Trying to determine best process on handling packing changes within I/M.  Many times we will have a customer request a smaller packing configuraton of an item. When this occurs, we want to mark the "old" packing configuration as obsolete, yet still have customers be able to order it and deplete the inventory.  

We treat each packing configuration as a seperate item in I/M. (ex. 176cs12 and 176cs12-36)  What we need to have happen is, that we can mark the "old" packing configuration as obsolete at one warehouse only, yet have customers be able to order that item until the inventory become 0.   

Our problem is, that when when we mark it obsolete in the Item Master, no one can order that item.  Am I missing something important?