Instead of sending the automatic notification "waiting for pickup" once someone has made a purchase, send an automated notification that says "Being Processed" or "Pending". This should be the same whether the items are in stock or not as they sometimes still need to be ordered from external suppliers. This will prevent confusion, operational issues and customers trying to collect items prematurely.

What specific challenge or problem does this idea solve?

Marking an item as "waiting for pickup", even when the item is not in stock, creates confusion as sometimes the item may still need to be ordered from a supplier. This leads customers to believe the item is available for collection, resulting in frustration and operational issues

How should this work?

Mark the item as being processed instead which allows time for the item to be ordered from the supplier and doesn't cause confusion. This should be the same notification regardless of whether items are in stock or not in stock. There should still be the option for customers to purchase items even if there is no stock

Who will benefit (Admins, Staff, Students)?

Staff, Customers, Admins, Students

How will this change impact your daily tasks or overall experience?

Rather than having to individually explain to each of our customers after they have placed an order that the item isn't yet available for collection, the "being processed notification would be fairly self explanatory.