User Guide
ALPHORA End-to-End Operating Guide
Follow the governed ALPHORA pipeline from institutional policy through supplier qualification, opportunity discovery, supplier intelligence, Workspace operations, opportunity and financial evaluation, and final portfolio construction.
Start Here
ALPHORA in 5 Minutes
ALPHORA is a governed decision pipeline. Each module produces the controlled input required by the next stage. Do not skip a gate simply because downstream data appears available.
Investment Policy Center
Supplier Inventory Qualification
Opportunity Discovery
Supplier Intelligence & Due Diligence
Workspace Manager
Opportunity Intelligence
Financial Intelligence
Final Portfolio
User Action
Inputs, selections, evidence and explicit operating actions performed by the authorized user.
ALPHORA Action
Automated processing, governance, persistence, evaluation and controlled outputs performed by ALPHORA.
Human Authority
Decisions deliberately reserved for an authorized person rather than automated by the platform.
Investment Policy Center
Establish the institutional investment rules that govern downstream qualification, evaluation and portfolio construction.
When to Use
Review this module before beginning or changing an investment cycle, and whenever management authorizes a policy change.
What You Need
- Approved investment capital and operating limits.
- Management-approved risk and investment criteria.
- Authority to modify institutional policy settings when required.
Step-by-Step
- 1Open ALPHORA Investment Policy Center from the main navigation.
- 2Review each institutional rule, its current value, Enabled or Disabled status, severity and downstream applicability.
- 3Confirm that Total Available Capital and the applicable portfolio constraints reflect the approved investment mandate.
- 4Modify a rule only when management has authorized the change.
- 5Review the resulting policy profile before proceeding downstream.
What ALPHORA Does
ALPHORA persists the active policy profile and applies enabled rules as governance constraints in the modules to which each rule applies.
Human Decision / Responsibility
The user or authorized management determines institutional policy. ALPHORA enforces the active policy; it does not independently change management policy.
Expected Output
An active institutional Investment Policy profile governing the applicable downstream pipeline.
Next Gate
Proceed to Supplier Inventory Qualification when a supplier dataset is available.
Important Operating Rules
- Enabled rules are active governance constraints; Disabled rules are not enforced.
- REJECT severity represents a hard rejection condition when the rule is applicable.
- REVIEW severity identifies conditions requiring review rather than automatic acceptance.
- Do not change institutional defaults simply to force a candidate through the pipeline.
Supplier Inventory Qualification
Transform a supplier inventory dataset into an Amazon-resolved and feasibility-qualified product universe.
When to Use
Use SIQ when a supplier provides an inventory or price list that must be resolved to Amazon ASINs and evaluated for selling feasibility.
What You Need
- Supplier name.
- Supplier inventory dataset in the supported workbook format.
- Product identifiers available in the supplier data, such as ASIN or UPC, as applicable.
- Operational Amazon connectivity for Amazon-dependent qualification.
Step-by-Step
- 1Open Supplier Inventory Qualification.
- 2Identify the supplier and load the supplier dataset.
- 3Start the qualification run.
- 4Allow Product Resolution to resolve supported product identifiers to Amazon ASINs where required.
- 5Allow Amazon Feasibility Engine (AFE) evaluation to classify resolved ASINs.
- 6If an interrupted eligible run is available, use CONTINUE RUN / resume rather than unnecessarily restarting the qualification.
- 7Review the resulting SELL THIS PRODUCT and APPROVAL REQUIRED classifications.
- 8Export or continue with the qualified supplier inventory produced by the run.
What ALPHORA Does
ALPHORA preserves the supplier dataset context, performs product resolution, evaluates Amazon feasibility and produces the qualified ASIN universe with its feasibility classification.
Human Decision / Responsibility
The user supplies the correct supplier dataset, initiates or resumes the run and reviews the resulting qualified inventory.
Expected Output
Qualified Supplier Inventory containing products successfully resolved to ASINs and their AFE results.
Next Gate
Use the qualified product universe in the appropriate downstream ALPHORA workflow and continue to Opportunity Discovery when discovery is required.
Important Operating Rules
- SELL THIS PRODUCT (STP) means the product is currently eligible for the applicable selling path.
- APPROVAL REQUIRED (AR) means Amazon approval is required before the product can be sold through that path.
- A resolved ASIN and an AFE classification are different gates: resolution identifies the Amazon product; AFE evaluates selling feasibility.
- Use resume/CONTINUE RUN for a recoverable interrupted run when that control is available.
