Managing Existing Orders

Once an order is created, TimberCloud provides comprehensive tools for viewing, editing, tracking, and processing orders through your workflow.

Viewing an Order

The order detail view provides complete visibility into every aspect of an order. It closely resembles the creation interface but includes additional tabs and information.

Order Header

The header displays key information at a glance:

• Order Number — Unique identifier for this order
• Customer Name — Who placed the order
• Status Badge — Current status with color coding
• Total Amount — Order total with currency symbol

Sidebar Tabs

Details Tab

Contains the core order information:

Dates Tab

The Dates section tracks the complete order lifecycle:

Shipping Tab

Manage shipping address and delivery information:

• Shipping Method — Selected delivery option
• Billing Address — Customer billing information
• Shipping Address — Delivery destination
• Carrier Rate Data — Selected carrier and rate (if using Carrier Services)
• Tracking Information — Carrier and tracking numbers (after shipped)

Working with Carrier Services

If the order's shipping method is set to a Carrier Services delivery option, the Shipping tab will show:

• Selected Rate — The carrier and service level chosen
• Shipping Cost — The rate price (with any markup)
• Rate Status — Whether the rate is current or stale (expired after 24 hours)
• Shop Rates Button — To select or regenerate carrier rates

Requesting Carrier Rates for an Order

1. Open the order in edit mode
2. Ensure shipping method is set to a Carrier Services option
3. Click "Get Rates" in the sidebar
4. The Carrier Services Modal opens with:
   • Auto-calculated packages based on order items
   • Shipping mode options (Auto, Small Parcel, LTL)
   • Delivery requirements (liftgate, residential, etc.)
5. Click "Get Rates" to fetch live carrier rates
6. Select your preferred rate
7. Save the order

Note: You cannot save an order with a Carrier Services option selected without first selecting a specific rate.

Stale Rates

Carrier rates expire after 24 hours. If rates are stale:

• A yellow warning banner appears
• The "Regenerate Rates" button pulses
• You'll need to fetch fresh rates before booking the shipment
• This ensures accurate pricing at time of booking

For detailed information on the rate shopping interface, see Shipping → Rate Shopping.

Notes Tab

Two types of notes are supported:

• Order Notes — Visible on documents and to customers
• Shop Notes — Internal notes for production team only

Attachments Tab

Manage files attached to the order:

• View uploaded images and documents
• Add new attachments
• Download existing files

Timeline Tab

The Timeline provides a comprehensive audit trail of every action taken on the order:

• Status changes with timestamps
• Who made each change
• Station progressions (if using Stations)
• System-generated events

Note: Timeline requires Stations and Order Tracking to be configured.

Order Status Lifecycle

Status Flow

Orders progress through a defined workflow:

┌─────────┐     ┌─────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌────────────┐
│  Quote  │ ──▸ │ Ordered │ ──▸ │ In Production│ ──▸ │ Inspection │
└─────────┘     └─────────┘     └──────────────┘     └────────────┘
                                                            │
                                                            ▼
                ┌───────────┐     ┌─────────┐     ┌───────────────┐
                │ Delivered │ ◂── │ Shipped │ ◂── │ Ready to Ship │
                └───────────┘     └─────────┘     └───────────────┘

Changing Status

To update an order's status:

1. Open the order detail view
2. Click the Status dropdown in the sidebar
3. Select the new status
4. Changes save automatically

What Happens on Status Change

Each status transition triggers specific actions:

Quote → Ordered

• dateOrdered is set to current time
• Due date is calculated (if lead times enabled)
• Inventory is deducted from fulfillment location
• Order becomes locked (no editing)
• "Quote to Order" notification sent
• Acknowledgement invoice created

Ordered → In Production

• dateInProduction is set
• "In Production" notification sent
• Order event created in timeline

In Production → Inspection

• dateInspection is set
• Order enters quality control phase
• QC interface becomes available

