Back orders

You can create back orders for nonstock and stock products.

See Nonstock products.

When you enter a stock product on an issue in Storeroom, the available quantity is displayed. If a line on an issue cannot be filled with customer- or distributor-owned inventory, you can create a back order for the quantity that is not available for shipment. Optionally, you can record the transaction as lost business.

See Lost business.

You are prompted to submit a back order when the requested quantity of a product is greater than the issued quantity. The issued quantity is automatically calculated based on the requested quantity and the available quantity. These comparisons determined the issued quantity:

  • If requested quantity ≤ available quantity, then issued quantity = requested quantity.
  • If requested quantity ≥ available quantity, then issued quantity = available quantity.

You can create a back order for the unavailable quantity, whether that is the entire requested quantity or a partial quantity.

When you create a back order, you can obtain the product through the standard Distribution SX.e replenishment process. You can also tie the sales order to a purchase order or warehouse transfer to source the product from a vendor or another warehouse.

See Sourced products.

The suffix of a back order is usually -01. If the original sales order with a -00 suffix does not contain lines that can be shipped, the original sales order is the back order. A subsequent back order is created if the quantity for all line items on the original back order are not received in full. For example, you receive a partial quantity of a back-ordered product on an order with a -01 suffix. After the back order with the -01 is filled and shipped, a back order with a -02 suffix is created.

Back order creation is determined by the Create OE Back Orders At Stage field in SA Administrator Options in Distribution SX.e. Typically, the Picked or Shipped stage is selected. In the auto-ship workflow, the status of the order is set to Shipped when you submit the issue to Distribution SX.e, and the back order is then created. In the maintenance workflow, the back order is created when the stage in the Create OE Back Orders At Stage field is reached. If Picked stage is selected, you must run the Sales Entry Pick Ticket Report to create the back order at the picked stage. If you do not run the report, the back order is created when you ship the order in the Maintenance function.

If back orders are created at the Picked stage and you are using the maintenance workflow, the original order with the -00 suffix and a back order with the -01 suffix are simultaneously available for edit. If you must maintain a back-ordered line, update the back order. Errors occur if you attempt to maintain the original sales order.

When back-ordered stock products are received in Storeroom, the back order is automatically filled and shipped. If the back order contains serial-controlled products, lot-controlled products, or nonstock products, you must manually fill the back order.

See Filling backorders.

If back-ordered products are received before the back order is created, the back order is not created. Instead, the original order is updated with received quantity. You must then finish processing the original order.

You can view back orders in the Back Order function in Storeroom or in Sales Order Inquiry in Distribution SX.e. In the Back Order function, a drillback link to the sales order and tied purchase orders and warehouse transfers are available. To print a tied purchase order, select the order and then click the Print PO button to email, fax, or print the purchase order. You can also submit the purchase order through EDI. The value that is selected in the Print Purchase Order window is based on the vendor's preferred output method for purchase orders.

Note: To create back orders, the Allow Back order option must be selected on your Storeroom employee record.