Opportunity Discovery
Discover and institutionalize Amazon product opportunities into controlled Opportunity Lists for downstream supplier intelligence.
When to Use
Use Opportunity Discovery when ALPHORA needs to identify product opportunities independently of an already-established supplier relationship.
What You Need
- Operational Amazon access for the selected discovery engine.
- The discovery inputs requested by the active engine.
- A clear understanding that each discovery run maintains its own evidence and output universe.
Step-by-Step
- 1Open Opportunity Discovery.
- 2Select the appropriate discovery path available in the module.
- 3For UNMET / UDO discovery, start the institutional run and follow the required Amazon discovery journey and Purchase Intent selection.
- 4For OPE discovery, execute the corresponding institutional opportunity discovery flow.
- 5Allow ALPHORA to preserve the run evidence and construct its discovered universe.
- 6Review the Institutional Output generated by the completed run.
- 7At the downstream handoff, select the Opportunity List that should continue to Supplier Intelligence & Due Diligence.
What ALPHORA Does
ALPHORA maintains independent discovery runs and universes, processes the captured discovery evidence and creates controlled Opportunity Lists for downstream use.
Human Decision / Responsibility
The user initiates the intended discovery path and makes any explicit selections required by the discovery journey. Downstream list selection remains a controlled operating action.
Expected Output
One or more institutional Opportunity Lists, each controlled to the applicable list-size contract and available for downstream handoff.
Next Gate
Send the selected Opportunity List to Supplier Intelligence & Due Diligence.
Important Operating Rules
- UDO and OPE are independent discovery paths; their runs and universes must not be treated as one undifferentiated run.
- Opportunity Lists are downstream operating units and must preserve their List-to-ASIN relationship.
- A discovery result is not yet an approved supplier or an investment decision.
- Complete the institutional handoff before beginning supplier discovery for that list.
Supplier Intelligence & Due Diligence
Identify potential suppliers for an Opportunity List, evaluate counterparty evidence and place supplier approval under explicit management authority.
When to Use
Use SIDD after an Opportunity List has been received from Opportunity Discovery and supplier discovery / counterparty qualification is required.
What You Need
- An Opportunity List received through the institutional downstream handoff.
- Supplier discovery results generated from the institutional Supplier Search package.
- Due Diligence evidence/results for the supplier being evaluated.
- An authorized person for the final Management Review decision.
Step-by-Step
- 1Open Supplier Intelligence & Due Diligence.
- 2Select the Opportunity List received from Opportunity Discovery.
- 3Generate/export the institutional Supplier Search package for the selected list.
- 4Execute the supplier research using the designated external research paths, including ChatGPT and ACCIO where provided by the workflow.
- 5Import the research results back into ALPHORA using the required institutional result structure.
- 6Select the supplier that should enter Due Diligence.
- 7Generate the supplier DD execution package.
- 8Execute the Due Diligence research and import the resulting institutional DD package.
- 9Review Results Review, including counterparty confidence, grade, counterparty risk and critical gates.
- 10An authorized manager selects APPROVE, HOLD or REJECT.
- 11For an approved supplier, continue to Create Workspace / the institutional Starting Point.
What ALPHORA Does
ALPHORA preserves Opportunity List provenance, structures supplier discovery, validates imported results, maintains the supplier/DD record and presents the governed Management Review surface.
Human Decision / Responsibility
Supplier research evidence is reviewed by the user, and APPROVE / HOLD / REJECT is an explicit human management decision. ALPHORA does not replace management authority.
Expected Output
A governed supplier decision. Approved suppliers can establish their institutional Starting Point for Workspace operations.
Next Gate
For APPROVE, create/continue the supplier Starting Point in Workspace Manager. HOLD remains pending. REJECT does not proceed as an approved counterparty.
Important Operating Rules
- Do not treat a DD score alone as management approval.
- Management Review is deliberately human-controlled.
- Preserve the institutional result-package structures when importing Supplier Discovery or DD results.
- An approved Starting Point is not the same thing as a fully populated operational Workspace.
Workspace Manager
Provide the governed operational workspace in which an approved supplier progresses from its Starting Point through dataset preparation and the product-analysis pipeline.
When to Use
Use Workspace Manager after an approved supplier has an institutional Starting Point or whenever an existing supplier Workspace must be continued.
What You Need
- An approved supplier Starting Point or an existing Workspace.
- The supplier dataset required for the operating cycle.
- The active Investment Policy.
