Order Lifecycle
Orders flow through several statuses:| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Pending | Order created but no subscriptions activated yet |
| Confirmed | Order confirmed, ready for fulfillment |
| Partial | Some items fulfilled, others still pending |
| Fulfilled | All items have active subscriptions |
| Cancelled | Order cancelled, no subscriptions created |
Creating a New Order
- Navigate to Orders in the left sidebar
- Click New Order in the top right
- Fill in customer information:
- Email - Customer’s email address
- First name - Customer’s first name
- Last name - Customer’s last name
- Phone - Contact number (optional)
- Customer type - Individual or Business
- Add billing and shipping addresses
- Add order items
- Click Save Order
The order is created with a status of “Pending” until you activate subscriptions by assigning assets to the order items.
Customer Types
FlexPortal supports two customer types:Individual
For personal customers:- Single person billing
- One billing address
- Standard payment terms
Business
For business customers:- Company name and registration details
- May belong to a Billing Group for consolidated invoicing
- Can have Net 7, Net 14, or Net 30 payment terms
Adding Order Items
Order items represent the products being subscribed to. Each item includes the product, variant, contract length, and quantity. Whether ordering a laptop, e-bike, or office chair, the process is the same.- Scroll to the Order Items section
- Click Add Item
- Select product details:
- Product - Choose from your product catalog
- Variant - Select the specific variant
- Contract length - Choose 6, 12, 24, or 36 months
- Quantity - Number of units
- The monthly price automatically populates based on the variant pricing for the selected contract length
- Click Add to save the item
Contract Lengths
Each order item has its own contract length, which determines:- Monthly payment amount
- Total contract duration
- Contract end date
- 6 months
- 12 months
- 24 months
- 36 months
Billing and Shipping Addresses
Every order requires a billing address. Shipping addresses are optional if you’re delivering products.Billing Address
Required fields:- Street address
- City
- Postal code
- Country
Shipping Address
If different from billing:- Scroll to Shipping Address
- Toggle Use different shipping address
- Enter the shipping details
Order Confirmation
After creating an order, you can confirm it to signal it’s ready for fulfillment:- Open the order
- Click Confirm Order in the top right
- Status changes to “Confirmed”
Confirming an order is optional. You can create subscriptions directly from Pending orders.
Fulfilling Orders
Fulfillment means creating active subscriptions from order items. This happens when you assign physical assets (serial numbers) to each item.Creating a Subscription from an Order Item
- Open the order
- Scroll to the Items section
- Find the item you want to fulfill
- Click Create Subscription next to the item
- In the dialog:
- Serial number - Enter the asset’s serial number
- Start date - When the subscription begins (defaults to today)
- Click Create
Fulfilling Multiple Items
For orders with multiple items:- Create a subscription for each item individually
- Assign a different serial number to each item
- As items are fulfilled, order status changes to “Partial”
- When all items are fulfilled, status becomes “Fulfilled”
Order Statuses in Detail
Pending
- Order is created but no action taken
- No subscriptions created yet
- Can be edited or cancelled
Confirmed
- Order has been reviewed and approved
- Ready for fulfillment
- Can still be edited or cancelled
Partial
- At least one item has a subscription created
- Other items still need fulfillment
- Order cannot be cancelled (cancel individual subscriptions instead)
Fulfilled
- All items have active subscriptions
- Order is complete
- No further action needed on the order
Cancelled
- Order was cancelled before fulfillment
- No subscriptions were created
- Cannot be reactivated (create a new order instead)
Editing Orders
You can edit orders before subscriptions are created.- Open the order
- Click Edit in the top right
- Modify:
- Customer information
- Billing/shipping addresses
- Order items (add, remove, or change quantities)
- Click Save
Cancelling Orders
Cancel orders that won’t be fulfilled:- Open the order
- Click Cancel Order in the top right
- Confirm cancellation
Viewing Order Details
Order detail page shows:Customer Information
- Name and contact details
- Customer type (Individual or Business)
- Billing and shipping addresses
Order Items
- Product and variant names
- Contract length for each item
- Monthly price per item
- Quantity
- Fulfillment status (Pending or Fulfilled)
Financial Summary
- Total monthly income from all items
- Total contract value (monthly price times contract length times quantity)
Subscriptions
- List of active subscriptions created from this order
- Links to each subscription detail page
Order Search and Filtering
Find orders quickly using search and filters:Search by:
- Customer name
- Customer email
- Order ID
- Product name
Filter by:
- Status - Pending, Confirmed, Partial, Fulfilled, Cancelled
- Customer type - Individual or Business
- Date range - Created date
Payment Terms for Business Customers
Business customers can have different payment terms:- Net 7 - Payment due within 7 days
- Net 14 - Payment due within 14 days
- Net 30 - Payment due within 30 days
- Select Business as customer type
- Scroll to Payment Terms
- Choose the payment term
- Save the order
Payment terms only apply to business customers. Individual customers have immediate payment due dates.
Billing Groups for Business Customers
Business customers can belong to a Billing Group for consolidated invoicing:- Set customer type to Business
- Select or create a Billing Group
- All subscriptions for customers in this group will be invoiced together
Common Scenarios
Phone Order Entry
When a customer orders over the phone:- Create new order
- Enter customer information as they provide it
- Add items based on their selections
- Confirm billing and shipping details
- Save order as Confirmed
- Fulfill when ready to ship
Online Order Processing
For orders from your website or API:- Orders arrive automatically via API
- Review order in dashboard
- Confirm inventory availability
- Fulfill by assigning serial numbers
- Ship products to customer
Backorder Management
When items are out of stock:- Create order with all requested items
- Fulfill available items immediately
- Order status becomes “Partial”
- When backordered items arrive, fulfill remaining items
- Order status becomes “Fulfilled”
Creating Test Orders
To test your setup:- Create order with test customer email
- Use real products and pricing
- Fulfill with test serial numbers
- Review subscription and payment generation
- Cancel subscription when testing complete
Best Practices
Data Entry
- Double-check customer email addresses
- Verify billing addresses for payment processing
- Use consistent naming for business customers
Order Management
- Confirm orders before fulfillment
- Fulfill items as soon as assets are available
- Cancel orders promptly if customer withdraws
Communication
- Send order confirmation emails to customers
- Notify customers when orders are fulfilled
- Provide tracking information for shipped items
Record Keeping
- Use order notes to record special instructions
- Document any pricing adjustments
- Keep track of customer preferences