Working with purchase orders

This topic describes how to work with purchase orders on the Order Management screen.

Once a customer checks out and submits payment, the cart is converted to a purchase order. If needed, you can manually convert a cart to a purchase order from Cart Details. Alternatively, you can create a new purchase order.

While the purchase order's status is In Progress, you can edit any of its information (shipping address or method, line items, discounts, and so) on by clicking the Form Details tab.

You can add notes associated with an order. Notes are listed by creation date under the Notes tab, where you can access details like description and note creator.

Searching for purchase orders

You can search for purchase orders by customer name (partial match), order number (exact match), or email address (exact match).

  1. In the top left corner of the Order Management screen, click Orders.
  2. In the Search by drop-down, select Search by Name, Search by Order Number, or Search by Email.
    Searching an order
    • If you chose Search by Name, move to the Search box and begin entering the customer's first name. For example, if the customer name is Bryan Stephens, enter B, Br, or Bry. Press Enter to execute the search.
      • You can enter the entire name, but this takes longer.
      • As you enter more characters, you get fewer search results.
      • You cannot find a customer by entering the last name. To continue the example, you cannot find Bryan Stephens by entering Ste.
    • If you chose Search by Order Number, enter the complete purchase order number. Partial entries are not allowed.
    • If you chose Search by Email, enter the exact email address. Partial entries are not allowed.
  3. Orders that match your search criteria appear.

Converting a cart to a purchase order

Typically, a shopping cartCommerce: A collection of products selected by a website customer, with the intention of completing a purchase. Also known as a shopping cart or basket. is converted to a purchase orderCommerce: An order that has been registered and paid for. Typically, it has an associated purchase order number. when a customer proceeds to checkoutCommerce: Completing a purchase on a website, involving the collection of shipping and billing address, shipping method, payment, and so on. and finalizes the purchase. However, you may need to manually complete a purchase by converting a shopping cart into an order for further processing. For example, you want to record manual payments towards outstanding balances, such as telephone payments.

Use the Cart Details screen to convert a cart to a purchase order.

Image: Convert to purchase order

Creating an order

For example, a customer calls on the phone and orders some items. To create a new purchase order in Optimizely Commerce, do the following:

  1. From the Order Management screen, click Orders > Create Order.

    Image: Create Order

  2. Choose the order's marketOne or more countries, regions or customer groups, to which you want to apply languages, catalogs, currencies or promotions. The market features support targeted merchandising and personalization..

    Image: Choose market

  3. Choose an existing customer or create a new one.
    • To find an existing customer, enter any part of the customer name or email address. A list of matching customer names appears. Select the customer.
  4. Click Create Order.
  5. Click the context menu to the right of shipment 1 and click Edit.

    Image: Edit shipment

  6. Enter the order's shipping address and shipping methodCommerce: A set of information and rules that determine the shipping cost. Displayed on the front-end public site while a customer checks out an item from the shopping cart. The shipping fee is added to the total price of the purchase. A shipping method is mapped to a shipping provider visible to a back-end administrator in Commerce Manager. For example, when a customer picks "Ground Shipping," UPS (or another provider) may fulfill the shipment..

    Image: Shipping address

    If you want to add a separate shipping address to this order, see Adding a new shipping address to an order.

  7. Click Save.
  8. Click Add line items.
  9. In the Product Variant field, enter a search phrase of three or more characters. Examples:

    Image: Add Line Item

  10. Search results appear. Select the line item you want to add.

    To view detailed information of the line item, click More Details. The respective product page on your e-commerce website opens in a new tab.

  11. Choose a quantity and price. The default placed price appears, but you can change it.
  12. Click Add Line Item.
  13. After adding at least one item, click Create Order.

Although the order is created, it must be paid before it can be released, as explained in Shipment, order and return statuses.

Adding a payment method

  1. From the Order Management screen, click Orders.
  2. Select the order you want to edit.
  3. Click Form Details and then Add Payment at the bottom of the form.
  4. Select the appropriate payment method from the list of payment methods available for your site. Available payment methods are site-specific.

    Image: Add payment method

  5. Click Save.

Placing an order on hold

When a shopping cart is converted to a purchase order, its status is set to In Progress. You may need to place the order on hold for several reasons. As examples: the retailer needs to verify the order, a suspicious order needs attention, inventory is not available, and so on.

To place an order on hold, click Order Management and select the order. Then, on the Order Details screen, click Hold.

Image: Order on hold

While an order is on hold, it cannot be released for shipment nor can it be canceled.

Canceling an order

To cancel an In Progress purchase order, click Order Management and select the order. Then, on the Order Details screen, click Cancel Order.

Image: Cancel an order

At that point, its order and shipment statuses change to Canceled.

Deleting an order

At this time, you can only delete an order through Commerce ManagerOne of several main user interfaces in Optimizely Commerce. This UI area, available from the top menu after logging in, provides screens for managing markets, customers, catalog, orders, and so on. You can manage the information on some Commerce Manager screens in other, newer user interfaces. Where possible, we recommend using the newer ones.. See Deleting an order.

Repeating an order

You can repeat past orders basing the new order on the information available in a previous order.

  1. Go to Order Management and select the order, either from the Orders list, or by opening the customer.
  2. Click Reorder. A new draft order is created with the same address, shipping method, and line item information. Should items not be available anymore you will see a notification in the order summary.
  3. Update the information if needed and click Create Order.

If the base order has coupon code, the new draft order will also apply the coupon discount. Ensure to validate that the coupon has not expired.

Image: Reorder

Adjusting an order's shipment status

For information about order status versus shipment status, see Shipment, order and return statuses.

  1. When an order is paid in full
    • If the quantity of any item in an order exceeds the available Instock Quantity, its shipment status is set to Awaiting Inventory.
  2. If you want to support preorders, their shipment status will be set to Awaiting Inventory.

    • If the quantity of all items in an order is less than the available Instock Quantity, its shipment status is set to Inventory Assigned.
  3. When an order is paid and ready for shipping, click the Form Details tab and select Release from the context menu.

    Image: Release order

  4. To prepare an order for shipping, change the shipment status to Packing by clicking ADD TO PICKLIST.
  5. When the shipment is shipped, change the shipment status to Shipped by clicking COMPLETE.

Adding a new shipping address to an order

To add a new shipping address to an order without editing an existing address or adding a new address to the customer's address book, do the following:

  1. From the Order Management screen, click Orders and select an order. The Order Details screen appears.
  2. Open the Form Details tab.
  3. Click the context menu to the right of shipment 1 and click Edit.
  4. Click Add Address.

    Image: Add a new address

  5. Enter the address information.

    Image: Address information

  6. If you want to add the new shipping address to the customer's address book to use it for further orders, select the Add to customer's address book check box.
  7. Click Save > Close.

Changing the customer address does not affect the order's shipping address.