- Required Amazon/market data connectivity for downstream enrichment and feasibility stages.
Step-by-Step
- 1Open Workspace Manager.
- 2Select the supplier Starting Point or the Workspace that should become active.
- 3Create the operational Workspace when the approved Starting Point is ready to progress.
- 4Load the supplier dataset required for the Workspace.
- 5Confirm the active dataset and Workspace identity before processing.
- 6Run the applicable market-data / Keepa acquisition stage.
- 7Apply the active Investment Policy to generate the Curated Candidate Inventory (CCI).
- 8Run Amazon Feasibility Engine (AFE) against the curated candidate universe.
- 9Review the Workspace pipeline state and confirm that the required stages are complete before proceeding.
What ALPHORA Does
ALPHORA maintains Workspace identity, dataset state, governance context and pipeline progression while preserving the relationship between the supplier and its analytical universe.
Human Decision / Responsibility
The user selects the correct Workspace/dataset, initiates the applicable processing stages and confirms readiness before advancing downstream.
Expected Output
An active governed Workspace containing the prepared supplier dataset, CCI and AFE-qualified universe required for downstream opportunity evaluation.
Next Gate
Proceed to Opportunity Intelligence.
Important Operating Rules
- Only one Workspace should be treated as the active operating context at a time.
- Replacing a dataset changes the active analytical input and must be intentional.
- CCI is the Curated Candidate Inventory produced under the active governance rules.
- Do not advance downstream until the Workspace contains the required completed upstream stages.
Opportunity Intelligence
Evaluate the governed candidate universe and produce a prioritized shortlist for financial analysis.
When to Use
Use Opportunity Intelligence after the active Workspace contains the required integrated dataset and AFE-qualified candidates.
What You Need
- The correct active Workspace.
- Completed upstream candidate preparation.
- AFE classifications for the eligible product universe.
- Required opportunity evidence used by the current evaluation workflow.
Step-by-Step
- 1Open Opportunity Intelligence.
- 2Confirm that the correct Workspace/dataset is represented.
- 3Review the eligible candidate universe and its AFE lanes.
- 4Complete any required evidence ingestion or SellerAmp-related operating step presented by the module.
- 5Review candidate evaluation, ranking and recommendations.
- 6Review the resulting shortlist.
- 7Send/continue the qualified shortlist to Financial Intelligence when it is ready for financial evaluation.
What ALPHORA Does
ALPHORA evaluates and prioritizes eligible candidates from the governed Workspace universe and produces the downstream shortlist while preserving STP / AR context.
Human Decision / Responsibility
The user verifies that the correct evidence and Workspace context are present and reviews the shortlist before downstream continuation.
Expected Output
A prioritized Opportunity Intelligence shortlist ready for financial evaluation.
Next Gate
Proceed to Financial Intelligence.
Important Operating Rules
- STP and AR are distinct feasibility lanes and their classifications must remain visible downstream.
- Opportunity ranking is not yet a capital-allocation decision.
- Do not substitute candidates from outside the governed active Workspace.
Financial Intelligence
Convert shortlisted product opportunities into financially evaluated investment candidates using the required economic evidence and institutional decision criteria.
When to Use
Use Financial Intelligence after Opportunity Intelligence has produced the shortlist requiring financial validation.
What You Need
- The Opportunity Intelligence shortlist.
- Required financial/economic evidence for each candidate.
- Current cost, price and operating assumptions represented by the supported workflow.
- The active institutional governance context.
Step-by-Step
- 1Open Financial Intelligence.
- 2Confirm the expected shortlist/candidate universe is present.
- 3Provide or import the required financial evidence through the supported workflow.
- 4Review each candidate's economic metrics and evaluation.
- 5Review ROI, expected profit, capital requirements, capital recovery and the available investment scoring/ranking information.
- 6Resolve any evidence deficiencies or REVIEW conditions requiring operator attention.
- 7Confirm the financially qualified universe that will continue to Final Portfolio.
What ALPHORA Does
ALPHORA evaluates the financial evidence, calculates the supported investment metrics and distinguishes candidates that can continue from candidates that require review or rejection under the governing rules.
Human Decision / Responsibility
The user is responsible for the correctness of supplied evidence and for resolving review conditions that require human judgment or additional evidence.
Expected Output
A financially evaluated candidate universe for Final Portfolio construction.
Next Gate
Proceed to ALPHORA Final Portfolio.
Important Operating Rules
- REVIEW is not equivalent to final approval; it signals a condition requiring attention.
