A Simple Guide to Managing Your Orders

The Main Orders Page: Your Command Center

Whenever you click on "Orders" in the sidebar, you'll land on the main orders page. Think of this as your command center for all the orders in your shop. We've designed it to give you a quick overview of what's happening without feeling overwhelming.

Here, you'll see a list of all your current orders. By default, it shows you the orders that are still active (either "Pending" or "Processing"). For each order in the list, you can see the most important information at a glance:

• Order Number: A unique ID for every order, like `25-00001`. This is super helpful for finding a specific order quickly.
• Customer: The name and phone number of the customer who placed the order.
• Date: The date the order was created.
• Total Amount: The full price of the order, including any deposits for rental items.
• Total Paid: How much money the customer has paid so far.
• Status: This tells you the current state of the order. We use simple, color-coded badges so you can see the status in a second:
  • Pending: The order has been created but you haven't started working on it yet.
  • Processing: You've started working on the order. For example, a tailoring item is being stitched, or a rental item has been picked up by the customer.
  • Complete: All the work is done! All tailoring is finished and all rental items have been returned.
  • Delivered: The customer has picked up their completed order.

Finding a Specific Order

If you're looking for one particular order, the search bar at the top of the page is your best friend. You can type in the Order Number or the customer's phone number to instantly find what you're looking for. This is perfect for when a customer calls to ask about their order.

Creating a New Order: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a new order is the most important part of the process. We've broken it down into a few simple steps on a single, easy-to-use page. Let's walk through it.

Step 1: Add Your Customer

The first thing you'll do is add a customer to the order. In the top-left corner, you'll see a box to enter the customer's phone number. Start typing, and if the customer is already in your system, their details will pop up. If it's a new customer, no worries! A window will appear allowing you to add their details right then and there, without leaving the page.

Step 2: Add Services and Items to the Order

This is where you build the order. You can add three different types of items:

1. Tailoring Services: These are the custom tailoring jobs you do, like stitching a new suit or altering a dress. When you add a tailoring service, a window will pop up asking for all the important details:
   • Measurements: If you have a size template linked to this service, all the measurement fields (like chest, waist, length) will appear automatically. You can fill them in right here. Required fields will be marked with a red star, so you don't forget anything important.
   • Quantity and Price: You can set how many of this item the customer wants and what the price is.
   • Expected Completion Date: Choose a date to let the customer know when to expect their item to be ready.
   • Special Note: A place to add any special instructions from the customer, like "use blue thread" or "add an extra pocket."
2. Rental Services: For items you rent out, like tuxedos or fancy dresses. Adding a rental item is also super easy:
   • Rental Period: A calendar will pop up. You can select the start and end date for the rental. The calendar is smart—it will automatically block out dates when the item is already rented by someone else, so you can't accidentally double-book.
   • Price Calculation: The system will automatically calculate the total rental price based on the number of days you select.
   • Deposit Amount: The pre-set deposit for the item will be automatically added to the order.
   • Special Note: You can add any notes here, like "customer requested extra cuff links."
3. Other / Custom Services: This is for everything else! Maybe you offer a special delivery service, or a quick repair that isn't a standard item in your inventory. You can add it here by giving it a name, a quantity, and a price.

As you add items, they will appear in the main order table in the middle of the page. You can see everything clearly laid out, and if you make a mistake, you can easily remove an item by clicking the little red trash icon.

Step 3: Review the Totals and Place the Order

Once you've added all the items, take a look at the bottom-right corner. You'll see a summary of the costs:

• Subtotal: The total cost of all services and items.
• Deposit Amount: The sum of all deposits for any rental items.
• TOTAL: The final amount the customer needs to pay.

When you're ready, click the big green "Place Order" button. This will open up the final payment window.

Step 4: The Payment Window

In this final step, you just need to enter how much the customer is paying right now. This is called the "Give Amount." For example, they might pay the full amount upfront, or just a partial amount as a deposit. The system will automatically calculate the remaining balance.

You can also add a final note to the entire order here. Once you're done, click "Continue."

Step 5: Success and Receipt Printing

That's it! The order is now saved in your system. A success message will appear with the new Order Number. You'll also see a button to "Print Receipt." You can print a professional-looking receipt for your customer right away. It includes all the order details and even a barcode for easy tracking.

Managing an Existing Order: The Details Page

Once an order is created, you can manage every aspect of it from the Order Details page. To get here, just click the "View" button on any order from the main orders list.

Understanding the Layout

This page gives you a complete view of the order. On the left, you'll see the list of all items in the order, and on the right, you'll find the customer's details and the payment summary.

Updating Item Statuses: The Key to Tracking Progress

This is where you keep track of the work being done. Each item in the order has its own status and its own "Action" button. This is super important because an order isn't complete until every item in it is complete.

• For Tailoring Items: You can update the status from "Pending" to "Processing" (meaning you've started stitching) and finally to "Complete." The system even keeps a history of when each status was updated.
• For Rental Items: You can update the status from "Reserved" to "Picked Up" (when the customer takes the item) and then to "Returned."

The system is smart: it won't let you mark the entire order as "Complete" until every single tailoring item is marked "Complete" and every rental item is marked "Returned." This prevents mistakes and ensures you don't forget anything.

Viewing Item Details and Printing Job Cards

Next to each item, there's a "View" button. Clicking this opens a sidebar with more details. For a tailoring item, this is especially useful because it shows you all the measurements you entered. From here, you can also print a job card. This is a small sheet with the customer's order number, the item details, and all the measurements, which you can give to your tailor so they have all the information they need to get the job done right.

Managing Payments and Deposits

In the bottom right, you'll see the payment section. It shows you a history of all payments made for this order, the total amount paid, and the remaining balance. If the customer wants to make another payment, you can click the "New Payment" button to easily record it.

If the order included a rental item with a deposit, you'll see a "Release Deposit" button here once the order is complete. Clicking this will record that the deposit has been returned to the customer, keeping your financial records accurate.