How to track customer orders without a spreadsheet

Orders that don't go through an online checkout (phone orders, special orders at the counter, wholesale and custom work) usually end up in a spreadsheet or a notebook. It works until someone asks "did my order ship?" and nobody's sure.

1. Capture every order the same way

Whether the customer fills out a form or you type it in during a call, record:

• Customer name and email
• Order date and order total
• Shipping address and quantity
• Ship by date

2. Confirm it automatically

When an order comes in through the form, the customer gets a "We got your order" email right away. One less thing to remember, and the customer knows it arrived.

3. Move each order through the work

• Received: check the details and the email address.
• Picking: pull every item from the shelves.
• Packing: box it and print the label.
• Quality check: weigh it and confirm the contents.
• Shipped: hand it to the carrier and add the tracking number.

4. Use rules so nothing ships half-done

Two simple rules prevent most mistakes:

• An order can't be packed without a shipping address.
• It can't be marked shipped without a ship-by date.

5. Work in ship-by order

Sort the list by ship-by date and work from the top. The board view shows how many orders are at each step.

6. See the numbers

A weekly report of orders and order totals shows what's coming in without adding up rows.

Using the template

The free customer order form template sets up the form, the confirmation email, the five steps and both rules. Moving off a spreadsheet? Smart import brings your order history over with the original dates. Orders arrive by email? Give the stack its own email address.