> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.batchlane.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Orders

> Create customer orders, reserve finished lots, and post shipments.

Orders connect customer demand to finished lot inventory. They preserve which finished lots were reserved and shipped so [traceability](/traceability), customer support, and [QuickBooks handoff](/quickbooks-handoff) can answer downstream questions.

## Prerequisites

* Customer exists in [Address book](/address-book).
* Finished good item exists in [Inventory](/inventory).
* Finished lots are available and not held, quarantined, consumed, scrapped, returned, or already shipped.
* Shipping location exists in [Settings and roles](/settings-and-roles).

## Order lifecycle

| Status              | Meaning                                   |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Draft               | Created but not fully allocated.          |
| Partially allocated | Some quantity is reserved.                |
| Allocated           | Finished lots cover the ordered quantity. |
| Partially shipped   | Some reserved quantity has shipped.       |
| Shipped             | Order fulfillment is complete.            |
| Cancelled           | Order should not proceed.                 |

## Order flow

1. Create a sales order with customer, item, quantity, unit, requested ship date, and addresses.
2. Review available finished lots by expiry, quantity, and status.
3. Reserve lots for the order.
4. Post shipment from open reservations.
5. Use shipment allocation if a customer asks which lot they received.

## Reservation rules

* Reservation quantity cannot exceed available finished inventory.
* Shipment quantity cannot exceed reserved quantity.
* Released, shipped, or fully consumed reservations cannot be shipped again.
* Canceled or shipped orders should not be edited like drafts.

## Common order issues

* No available finished goods: receive or produce inventory first.
* Reservation scan misses: scan or paste a reserved lot code, not an unrelated input lot.
* Shipment cannot post: reserve finished lots first.
* Shipment quantity exceeds reserved quantity: lower the ship quantity or reserve more stock.

Related pages: [Inventory](/inventory), [Production](/production), [Traceability](/traceability), [Reports](/reports), [Common errors](/common-errors).