Customer and product
Customer account, customer reference, product/model, variant and order quantity.
ERP Guides
Order and sales guide
How to Manage Sales Orders
Sales order management records customer demand with the correct product, pricing and delivery details, then tracks it from approval through delivery. Linking order lines, inventory/reservation status and change history helps sales, production and dispatch teams work from the same current information.
Which information belongs together in order management?
An order record is more than a list of products and quantities. It is the working record for commercial terms, delivery expectations and how the order will be fulfilled.
Commercial terms
Price, discount, currency, payment and delivery terms.
Fulfilment and delivery
Due date, stock/reservations, production or procurement status, dispatch and remaining quantity.
Manage a customer order in six steps
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1
Record the order request
Verify the customer account, order reference, delivery address and authorised contact. Link the request received by email, phone or portal to its supporting record.
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2
Clarify products and order lines
Each line should include product/model code, colour-size or other variants, unit, quantity and any customer item code. Clarify missing details before approval.
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3
Review commercial terms
Check the price list or customer agreement, discounts and taxes, currency and payment terms. Route price exceptions requiring approval through the proper workflow.
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4
Confirm due dates and order approval
Record the customer’s requested date, the date confirmed by the business and any partial-delivery dates separately. Keep pending approvals or conditions visible in the order status.
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5
Determine stock and fulfilment method
Review available stock, reservations and expected receipts to determine whether the order will be fulfilled from stock, purchasing or production. Preserve open quantities and delivery expectations for partial fulfilment.
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6
Track dispatch and order closeout
Link dispatched quantities, dispatch-note/invoice status, delivery confirmation and remaining quantity to the order. Retain approval and reason history for cancellations or changes.
Keep the order lifecycle visible
Assign an owner and next action at each stage so pending approvals and delivery risks do not get overlooked.
- 1
Request received
- 2
Order validated
- 3
Approved and planned
- 4
Dispatched
- 5
Delivered and closed
What should be reviewed when an order changes?
Example
The customer increases quantity and brings the date forward
First confirm the revised quantity and date with the customer. Then review inventory and reservations, production/procurement plans and dispatch capacity. If approved, record old and new values, approver and notification time in the order history.
Post-change checklist
- Did price or commercial terms change?
- Do stock reservations or production quantities need updating?
- Does the revised date fit the dispatch plan?
- Have the customer and internal teams been notified?
Frequently asked questions
Are a marketing order and a sales order the same?
Terminology varies by company and software. This guide covers recording customer demand as a commercial order and tracking it through delivery.
What should be checked before order approval?
Verify customer, product and variant, quantity, price, payment and delivery terms, and due date. Also review stock or production needs and required internal approvals.
How should partial deliveries be tracked?
Link the quantity and date of each shipment to the order; track remaining quantity and the next delivery date separately. Keep the open balance visible until the order is fulfilled.
Can an order change affect the production plan?
A quantity or date change can affect reservations, production sequence and procurement needs. Update relevant plans and responsible teams when a change is approved.