When a member orders multiple items from the same vendor, each item is created as a separate special order and grouped together under a single Purchase Order. This keeps multi-item orders organized and allows them to be placed, received, and finalized together or individually.
The process for managing multi-item orders follows the same flow as a single-item special order, with a few key differences highlighted in this article. For a complete overview of the special order process, Click Here.
In this article, we will highlight the key difference in managing multiple-item orders.
Entering Orders
To enter multiple special order items, follow these directions:
Navigate to Special Orders > Dashboard > New Special Order. Enter the details of the first special order.
After entering the first special order, you can enter a second item for the same vendor by clicking "More Ordering Actions" dropdown and selecting "Save and Add New Item" (as shown below).
After clicking "Save and Add New Item" you will be taken to the Purchase Order page, where you will then be given the option to add a second item to the purchase order (as shown below).
Since the second item is populated in the Purchase order, it will automatically share the same vendor, customer, and PO as the first special order.
For example, two members, Chris and Jack, want to order shoes from Adidas. The first item will be assigned the special order number "AGC1147-1", and the second item will be assigned the special order number "AGC1147-2" (as shown below). Both items will be added to the same PO# "AGC1147".
If you are adding an item from a different vendor, you will need to start with a new special order or purchase order, as multiple vendors cannot be added to the same Purchase Order.
Notes:
When multiple special orders for the same vendor are placed using this method, they are assigned the same PO Number (unless it is manually changed). Special orders will be combined on the Special Order Dashboard (as shown below) when placed on the same purchase order. It should be noted that while the special orders may share the same PO Number if the special orders are for different members, each member will receive unique communication that does not contain details for another member.
By default, when a special order is created for a vendor with an open Purchase Order, each new special order is automatically added to that open Purchase Order. If you would like to create a unique Purchase Order for a specific item, do not use the "Save and Add another Item to this Order option". Instead, follow these directions:
Save the first special order and return to the Special Order Dashboard.
Create a new special order for the item.
In the Purchase Order field, click "HERE" to generate a new Purchase Order (as shown below).
Placing Order
When multiple special orders share the same PO#, you can simultaneously place all these items with your vendor by clicking the "Place Order" button at the bottom of the grouped orders (as shown below).
A multiple-item purchase order can be placed via website, phone, or email. You can assign shipping details that will be added to each special order.
When placing an order by phone or website, review and assign each special order's details (e.g., vendor confirmation numbers, expected shipping and delivery dates, wholesale and selling price, etc.) (as shown below). Note: When setting the first order's vendor confirmation number, dates, and shipping details, those will carry over to the other orders.
Then, on the right-hand side, you will see each item listed in the order summary tab with product details (as shown below).
For more details on this step, Click Here.
Entering Shipping Details (Optional)
In most instances, vendors will ship all items together. However, it is not uncommon for items to be shipped separately.
If you can enter the tracking information for all items, click "Enter Shipping" next to the PO# (as shown below).
If the items are shipped separately, you can enter tracking info for each item by clicking on "Enter Shipping" for the special order (as shown below).
For more details on this step, Click Here.
Receiving Special Orders
Multiple item purchase orders can be moved to the "Delivered" stage automatically (via shipping company confirmation) or manually (by the user). If you manually confirm a multiple-item purchase order, you can receive all items in the order or only a portion.
Three scenarios might occur when receiving a multiple-item purchase order:
Receive all special orders in the purchase order
Receive a portion of the purchase order (multiple special orders)
Receive one special order of a multiple-item purchase order
Each scenario will be discussed in greater detail below.
Receive all special orders in the purchase order
To receive all special orders in the purchase order, click "Next All" (as shown below).
You will be taken to the confirmation page, where all items are checked on the left for receipt. All items will show up in the order summary tab on the right (as shown below).
If you need to adjust customer notifications, you can do that in the Notification tab. If there are multiple customers, you can change their notification settings individually. It should also be noted that if customers order multiple items, they will only receive one notification for all items. If you want to change it so they receive separate notifications for each item, this is discussed later in this article.
