Approve a Pending Order

Overview

Approving a pending sales order confirms that the 3PL company is ready to begin fulfillment and shipment preparation.

Depending on how the merchant created the order, the approval workflow may differ slightly:

• If the merchant created the order manually without a shipping label, the 3PL company must select the carrier and shipping method before approval.

• If the merchant uploaded a shipping label during order creation, the carrier and shipment information are already attached to the order and no carrier selection is required.

Once approved, the order moves into the In Progress stage and becomes available for warehouse fulfillment operations.

Accessing Pending Sales Orders

1. Log in to 3PLICITY using your 3PL company account.

2. From the left navigation panel, click Sales Orders.

3. Open the Pending tab.

4. Select the desired order from the table.

The Order Details screen displays all operational information related to the selected sales order.

Reviewing Order Information

Before approving the order, warehouse staff should review the order details.

The screen includes operational sections such as:

• Merchant information

• Customer and delivery information

• Shipping details

• Line items

• Activity log

• Fulfillment actions

Merchant Identification

At the top of the order details screen, the system displays the Merchant Name associated with the order.

This allows warehouse operators to quickly identify which merchant submitted the order before processing fulfillment activities.

Reviewing Customer and Delivery Information

The Customer & Delivery section contains:

• Customer name

• Email address

• Phone number

• Shipping address

• Shipping method information

• Carrier information (when available)

Warehouse operators should review the shipping address and delivery details before approving the order.

Orders Created Without a Shipping Label

If the merchant created the order manually without attaching a shipping label, the 3PL company must define the shipment configuration before approval.

Selecting a Carrier

In the Actions section:

1. Click the Carrier dropdown.

2. Select the carrier that will handle the shipment.

Available carrier services may include:

• USPS

• UPS

• FedEx

• DHL

Once a carrier is selected, the Shipping Method field becomes available.

Selecting a Shipping Method

1. Click the Shipping Method dropdown.

2. Select the shipping service that will be used for delivery.

Examples may include:

• Ground

• Air

• Home Delivery

• Next Day Delivery

After both fields are completed, the order is ready for approval.

Orders Created with a Shipping Label

If the merchant uploaded a shipping label during order creation, the order already contains shipping information provided by the merchant.

The order details page displays:

• Carrier information

• Shipping method

• Tracking details

• Shipping label access

In this workflow:

• The Carrier dropdown is not displayed.

• The Shipping Method selector is not required.

• Warehouse staff only need to review the provided shipping information before approving the order.

This helps streamline fulfillment for pre-labeled shipments.

Reviewing Shipping Labels

When a shipping label is attached to the order, the Shipping Labels section provides direct access to:

• Tracking number

• Shipping label document

Warehouse staff can open or download the shipping label directly from the order details screen for packing and shipment preparation.

Approving the Order

After reviewing the order information:

1. Click Approve in the Actions section.

Once approved:

• The order status changes from Pending to In Progress

• The order becomes available for warehouse fulfillment operations

• The selected or provided shipping information is stored with the order

• Warehouse teams can begin packing and shipment preparation

Cancelling the Order

If the order cannot be processed:

1. Click Cancel Order in the Actions section.

The order is moved out of the fulfillment workflow and its status is updated accordingly.

Working with Approved Orders

After approval, the Actions section updates to display fulfillment tools used during warehouse processing.

Available actions may include:

• Cancel Order

• Generate Label

• Ready to Send

• Packing Slip

Some actions may become available only after earlier fulfillment steps are completed.

Updating Shipping Information

For orders created without a shipping label, the carrier or shipping method can be updated before shipment preparation is completed.

To modify shipping information:

1. Click the edit option next to the carrier or shipping method fields.

2. Select the updated shipping configuration.

This allows warehouse operators to adjust shipment settings before the package is dispatched.

Orders created with merchant-provided shipping labels use the attached shipment configuration and typically do not require manual carrier updates.

Generating a Packing Slip

Packing slips are used during warehouse picking and packing operations.

To generate a packing slip:

1. Click Packing Slip in the Actions section.

The system generates a downloadable document containing:

• Order ID

• Order date

• Customer information

• Shipping address

• Product list

• SKU information

• Quantities

• Barcode for warehouse scanning operations

Warehouse staff can print and include the packing slip during package preparation.

Reviewing Line Items

The Line Items section displays all products included in the order.

Each entry includes:

• SKU

• Product name

• Quantity

• Unit price

• Tax

• Line total

• Current status

Orders in the Pending stage display line items with a Pending status until fulfillment begins.

Warehouse teams commonly use this section to review picking requirements before packing operations start.

Activity Log

The Activity Log records the operational history of the order.

Examples include:

• Order created

• Order approved

• Carrier updated

• Shipping method updated

• Shipment updates

• Order cancelled

Each activity includes a timestamp to support operational traceability and fulfillment tracking.

Operational Workflow

Pending orders are generally processed using the following workflow:

1. Open the order from the Pending table.

2. Identify the merchant associated with the order.

3. Review customer and shipping information.

4. Review products and quantities.

5. If no shipping label is attached:

   • Select a carrier

   • Select a shipping method

6. If a shipping label is attached:

   • Review the provided shipping information

   • Verify the label details

7. Approve the order.

8. Begin warehouse fulfillment and packing operations.

After approval, the order moves into the In Progress workflow for shipment preparation and fulfillment management.