Sales Order to Fulfillment Workflow

Complete guide to order management: creating sales orders, checking availability, picking, packing, shipping, and invoicing.

Workflow Overview

Step 1: Create Sales Order

Navigate to: Sales → Sales Orders

Creating a Sales Order

1. Click "Create Sales Order"
2. Enter Header Information:
   • SO Number: Auto-generated or manual
   • Customer: Select from dropdown
   • Order Date: Date order received
   • Required Date: Customer requested delivery date
   • Ship To Address: Shipping destination
   • Bill To Address: Billing address
   • Payment Terms: Auto-filled from customer (Net 30, COD, etc.)
   • Sales Rep: Your name or assigned rep
   • Priority: Normal, High, Rush
3. Add Order Lines:
   • Click "Add Line"
   • Select Item from catalog
   • Enter Ordered Quantity
   • Unit Price: Auto-filled from customer pricing or item price
   • Discount %: If applicable
   • Required Date: Can override header date per line
   • Line Total: Calculates automatically
   • Add multiple lines as needed
4. Review Order Total: Subtotal + Tax + Shipping charges
5. Add Special Instructions (optional)
6. Click "Save Draft" - SO status: Draft

Step 2: Check Availability (ATP)

Available-to-Promise Check

1. Click "Check Availability" on sales order
2. System Shows for Each Line:
   • Ordered Quantity
   • On-Hand Quantity
   • Available Quantity (On-Hand - Reserved for other orders)
   • Shortage Quantity
   • Projected Available Date
3. If Material Available:
   • System reserves inventory for this order
   • Line status: Available
4. If Material Short:
   • Line shows shortage quantity
   • Options: Wait for production, partial ship, or substitute item
   • MRP can generate work orders or purchase orders
5. Confirm Order: Change status from Draft to Confirmed

Step 3: Generate Pick List

Navigate to: Sales → Pick Lists

Creating Pick Lists

1. Click "Generate Pick Lists"
2. Select Orders to Pick:
   • Filter by: Date range, Customer, Priority, Ship date
   • Select individual orders or batch process
   • Only confirmed orders with available inventory appear
3. Set Priority: Normal, High, Rush (for warehouse sequencing)
4. Click "Create Pick Lists"
5. System Actions:
   • Creates pick list document
   • Assigns pick list number
   • Organizes items by warehouse location for efficient picking
   • Pick list status: Open
   • Sales order status: Pick in Progress
6. Print Pick List: PDF document for warehouse picker

Step 4: Pick Materials in Warehouse

Executing Pick List

1. Warehouse Picker Receives Pick List
2. Pick List Shows:
   • Item number and description
   • Quantity to pick
   • Location (optimized picking sequence)
   • Lot/Serial if applicable
   • Checkbox or barcode for confirmation
3. Picker Collects Materials:
   • Navigate to each location
   • Verify item number
   • Pick specified quantity
   • Scan barcode or check off manually
   • Place in staging area or shipping container
4. Record Pick Confirmation:
   • Navigate to: Sales → Pick Lists
   • Open pick list
   • For each line: Enter Picked Quantity
   • If short pick: Record reason (out of stock, damaged, etc.)
   • Click "Complete Pick"
5. Pick List Status: Completed

Step 5: Create Shipment

Navigate to: Sales → Shipments

Preparing Shipment

1. Click "Create Shipment"
2. Select Pick Lists to Ship:
   • View completed pick lists
   • Can consolidate multiple pick lists into one shipment
   • Or ship pick lists separately
3. Enter Shipment Details:
   • Shipment Date: Actual ship date
   • Carrier: UPS, FedEx, USPS, Truck, Will Call, etc.
   • Service Level: Ground, 2-Day, Overnight
   • Tracking Number
   • Number of Packages
   • Weight and Dimensions
   • Freight Charges
4. Generate Shipping Documents:
   • Bill of Lading (BOL): Legal document
   • Packing Slip: Contents list for customer
   • Shipping Labels: Address labels
   • Commercial Invoice: For international shipments
5. Save Shipment: Status: Draft (not yet shipped)

Step 6: Confirm Shipment & Invoice

Shipping and Invoicing

1. Verify All Information Correct
2. Click "Confirm Shipment"
3. System Actions:
   • Reduces inventory quantities
   • Updates sales order status: Shipped
   • Releases inventory reservations
   • Records cost of goods sold (COGS)
   • Creates accounting entries
   • Shipment status: Shipped
4. Generate Customer Invoice:
   • Automatically creates AR invoice
   • Invoice Number: Auto-generated
   • Invoice Date: Shipment date
   • Due Date: Based on payment terms
   • Line items match shipped quantities
   • Includes freight charges
   • Tax calculated automatically
5. Send Invoice to Customer: Email or mail printed invoice
6. Sales Order Status: Completed

Common Scenarios

Tips for Efficient Order Processing

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