What are the stages in the sales process?

The topics in this section follow the stages in the sales process.

The sales stages are as follows:

  1. Order Entry - The lines of the order are entered on the system.
  2. Order Acknowledgement - The order is acknowledged to the customer.
  3. Picking - The goods detailed on the order line are printed on a picking list, so the order can be made up for dispatch to the customer.
  4. Picking Confirmation - When the goods have been picked, the order can be checked as being correct, or the amounts actually picked can be entered. These may differ from that originally ordered, for example, if the order has changed or if the full quantity ordered is not held in stock.
  5. Dispatch - The goods are ready for sending to the customer and a dispatch note is produced to accompany the order.
  6. Dispatch Confirmation - The customer or carrier has received the order, signed and returned the dispatch note. The amounts dispatched can then be confirmed on the system.
  7. Invoicing - An invoice is produced for the order.

You can set up your Sales module to use some or all of these stages for different types of transactions if appropriate, and you can specify in which order they are to be carried out.