Help your campus store deliver affordable course materials with flexible inventory options from MBS. While used books typically provide the greatest savings, they aren’t always available in the quantities you need. That’s where MBS can help. .jpg?width=1200&height=627&name=Improve-Student-Cost-Savings-with-MBS_Proof-v1_260514%20(1).jpg)
When you source new book inventory through MBS, you can still reduce costs, while benefiting from 100% returnability on new books, giving your store added flexibility and reduced risk.
How to get new book inventory from MBS
Getting started is simple:
- Open your wantlist to new inventory to unlock access to MBS deals.
- If you use SimpleSource, set up cycles across discount tiers to expand your available inventory over time.
- The 30% discount tier is especially effective for maximizing fulfillment while still keeping costs low.
By broadening your sourcing strategy, you’ll increase fulfillment rates and give students more affordable options.
Ordering With Service Center
Using our Realtime Ordering functionality, you can easily submit bin-and-hold or ASAP orders. Realtime ordering provides 24/7 online ordering with up-to-the-minute details on inventory availability.
When creating an order, select whether it will be an ASAP order or a Bin & Hold (if no selection is made, the order will default to an ASAP order). Once you begin the order, your cart will remain open for two hours. If the order is not completed within two hours, the cart will be emptied.
Set up a rework schedule to continuously match your wantlist against incoming inventory. Instead of relying on a single inventory snapshot, reworks:
- Compare your list daily
- Capture new inventory as it arrives
- Increase your overall fill rate
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How to set up reworks:
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ASAP ordering is available for quick order turnarounds to help ensure you have the materials you need.
Ordering With SimpleSource
With SimpleSource your entire wantlist from wholesale to marketplace sourcing can be managed with one easy-to-use tool. Your bin will be automatically worked against our inventory several times a day. All titles on an open-to-buy status will be reworked, and SimpleSource will keep you posted on the results. You don’t have to do anything. You can watch your fulfillment grow in real-time or set it and forget it.
Key benefits of ordering with SimpleSource:
- Save time
- Access more inventory at multi-discounted levels
- Streamline your wantlist process
- Source from the marketplace
- Get one shipment with one invoice
- View real-time wantlist fulfillment updates
- Control your price thresholds
To get started with SimpleSource, contact your MBS representative. If you already have SimpleSource activated, set up cycles for each discount tier. With each new cycle, you will continue to expand the inventory selection available to your store. The 30% discount tier will help you maximize your wantlist fulfillment and access discounted new book inventory.
Ordering Terminology
New to ordering and need a little terminology guidance?
| Wantlist | Books needed for the upcoming term |
| Bin and Hold | Orders held and updated over time, then shipped together |
| Reworks | Ongoing matching of your wantlist to new inventory |
| ASAP Order | Snapshot order shipped within 24 hours |
| Quote | Guaranteed buyback or rental rebate pricing |
| Open-to-Buy | Quantity your store plans to purchase |
| Fill Rate | % of your wantlist fulfilled: copies delivered / copies ordered |
| Cycle | Progression through discount tiers to increase inventory access |
| Marketplace | Vetted third-party seller network |
MBS Ordering Tools
| SimpleSource | An MBS ordering tool designed to help college stores maximize wholesale and/or marketplace wantlist fulfillment with minimal effort. It is free and available to all college stores. |
| Realtime Ordering | Order online 24/7 with up-to-the-minute details on available textbook inventory at servicecenter.mbsbooks.com. |
| Directlink | Fast computer-to-computer electronic ordering for MBS system users. |
As always, if you have any questions at all about how to place an order, start a bin or activate SimpleSource, just contact your MBS representative.




