Creating Sales Orders

Creating Sales Orders

Sales Orders in EquiBillBook allow you to record customer orders before they are fulfilled or invoiced. This helps you track pending orders, manage inventory reservations, and maintain a clear workflow from order to delivery to invoicing.

Accessing Sales Orders

To create a new sales order:

1. Log in to your EquiBillBook account
2. Navigate to Sales → Sales Order → Create
3. You'll see the Sales Order creation form

Step-by-Step Order Creation

Step 1: Select Customer

Choose the customer for whom you're creating the order:

• Start typing the customer name in the customer field
• Select the customer from the dropdown list
• If the customer doesn't exist, you can create a new customer on the fly
• The customer's billing address and contact information will be automatically populated

Step 2: Enter Order Details

Fill in the basic order information:

• Order Date: The date when the order was placed (defaults to today's date)
• Order Number: Automatically generated based on your numbering rules, or you can enter a custom number
• Reference Number: (Optional) Customer's purchase order number or reference
• Due Date: Expected delivery or fulfillment date
• Payment Terms: Select payment terms for this order

Step 3: Add Items

Add items to your sales order:

1. Click "Add Item" or start typing in the item field
2. Select the item from the dropdown
3. Enter the Quantity ordered
4. Enter the Unit Price (or it will use the item's default selling price)
5. If applicable, enter Discount (percentage or amount)
6. The system will automatically calculate the line total
7. Repeat for all items in the order

Step 4: Apply Discounts and Charges

You can apply discounts and additional charges at the order level:

• Discount: Apply a percentage or fixed amount discount on the entire order
• Additional Charges: Add shipping charges, handling fees, or other charges
• All calculations are done automatically

Step 5: Tax Configuration

Taxes are automatically calculated based on:

• Item tax settings
• Customer tax information
• Your organization's tax configuration

You can review and adjust tax calculations if needed.

Step 6: Shipping and Delivery Information

Enter delivery details:

• Shipping Address: Select or enter the delivery address (defaults to customer's billing address)
• Delivery Method: Choose how the order will be delivered
• Special Instructions: Add any delivery notes or special instructions

Step 7: Additional Information

You can add:

• Terms & Conditions: Custom terms for this order
• Notes: Internal notes (visible only to your team)
• Customer Notes: Notes that will appear on the order document

Step 8: Save the Order

Once all information is entered:

1. Review the order summary
2. Check the total amount
3. Click "Save Order" or "Create Order"
4. The order will be saved with status "Pending" or "Draft"

Order Status

When you create a sales order, it typically starts with one of these statuses:

• Draft: Order is being prepared and not yet confirmed
• Pending: Order is confirmed and awaiting fulfillment
• Partially Fulfilled: Some items have been delivered
• Fulfilled: All items have been delivered
• Cancelled: Order has been cancelled

Stock Reservation

When you create a sales order:

• If stock tracking is enabled, the ordered quantities may be reserved in inventory
• Reserved stock is not available for other sales but remains in your inventory
• This helps prevent overselling and ensures you can fulfill the order
• Stock is unreserved if the order is cancelled or converted to invoice

Printing and Sharing Orders

After creating an order, you can:

• Print Order: Generate a printable version of the order
• Email Order: Send the order to the customer via email
• Download PDF: Save the order as a PDF file
• Share Link: Generate a shareable link for the customer

Converting Order to Invoice

Once the order is ready to be invoiced:

• Navigate to the order details page
• Click "Convert to Invoice"
• The system will create a new invoice with all order details
• You can edit the invoice before finalizing it

Best Practices

• Always verify customer information before creating the order
• Double-check quantities and prices before saving
• Set appropriate due dates to track delivery timelines
• Use reference numbers to link orders to customer purchase orders
• Add clear delivery instructions to avoid confusion
• Review stock availability before confirming orders

Troubleshooting

Can't find the Sales Order menu?

• Ensure the Sales module is activated in your account
• Check that you have the necessary permissions to create sales orders
• Contact your administrator if you don't see the Sales menu

Item prices are not showing correctly?

• Check the item's selling price in the Items master
• Verify customer-specific pricing if configured
• Ensure the item is active and available

Stock reservation is not working?

• Verify that stock tracking is enabled for the items
• Check that the items have sufficient stock available
• Review your inventory settings

Sales orders are an essential part of managing your sales workflow. They help you track customer commitments and ensure smooth order fulfillment!