the green ones at the bottom are good to go.