Order Status Tracking
Tracking Sales Order status in EquiBillBook helps you monitor the progress of your customer orders, identify delays, and ensure timely fulfillment. This guide explains how to track and manage sales order statuses effectively.
Understanding Sales Order Statuses
Sales Orders in EquiBillBook have different statuses that indicate where they are in the sales fulfillment lifecycle. Understanding these statuses helps you manage orders effectively and provide better customer service.
Available Sales Order Statuses
Draft
Description: The Sales Order is being prepared but hasn't been finalized.
Characteristics:
- Order can be edited freely
- Not yet sent to customer
- Can be deleted if not needed
- Not included in pending order reports
- Stock is not reserved (typically)
When to Use: When creating a new order and still making changes.
Pending
Description: The Sales Order has been created and confirmed, awaiting fulfillment.
Characteristics:
- Order is confirmed
- Awaiting processing or fulfillment
- Stock may be reserved (if stock tracking is enabled)
- Can be converted to invoice when ready
- Included in pending order tracking
When to Use: After confirming the order and preparing to fulfill it.
Partially Fulfilled
Description: Some items from the Sales Order have been delivered, but the order is incomplete.
Characteristics:
- Some items delivered, some still pending
- Can create partial invoice for delivered items
- Remaining items still tracked
- Shows in partial fulfillment reports
When to Use: When delivering items in multiple shipments.
Fulfilled
Description: All items from the Sales Order have been delivered.
Characteristics:
- All items delivered
- Ready to convert to invoice
- Customer has received all goods
- Included in fulfilled order reports
When to Use: When all ordered items have been delivered.
Converted
Description: The Sales Order has been converted to a Sales Invoice.
Characteristics:
- Order converted to invoice
- Sales Invoice created and linked
- Sales cycle progressing to payment
- Included in conversion reports
When to Use: After converting order to invoice for billing.
Cancelled
Description: The Sales Order has been cancelled and will not be fulfilled.
Characteristics:
- Order is cancelled
- Cannot be reactivated
- Cancellation reason may be recorded
- Stock reservation released (if applicable)
- Included in cancellation reports
When to Use: When order is no longer needed or cannot be fulfilled.
How to Track Order Status
Viewing Order Status
To view Sales Order status:
- Navigate to Sales → Sales Order → List
- The order list shows all orders with their current status
- Status is displayed in a status column or badge
- Click on an order to see detailed status information
Status Filters
Filter orders by status:
- Use status dropdown to filter by specific status
- View only "Pending" orders to track active orders
- Filter "Partially Fulfilled" to track incomplete orders
- View "Converted" orders to see completed sales
- Check "Cancelled" orders for analysis
Status Dashboard
View status overview:
- Dashboard may show status summary
- Count of orders by status
- Pending order alerts
- Status-based statistics
Updating Order Status
Automatic Status Updates
Status updates automatically when:
- Order is converted to invoice (updates to "Converted")
- Delivery challan is created (may update to "Partially Fulfilled" or "Fulfilled")
- Order is cancelled (updates to "Cancelled")
Manual Status Updates
To manually update order status:
- Open the Sales Order you want to update
- Look for the "Status" field or "Update Status" button
- Select the new status from the dropdown
- Enter any required notes or reasons
- Click "Update" or "Save"
Status Workflow
The typical status progression is:
- Draft → Order being prepared
- Draft → Pending → Order confirmed
- Pending → Partially Fulfilled → Some items delivered
- Partially Fulfilled → Fulfilled → All items delivered
- Fulfilled → Converted → Invoice created
- Any Status → Cancelled → Order cancelled
Status-Based Actions
Different statuses allow different actions:
Draft Status
- Edit order details
- Delete order
- Convert to Pending
Pending Status
- Create delivery challan
- Convert to invoice
- Update status to Partially Fulfilled or Fulfilled
- Cancel order
Partially Fulfilled Status
- Create delivery challan for remaining items
- Convert partial invoice
- Update to Fulfilled when complete
Fulfilled Status
- Convert to invoice
- View delivery details
Status Reporting
Generate reports based on order status:
- Pending Orders Report: View all pending orders
- Fulfillment Status Report: Track order fulfillment progress
- Order Status Summary: Overview of all order statuses
- Cancelled Orders Report: Analyze cancelled orders
Best Practices
- Update Status Promptly: Keep status updated as order progresses
- Use Appropriate Status: Select the most accurate status for current stage
- Monitor Pending Orders: Regularly review pending orders to ensure timely fulfillment
- Track Partially Fulfilled: Monitor partially fulfilled orders to complete delivery
- Document Status Changes: Add notes when changing status for audit trail
Troubleshooting
Status not updating automatically?
- Check system settings for automatic status updates
- Verify workflow rules are configured correctly
- Manually update status if needed
Wrong status displayed?
- Review order history to see status changes
- Update to correct status manually
- Check if workflow rules need adjustment
Effective order status tracking helps ensure timely fulfillment and excellent customer service. Regularly monitor order statuses and update them as orders progress through your fulfillment process!