Order Lifecycle
Understanding the lifecycle and workflow of an order is crucial for efficient order management. An order can pass through various stages, each signifying a specific state of the order. By following this organized workflow, you can effectively handle orders, meet customer expectations, and ensure a satisfying experience for everyone involved.
After you've created a Service that you intend to sell, there are several essential steps in the order management process.
Create
Creating an order is the initial step in providing a service for the customer. When you make an order for a customer, it always begins in the Draft state.
Draft orders serve as initial offers to your customers. These orders are in a preliminary form, awaiting further action. It's important to note that our documentation uses the terms Offer and Draft Order interchangeably.
When a customer creates an order from Marketplace, it is always in the confirmed state.
Configure
Configuration is an important part of catching your customer's specific requirements. Here's what you can do during the configuration phase:
Configure General Information: Customize the order's general details, such as specifying an expected Delivery Date or selecting a preferred payment method. This step ensures that the order aligns with the customer's preferences and needs.
Configure Order Items: Modify the order by adding or removing products, adjusting prices, or changing quantities. This step lets you fine-tune the order to match the customer's specifications.
Configure Subscription Details: If applicable, configure subscription-specific information, including the agreement period. This is an essential part of managing subscription-based services effectively.
Read more about order configuration
Approve
Approval is a critical phase where you obtain the necessary consent and confirmation from your customer and business. Here's what you need to know about this step:
Customer approval (by acceptance)
During this stage, you may need to communicate with the customer to clarify order details or address any questions or concerns they may have. The order transitions to the Accepted state when the customer agrees to the offer. Accepted orders indicate that the customer has agreed to the offer. The customer or a Sales Manager can initiate acceptance on their behalf.
When the customer approves the offer, you can still do configurations on that order. In that case, the order will be automatically switched to the Draft state and require customer approval again.
Sales Manager approval (by confirmation)
Sales Manager can confirm an order that the customer has already accepted. This step ensures that all necessary checks and balances are in place before proceeding. Confirmed orders are approved and ready for processing. They mark a crucial milestone in the order's journey.
Order confirmation triggers a lot of internal and external operations, such as creating a Subscription or sending requests into integrations. This operation cannot be undone.
Delivery
For orders that require delivery, the Delivered state is reached when all delivery-related tasks are completed. For more information on the delivery process, refer to the Delivery.
After confirmation, the order enters the delivery phase, which can vary based on the nature of the products or services being provided:
Product Delivery: If the order involves physical products, they will be prepared for shipping and delivered to the customer's specified address. Alternatively, the service delivery process will commence if it's a service.
Order Completion: The order is considered completed once the products or services have been successfully delivered to the customer. This marks the final stage in the order's lifecycle.
Cancelling
You might want to cancel an accepted order instead of deleting it outright. This can be a practical choice if you've already entered certain information into your internal systems.
By grasping this process, you'll be better prepared to navigate the order management system efficiently, ensuring a smooth experience for both your business and your customers.
Once you Confirmed or Canceled order, you are unable to do any further configuration