Orders and the Order Life Cycle
Summary
Orders and the Order Life Cycle walks through how an order moves through Flxpoint — from channel import and invoicing, through routing and fulfillment, to shipment sync and profitability analysis — and flags the most common places orders get stuck.
An order is an incoming purchase request from a sales channel that needs to be fulfilled. Each order line item is tied to a product variant, so Flxpoint can fulfill it from any source inventory linked to that variant. From import to profitability analysis, every order moves through the same set of phases.
- Import — Orders pull in from a channel via Get Orders (B2C) or the API (B2B).
- Invoice — A B2C receipt is mirrored, or a B2B invoice is generated with payment capture.
- Route — Orders are assigned to eligible sources as Fulfillment Requests (FR/FOs).
- Process & ship — FR/FOs are sent to sources, then shipments sync back to the channel.
- Analyze profit — A source invoice on each FR/FO lets you compare cost against revenue.
- Importing — Orders are pulled from a channel via Get Orders.
- Invoicing — A receipt is mirrored for B2C, or an invoice is generated and payment captured for B2B.
- Routing — FR/FOs are generated (auto or manual) for the eligible source based on routing priorities.
- Processing — FR/FOs are submitted to the source, optionally returning an acknowledgment.
- Shipments — Shipments are imported from the source and synced back to the sales channel.
- Analyzing profitability — A source invoice on each FR/FO enables cost-versus-revenue analysis.
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Order | What comes in from your sales channel (your revenue). |
| FR / FO | A fulfillment request / fulfillment order sent out to a source to fulfill the order. |
| Source invoice | The cost the source charges for that FR/FO (your expense). |
| Product variant | The link between an order line item and matching source inventory. |
Orders are received, POs and FRs are sent
Variant links drive automatic fulfillment
Routing priorities are set once, centrally
Profitability needs a source invoice
Order stuck on Acknowledged / Awaiting Shipment and never sent to the supplier
If an order has a shipping policy assigned, shipping mapping configured, and Auto Process Fulfillment Requests enabled but the FR/FO never advances to the source, the FR/FO is usually still unprocessed or blocked by routing. Confirm the source is enabled in the routing group and that the FR/FO is in a processing state rather than a draft. There is no separate manual Send to Supplier button; processing the FR/FO is what transmits it.
Order showed On Hold but was already processed, so tracking had to be entered manually
This happens when a hold is placed after the FR/FO has already moved forward, or when two channels share a source and submit at the same moment. Review the Order Timeline to confirm the sequence of events before re-processing, so a duplicate is not sent to the source.
What is the difference between an order and a PO/FR?
An order is the purchase request received from your sales channel. A PO/FR is the fulfillment request Flxpoint sends to a source to fulfill that order.
Why do B2C and B2B orders invoice differently?
B2C orders usually import as already paid, so Flxpoint mirrors the channel receipt. B2B/reseller orders are invoiced in Flxpoint using invoicing workflows, and payment is captured after authorization.
Do I have to add a source invoice?
Only if you want accurate profitability. The order still fulfills without one, but the Profitability Report cannot show cost-versus-revenue until a source invoice exists for each FR/FO.