Order Placement Phase SOP
Applies to:
• Inventory Manager
• Back Office Ordering Team
• Warehouse (reference only)
• Accounting (reference only)
Purpose
This procedure explains the Order Placement stage in Pipefy. This stage begins after an order has been approved by either:
• The Inventory Manager (standard approval)
or
• Senior Management (second-tier approval)
The Order Placement phase covers the creation of the Purchase Order (PO), supplier communication, warehouse fulfillment, and proper handling of combined orders.
1. Entering the Order Placement Phase
As soon as the card is approved in the previous phase:
• Pipefy automatically moves the card into Order Placement.
• The Inventory Manager receives a Purchase Order (PO) by email.
This PO includes every detail needed to submit the order to the supplier.
You can access the PO in two ways:
-
Via the email notification Pipefy sends
-
Inside the card itself → left-side menu → “Email”
The email tab shows:
• The approval notification sent to the supervisor
• The PO sent to the Inventory Manager
• Any additional emails linked to the card
2. Understanding the Purchase Order (PO)
The PO contains:
• PO Number
A unique identifier for this order.
This is used by Accounting to validate invoices.
• Date Issued
The timestamp Pipefy generated the PO.
• Expected Delivery Date
The target date for when supplies must arrive.
This keeps vendors accountable for timely deliveries.
• Bill-To Entity
Which DSC entity is paying for the order.
• Ship-To Address
Customer’s delivery location (or warehouse for pickup).
• Item Table
Includes:
• Item name
• Item number
• Category
• Manufacturer
• Unit type (case, pack, each)
• Unit cost
• Quantity
Once the PO is verified, it is ready to be submitted to the supplier.
3. Order Placement Methods
Orders can be fulfilled in two ways:
A. Supplier Fulfillment (Freight Order)
This is the standard process when ordering from:
• Imperial Dade
• Office Basics
• Restaurant Store
• Amazon
• Shepherd
• Other approved suppliers
Complete the following fields:
Date Placed
The date you sent the PO to the supplier.
Supplier
Select the correct supplier.
Expected Delivery Date
This is the delivery date the supplier provides after receiving the order.
Supplier Order Number
Found on the supplier’s order confirmation.
Attach Order Confirmation
This is mandatory.
It is used for:
• Invoice reconciliation
• Tracking
• Delivery verification
Without this attachment, AP cannot validate supplier invoices.
B. Warehouse Fulfillment (Internal Inventory)
If the order can be fulfilled from our warehouse inventory:
Date Placed
Date the warehouse confirms they can fill the order.
Supplier
Set to “DSC Warehouse.”
Expected Delivery Date
Flexible.
Depends on urgency and Inventory Manager availability.
Order Number
Use the date as the PO number. Example:
2025-11-17
Warehouse fulfillment should be used whenever inventory levels support it.
4. Order Combination Rules (VERY IMPORTANT)
Supervisors must submit one order per customer, and consumable orders cannot be combined by supervisors.
Example:
Customer A → 2 cases toilet paper → must be one order
Customer B → 1 case toilet paper → must be separate order
If they submit these together, the Inventory Manager must deny the order and require resubmission.
Chemical Orders
Chemical orders may be combined because they draw from global budgets, not customer-specific dispensers.
5. How the Inventory Manager Should Combine Orders (Back Office)
To avoid freight charges and meet supplier minimums:
Combine orders only at the Order Placement stage, not at supervisor level.
You must review all pending orders for the same supplier, then group shipments together while keeping separate PO numbers.
Supplier Freight Minimums:
• Imperial Dade: $350 minimum
• Office Basics: $350 minimum
• Shepherd: $1,300 minimum
• Restaurant Store: No minimum
• Amazon: No minimum
Combination Rules:
• Combine orders to ship together on the same truck
• But each order must have its own PO and its own invoice
• Notify supplier: “Please ship together, but issue separate order confirmations and separate invoices.”
This avoids freight fees and maintains accurate accounting.
6. Completing the Order Placement Phase
Once:
✓ The PO is verified
✓ Supplier order is placed OR warehouse fulfillment is confirmed
✓ Order confirmations are attached
✓ Freight consolidation has been handled
The card is ready to move forward.
Move the card to the Delivery Received phase.
The next video in the series (and next SLP) explains what to do when the order enters the Delivery Received stage.
Summary of Responsibilities
Inventory Manager Must:
✓ Verify PO details
✓ Place order with supplier or confirm warehouse fulfillment
✓ Attach supplier order confirmation
✓ Combine orders when needed to avoid freight charges
✓ Maintain separate POs for each customer
✓ Confirm delivery expectations
✓ Move the card to Delivery Received phase
System Automatically:
✓ Sends PO to supervisor
✓ Sends PO to Inventory Manager
✓ Tracks PO number
✓ Notifies next stage upon movement