Pick, pack and dispatch
Pick and pack is the warehouse's view of the order book. It deliberately shows less than the sales order screens do — no prices, no margins — because the people working it need quantities and locations, not commercial terms.
Orders to ship
The list shows orders that are ready to go out, sorted by when they are due, with the overdue ones called out. Counters across the top break the queue down into overdue, due today, due this week and due next week, so the day can be planned from one screen.
Expanding an order shows its lines with three quantities per line: what was ordered, what has already been delivered, and what is still outstanding. Line notes captured back at the quote appear here too — that is where the picker finds out this one ships in a specific box.
If order approvals are switched on, orders that have not cleared approval never appear here. Fully delivered orders drop their picking-slip and delivery-note actions, because there is nothing left to produce for them.
Picking slips
A picking slip is the sheet the warehouse walks with. Generate one per order, or select several orders and produce them together. There is a colour version and a black-and-white one that uses noticeably less toner, which matters when you print a hundred a week.
Picking slips carry quantities and product codes but no pricing. The consolidated picking list export goes further and groups by product across multiple orders, which is faster when one person is pulling stock for the whole morning's dispatch.
Delivery notes
A delivery note records what actually left the building. It does not have to match the order — that is the point. Short-ship a line and the order stays open for the balance, which then shows up as outstanding on the order and in Products on Order.
An order can therefore have several delivery notes against it over time. Each one:
- records the quantities dispatched per line;
- carries the delivery address and contact from the customer record;
- prints as a document for the driver and the customer; and
- moves stock when it is dispatched.
How delivery status is worked out
The order's delivery status is derived from the state of its delivery notes rather than being set by hand:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Nothing has been delivered yet. |
| Partial | At least one delivery note is delivered while others are still open. |
| Delivered | Every delivery note that has not been cancelled is delivered. |
Because it is derived, capturing a proof of delivery updates the order automatically — nobody has to remember to go back and close it off.
Proof of delivery
Deliveries can be confirmed with a proof of delivery against the note, which is what moves it to delivered and rolls the order forward. For deliveries done by your own drivers, the mobile delivery app captures confirmation on the road rather than on a clipboard that comes back on Friday.
Then invoice it
Once goods are out, raise the invoice from the order — see Accounting. Delivery and invoicing are tracked separately on purpose, so you can see at a glance what has gone out but not yet been billed.