Understanding Parts Order Categories

Modified on Thu, 4 Jun at 8:49 AM

Before creating a parts order, you must understand how each order category works.

The order category determines:

Whether a supplier order is created immediately.
How the part is ordered from the supplier.
How the part is received through Goods In.
How the part is supplied to the customer or workshop job.
Whether additional processing is required before the order is complete.

Understanding the differences between Local, VOR, Stock, and Special Orders helps ensure parts move through the correct workflow and reach the intended customer or workshop job without delays.

Why This Matters

Many issues with parts ordering occur because users understand how to create an order, but do not understand what happens after the order is created.

Each order category follows a different workflow.

For example:

A Local Order creates a supplier order immediately.
A VOR Order creates a customer or workshop requirement but does not create a supplier order immediately.
A Stock Order relies on a later stock ordering process.
A Special Order allows parts to be ordered when the part number is unknown.

If the incorrect category is selected, the expected supplier order may not be created, parts may not appear where expected, and the Goods In process may behave differently.

Understanding Customer Orders and Supplier Orders

The parts ordering process contains two separate types of order.

Customer or Workshop Orders

These represent the demand for the part.

The request may come from:

A retail customer.
An account customer.
A workshop job.

This order records:

Who requires the part.
The quantity required.
Any deposits taken.
The order status.

Supplier Orders

These represent the purchase of the part from a supplier.

This order records:

Which supplier will provide the part.
The quantity being purchased.
Delivery information.
Supplier references.

The relationship between these two order types determines how the order behaves throughout the process.

Local Orders

When to Use a Local Order

Use a Local Order when:

The part is required immediately.
The supplier will be contacted straight away.
The order should be placed with the supplier as soon as it is created.

A common example is ordering a part from a local motor factor for same-day delivery.

How Local Orders Work

When a Local Order is created, the system creates:

A customer or workshop order.
A supplier order.

These orders are linked together immediately.

This creates a one-to-one relationship between the customer requirement and the supplier purchase.

Example

A workshop technician identifies a brake pad that must be fitted today.

The parts advisor:

Creates a Local Order.
Selects the supplier.
Links the order to the workshop job.

The system immediately creates the supplier order.

When the brake pad arrives, the system already knows which workshop job requires the part.

Goods In Behaviour

When the part is received through Goods In:

The system recognises the linked workshop or customer order.
The system offers to book the part out immediately.
The order can often be completed in a single process.

This is why Local Orders are generally the simplest workflow.

VOR Orders

What is a VOR Order?

VOR stands for Vehicle Off Road.

A VOR Order is used when a vehicle cannot be completed because required parts are unavailable.

These parts are usually considered urgent.

When to Use a VOR Order

Use a VOR Order when:

The vehicle is waiting for the part.
The part should be included in the next VOR supplier order.
The part number is known.

How VOR Orders Work

Unlike a Local Order, a VOR Order does not create a supplier order immediately.

Instead, it creates:

A customer order.
A workshop requirement.

The order remains outstanding until a VOR supplier order is created.

Why This Process Exists

Throughout the day, multiple VOR requirements may be raised.

Rather than creating a separate supplier order for every requirement, the system allows these requirements to accumulate.

A Parts Manager can then create a single VOR supplier order containing all outstanding VOR requirements.

This reduces administration and consolidates supplier ordering activity.

Example

During the day:

Workshop Job A requires a sensor.
Workshop Job B requires a mirror.
Workshop Job C requires a wiring harness.

Three separate VOR Orders are created.

At the end of the day, a Parts Manager creates a Daily VOR Order.

The system gathers all three requirements and creates one supplier order.

Goods In Behaviour

When the supplier order arrives:

The parts are received into stock.
The system does not automatically book them out.
The Orders List must be used to allocate parts to the correct customer or workshop job.

This happens because one supplier order may contain parts for multiple customers and jobs.

Stock Orders

When to Use a Stock Order

Use a Stock Order when:

The part does not require immediate ordering.
The part should be included in a future stock replenishment order.
The organisation follows a scheduled stock ordering process.

How Stock Orders Work

The process is similar to a VOR Order.

The system creates:

The customer or workshop requirement.

The system does not immediately create:

The supplier order.

The supplier order is created later as part of the stock ordering process.

Example

Several workshop jobs require routine service items.

Rather than placing individual supplier orders throughout the day, the requirements are collected and included in a stock order.

A Parts Manager later creates a supplier stock order containing all outstanding requirements.

Goods In Behaviour

When the stock order arrives:

Parts are received into stock.
Parts are not automatically allocated.
The Orders List is used to complete customer and workshop requirements.

Special Orders

When to Use a Special Order

Use a Special Order when:

The part number is unknown.
The part must be ordered using a description.
The requirement still needs to be linked to a customer or workshop job.

How Special Orders Work

Instead of entering a part number, the user enters a description.

Examples include:

Service kit for Ford Focus.
Exhaust mounting kit.
Steering column trim.

The order remains linked to the customer or workshop job in the same way as a standard parts order.

Benefits of Special Orders

Special Orders allow requirements to be recorded immediately without waiting for a confirmed part number.

This helps:

Track customer requirements.
Track workshop requirements.
Record deposits where applicable.
Maintain visibility of outstanding parts.

Choosing the Correct Order Category

Requirement	Recommended Order Type
Part required immediately from supplier	Local Order
Vehicle off road and part needed urgently	VOR Order
Part to be included in stock replenishment	Stock Order
Part number unknown	Special Order

Common Mistakes

Using Local Orders for Stock Requirements

Local Orders create supplier orders immediately.

If the part should be included in a later stock order, use a Stock Order instead.

Expecting VOR Orders to Create Supplier Orders

VOR Orders create customer and workshop requirements only.

The supplier order is created later through the Daily VOR Order process.

Expecting Automatic Allocation After Goods In

Stock and VOR supplier orders often contain parts for multiple customers and workshop jobs.

These parts must be allocated afterwards using the Orders List.

Creating Special Orders When a Part Number Exists

If a valid part number is available, use the standard parts ordering process rather than a Special Order.