This article explains how to create a customer order for a part that is not currently in stock and must be special ordered from a vendor. This process ensures the part is linked to the customer's order and tracked through to delivery.
Scenario
In this example, a known customer — Jaxon Price — wants to purchase a specific Brake Drum that is not in stock. You will create a customer order and place a special order with the vendor on his behalf.
Steps
1. In the Blackpurl header, click Sell to open the Sell workspace.
2. Click into the Select Customer section, then click the Select for an existing customer field. Search by surname, first name, mobile number, or email address. As you type, matching results appear. In this example, type Price to find Jaxon Price, then click his name to select him.
3. After selecting the customer, choose the type of customer order to create. The available options are:
SELL PARTS & ACCESSORIES
START A SERVICE OR REPAIR JOB
SELL A UNIT
Start an Internal Service
For this example, select SELL PARTS & ACCESSORIES. The Parts & Accessories section loads.
4. In the Scan or search to add a part, kit, fee or merchandise field, start typing the part name. As you type Brake Drum, matching results appear. Click the relevant Brake Drum to add it to the customer order.
5. Enter the QTY NEEDED and adjust the Price if required. A running total updates in the Checkout section.
Because the Brake Drum is not in stock, the part status is shown as Required, and the system automatically adds a Parts Picklist section to the customer order.
Parts Picklist Section
The Parts Picklist section shows the current status of every part on the customer order. For special order parts, the following statuses apply:
Status | What it means |
Required | No Vendor Order (VO) has been created yet — the part has not been ordered from the vendor. |
Ordered | A Vendor Order has been submitted. The picklist shows the order number, order status, expected date, and ETA. The expected date and ETA come from the Vendor Order — if these dates are updated on the Vendor Order, the Parts Picklist reflects the change automatically. |
Received | The part has been received. The picklist shows the Vendor Receipt (VR) number and the date it was received. |
When the part status is Required, the system adds the special order part to the relevant vendor's parts list, ready for a Vendor Order to be reviewed and submitted. Note that the expected date and ETA are estimates based on the lead time set on the Vendor Record.
For details on creating the Vendor Order for this special order part, see Create a Vendor Order for a Customer Special Order (Parts and Sublets).
For a full explanation of the Parts Picklist section, see Parts Picklist on a Customer Order.
To report on the status of customer orders with special orders, see Special Order Summary Report.