Wholesale Order Fulfillment Workflow: From PO to Shipment

DEFINITION

Pick list

A warehouse document that lists the items to be pulled from inventory for a specific order, including SKU, location, and quantity.

DEFINITION

Packing slip

A document included in the shipment that lists the items and quantities in the box. Used by the buyer for receiving verification.

DEFINITION

Order acknowledgment

A confirmation sent to the buyer after an order is submitted, verifying the items, quantities, pricing, and expected ship date.

The Six-Stage Workflow

Every wholesale order follows the same path from purchase order to delivery. Each stage has a clear input, output, and handoff point. When these handoffs are manual, errors compound. When they are automated, the process tightens.

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Stage 1: Order Intake

Orders come in through three channels: portal submission, emailed POs, and phone calls. Portal orders are clean because the buyer enters their own SKUs and quantities. Emailed POs require a CSR to transcribe the data. Phone orders are the most error-prone.

The goal is to move as much volume as possible to portal self-serve. A buyer who enters their own order eliminates the transcription step and takes ownership of the accuracy.

Stage 2: Order Confirmation

Once an order is in the system, an acknowledgment goes back to the buyer. This confirms: items and quantities, pricing, payment terms, and expected ship date. The buyer reviews and flags any discrepancies before the warehouse starts pulling product.

Stage 3: Picking

The confirmed order generates a pick list for the warehouse. The pick list includes SKU, description, warehouse location, and quantity. For manufacturers with organized warehouse locations, the pick list is sorted by location to minimize travel time.

Stage 4: Packing

Picked items are verified against the order and packed. A packing slip is generated listing items and quantities in the shipment. For orders with multiple boxes, each box gets its own packing slip.

Stage 5: Shipping

The packed order is booked with a carrier. A tracking number is generated and shared with the buyer, ideally visible in the portal under order status. LTL shipments generate a bill of lading.

Stage 6: Invoicing

Once shipped, the invoice is generated based on what was actually shipped (not what was ordered, in case of partial fulfillment). The receivable is logged against the buyer account with the due date based on their payment terms. If your B2B platform integrates with QuickBooks or your ERP, the invoice syncs automatically.

OrderDock automates the intake-to-confirmation stages and provides order status visibility for buyers, starting at $20/month.