Closure policy is the call you make per batch: when do you actually press the “close manifest” button? Robnu offers three modes. Each has a different operating shape. Picking the right one for your batch is the difference between a clean closure and a midnight scramble.
Immediate
The manifest closes the moment the last shipment in the batch reaches the “ready” state. No human in the loop.
When it wins:
- Steady-state ops. Same SKU mix, same courier mix, same window every day.
- Low error rate at stages 4–8. If your slips and invoices reconcile cleanly, immediate is the most efficient closure mode.
- Small-to-medium batches (< 30 shipments). The risk window is short.
When it loses:
- High-variance days. If a slip reprint or a quantity correction is in flight, you don’t want the manifest closing automatically with the wrong line.
- Mixed couriers. If half your batch ships via courier A and half via courier B with different pickup windows, immediate closure can cut the second half out.
Delayed
The manifest closes at a fixed time — say, 17:30 — regardless of whether the last shipment is ready.
When it wins:
- End-of-day batching. You print all slips at 17:00, run the document pipeline at 17:15, manifest closes at 17:30. Predictable, repeatable.
- Multi-batch days. Morning batch closes at 13:00, evening batch closes at 17:30. The SLA watchdog plans around fixed close times.
- Team handoffs. The packer leaves at 18:00; the manifest must close before then.
When it loses:
- Batches that aren’t ready by the fixed time. Delayed mode will close anyway and you eat the SLA hit on shipments that didn’t make it.
Manual
The manifest waits for you to click “close.” The SLA watchdog still escalates at 30% / 10% headroom, but there’s no auto-close.
When it wins:
- Categories with high return rates or quality scrutiny. You want a human eye on the final list before submission.
- Courier negotiations. You’re moving shipments between couriers based on pickup-window slots; you need flexibility right up to the deadline.
- New ops teams. Until your team trusts the operating model, manual gives you the same flow with a human gate.
When it loses:
- Volume. At 25+ shipments/batch, manual is too much friction.
- Off-hours. Manual mode plus a tired team plus a tight deadline equals midnight closure.
The defaults Robnu ships
For sellers under 25 orders/day:
- Default: Delayed at 17:30. Predictable, watchable, low cognitive load.
- Suggested first move: Manual. If you’re new, start manual for two weeks. Watch the watchdog. Pick a close time that consistently works. Switch to delayed.
- Steady state after 60 days: Immediate. Once your stage 4–8 error rate is < 2%, immediate is faster and more efficient.
You can change the mode per-batch. Most sellers find a default and stay there, but the option is always present.
Read more
- Process — the Process pillar
- How it works — the 11-stage flow with closure as stage 11
- Glossary: SLA watchdog — what the watchdog actually monitors