Once you click "Confirm," all items will be moved to the "Delivered" stage.
Receive a portion of the purchase order (multiple special orders)
To receive a portion of the purchase order with multiple special orders (items), you can click "Next All," as previously shown. You will be taken to the received confirmation page, where all items will be checked on the left to be received, and all items will show in the order summary tab on the right. Uncheck the items that will not be received at this time. Only a portion of the order is checked, and only those checked items are shown in the summary tab on the right ( as shown below).
If only a portion of the purchase order is received, those items will be moved to the "Delivered" stage, while the other items will stay in the "Orders Placed" stage (as shown below). In the example below, you can see that the orders all share the same PO# even though they are in different stages.
Receive one special order of a multiple-item purchase order
If you receive only one special order in a multiple-item purchase order, you can click "Next" for that one special order (as shown below).
You will be taken to the received confirmation page, where only one item will be checked on the left to be received, and only that item will show in the order summary tab on the right (as shown below).
If only one item is received, that item will be moved to the "Delivered" stage, while the other items will stay in the "Orders Placed" stage (as shown below).
For more details on this step, Click Here.
Finalizing Special Orders
When purchase orders with multiple items and multiple members/guest, they will be placed in the Delivered stage grouped by member and purchase order. For example, if you placed a PO with Adidas that included items for two members, the orders would be placed in separate buckets for each member (as shown below).
For each member, you can Finalize the Special Orders together or separately in multiple-item orders.
Finalizing all items or a portion of the order
If you want to finalize all items simultaneously, click "Next All" (as shown below).
You will be taken to the "Mark Special Order Completed" page. Once you check any of the options, Vendor Invoice Received, Special Order Charged, or Received by Customer, you will see all the items in the purchase order as checked to perform these actions (as shown below). You will also notice that item in the order summary on the right.
If you are only finalizing a portion of the order, uncheck the items that will not be finalized. The Order Summary on the right will also be updated (as shown below).
If you need to adjust customer notifications, you can do that on the Customers tab to the right. If there are multiple customers, you can change their notification settings individually. It should also be noted that if a customer has multiple items being finalized, they will only receive one notification for all items. If you want to change it so they receive separate notifications for each item, this is discussed later in this article.
Once saved, all finalized items will be marked "Finalized" (as shown below).
Finalizing one item of the order
If you want to finalize a special order (item) individually, click the "Next" button for that item.
You will be taken to the "Mark Special Order Completed" page. Once you check any of the options, Vendor Invoice Received, Special Order Charged, or Received by Customer, you will see all the items in the purchase order and only the one item you clicked next to as checked (as shown below). You will also notice that item in the order summary on the right.
On the Special Order Dashboard, the item will be marked as "Finalized," and the other item will remain "Not Finalized" (as shown below).
For more details on this step, Click Here.
Automated Notifications
If a member has multiple special orders (items) attached to a purchase order, automated notifications (email or text) are not sent for each special order. The notifications are grouped into a single email or text message instead of sending multiple notifications to the customer.
For instructions on updating automated notifications and sending a unique notification for each item:
Email Notifications: If you prefer to send an email for each special order instead of a grouped email, you can disable this feature. To disable this feature, go to Communication > Emails > Automated Emails > Special Orders. Edit the email to a member and click the "Customize Email" option. Uncheck the box for "Enable single notification for multiple special orders." For more details about managing automated emails, Click Here.
Text Message Notifications: If you want a text message sent for each special order instead of grouped in one text message, you can disable this feature. To disable this feature, go to Communication > Text Message > Automated Text Messages > Special Orders. Edit the text message to a member and click the "Customize Text Message" option. Uncheck the box for "Enable single notification for multiple special orders." For more details about managing automated text messages, Click Here.
You can view the Email Delivery Report to ensure emails were delivered successfully and identify those we did not. This reporting tool allows you to filter emails by individual members or by order number and member name. You can view the email content and delivery status, and see whether the member/guest opened the email. Click Here for more details.