Inspection → Shipped

• dateShipped is set
• "Order Shipped" notification sent
• Tracking information can be added

Shipped → Delivered

• dateDelivered is set
• "Order Delivered" notification sent
• Order is considered complete

Any Status → Canceled

• dateCanceled is set
• "Order Canceled" notification sent
• Inventory is not automatically restored

Editing Orders

When Editing is Allowed

Quote Order Editing

While in Quote status, you can:

• Add or remove items
• Modify line item values
• Adjust pricing
• Change discount or tax rate
• Update shipping address
• Add notes and attachments

What Happens When Prices Change

If you modify an order that affects pricing (even on a Quote):

1. A new Quote Invoice version is created
2. Previous invoices are marked as void
3. The new invoice reflects current pricing
4. Version number increments (Quote - Version 2, etc.)

Locked Order Editing

If an error is discovered after an order is locked:

1. Cancel the current order
2. Refund any payments made (see Payments)
3. Copy the original order to create a new quote
4. Make necessary corrections on the new quote
5. Process the corrected order

This ensures accounting records remain accurate and auditable.

Real-Time Updates

Live Order Updates

TimberCloud uses WebSocket connections to deliver real-time updates:

• Status changes appear instantly across all connected clients
• No page refresh needed to see updates
• Admin Panel and Storefront stay in sync

What Gets Updated in Real-Time

Socket Events

The system emits these events for integrations:

• order_created — New order placed
• order_updated — Order data modified
• status_updated — Status changed
• quote_accepted — Customer accepted quote
• invoice_created — New invoice generated
• notification_sent — Notification dispatched

Bulk Order Operations

Bulk Status Updates

To update multiple orders at once:

1. Select orders from the order list (checkboxes)
2. Click Bulk Actions
3. Choose Update Status
4. Select target status
5. Confirm the update

Bulk Document Generation

Generate documents for multiple orders:

1. Select orders from the list
2. Click Bulk Actions
3. Choose document type (Build Sheets, Invoices, etc.)
4. Download as ZIP file

Invoice Management

Invoice Types

Invoice Versioning

When prices change on an order:

1. All existing invoices are marked as void
2. A new invoice version is created
3. Version numbers track the history (Quote - Version 1, 2, 3...)
4. Only the latest version is valid

Viewing Invoices

1. Open the order detail view
2. Navigate to Documents or Invoices section
3. Click to view or download PDF

Order Timeline & Audit

Event Tracking

Every significant action creates an order event:

📋 Quote created                          Jan 15, 2024 10:30 AM
   by: John Smith (Sales Rep)

✅ Quote accepted                         Jan 16, 2024 2:15 PM
   by: Customer via Storefront

🏭 Status changed to In Production        Jan 17, 2024 9:00 AM
   by: Mike Jones (Production)

📦 Status changed to Shipped              Jan 20, 2024 4:30 PM
   by: Sarah Wilson (Shipping)

Who Can See What

Searching & Filtering Orders

Quick Search

Use the search bar to find orders by:

• Order number
• Customer name
• PO number
• Product name

Advanced Filters

Filter the order list by:

Saved Views

Create saved filter combinations for quick access:

• "Today's Orders"
• "Past Due Orders"
• "My Customers"
• "Ready to Ship"

Best Practices

Daily Order Management

1. Check new orders — Review overnight storefront orders each morning
2. Update statuses — Move orders through production as work progresses
3. Monitor due dates — Dashboard shows orders by due date
4. Review timeline — Use audit trail to track issues

Quote Management

1. Respond quickly — Customers expect timely quote responses
2. Add notes — Explain pricing or special considerations
3. Follow up — Use CRM features to track quote status

Production Workflow

1. Use stations — Track orders through physical production stages
2. Update regularly — Real-time status keeps customers informed
3. QC before shipping — Use inspection status to catch issues

Next Steps

• Payments & Invoicing
• Build Sheets
• Quality Control
• Shipping & Logistics
• Booking & Labels
• Order Settings