- REJECT candidates do not belong in the investable portfolio universe.
- Financial metrics must be interpreted together; no single metric should be treated as the entire investment decision.
Final Portfolio
Construct governed investment scenarios and allocate available capital across financially qualified opportunities.
When to Use
Use Final Portfolio after Financial Intelligence has produced the investable candidate universe.
What You Need
- Financially evaluated candidates received from the upstream pipeline.
- Active Investment Policy and available institutional capital.
- Valid MOQ Capital Required (MOQCR) and economic metrics for applicable candidates.
- Management intent when using a user-governed Manual scenario.
Step-by-Step
- 1Open ALPHORA Final Portfolio.
- 2Confirm the active portfolio universe and available institutional capital.
- 3Select the scenario appropriate to the decision being evaluated.
- 4Review Portfolio KPIs including capital deployed, expected profit, ROI and capital recovery.
- 5Review individual positions, capital assigned and MOQ Capital Required.
- 6Compare scenarios where appropriate before selecting the portfolio view used for the investment decision.
- 7Use Clear Active Scenario only when intentionally clearing the currently active scenario state.
What ALPHORA Does
ALPHORA constructs governed portfolio scenarios from eligible financial candidates and applies capital, policy and MOQCR constraints according to the selected scenario contract.
Human Decision / Responsibility
Manual 1 and Manual 2 are user-governed scenarios: the user controls selection/allocation subject to ALPHORA guardrails. Institutional automated scenarios are generated by ALPHORA under their governed rules.
Expected Output
A governed portfolio scenario showing selected positions, capital allocation and portfolio-level economic metrics.
Next Gate
Use the selected governed portfolio as the basis for the authorized investment/procurement decision outside the analytical pipeline.
Important Operating Rules
- Institutional Baseline is ALPHORA-generated and reproducible; manual editing belongs in Manual 1 or Manual 2.
- SELL THIS PRODUCT is the automated STP-lane portfolio scenario.
- APPROVAL REQUIRED is the automated AR-lane portfolio scenario.
- AIAA OPTIMIZATION evaluates the combined eligible STP + AR universe under its governed optimization contract.
- MOQCR is a hard feasibility constraint, not the optimization objective.
- Automated scenarios seek the strongest governed economic portfolio combination rather than simply funding candidates in displayed rank order.
End-to-End
Operating Checklist
Confirm the active Investment Policy before beginning the operating cycle.
Qualify supplier inventory through product resolution and AFE when a supplier dataset is the starting input.
Complete Opportunity Discovery and institutionalize the intended Opportunity List when discovery is required.
Complete Supplier Discovery, Due Diligence and explicit Management Review before treating a supplier as approved.
Establish or continue the approved supplier Workspace and complete the required dataset, market-data, CCI and AFE stages.
Use Opportunity Intelligence to create the governed downstream shortlist.
Complete Financial Intelligence and resolve required REVIEW conditions before portfolio construction.
Construct and compare the appropriate Final Portfolio scenarios under the active Investment Policy and available capital.
Confirm the authorized investment/procurement decision outside the analytical pipeline.
Reference
Glossary
AFE
Amazon Feasibility Engine — evaluates Amazon selling feasibility for a resolved ASIN.
ASIN
Amazon Standard Identification Number — Amazon's product identifier.
UPC
Universal Product Code — a product identifier that may require resolution to an Amazon ASIN.
STP
SELL THIS PRODUCT — the product is eligible for the applicable Amazon selling path.
AR
APPROVAL REQUIRED — Amazon approval is required before selling through the applicable path.
UDO
UNMET Discovery path used by Opportunity Discovery to create institutional product-opportunity evidence and lists.
OPE
Opportunity discovery path maintained independently from UDO within the institutional discovery architecture.
SIDD
Supplier Intelligence & Due Diligence — supplier discovery, counterparty evaluation and Management Review.
DD
Due Diligence — structured counterparty verification and risk assessment.
CCI
Curated Candidate Inventory — the candidate universe produced after applying the active investment governance to the prepared Workspace data.
OI
Opportunity Intelligence — evaluates and prioritizes product candidates for financial analysis.
MOQCR
MOQ Capital Required — capital required to satisfy the applicable minimum-order economics for a candidate.
AFP
ALPHORA Final Portfolio — governed portfolio construction and capital-allocation module.
AIAA
ALPHORA autonomous portfolio optimization scenario operating across the combined eligible STP + AR universe under institutional constraints.