How to Create Your First Order

Creating your first order in Sederly is straightforward. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from adding customer information to processing payment and printing receipts.

## Overview Creating an order involves these main steps: 1. **Navigate to Orders** - Access the order management section 2. **Add Customer Information** - Enter or select customer details 3. **Add Products/Services** - Select items and quantities 4. **Review Order Details** - Verify pricing and information 5. **Process Payment** - Handle payment collection 6. **Generate Receipt** - Print or email receipt to customer ## Step-by-Step Instructions ### Step 1: Navigate to the Orders Section - Log into your Sederly account - From the main dashboard, locate the **Orders** section in the sidebar - Click on **"Create New Order"** or the **"+ New Order"** button ### Step 2: Add Customer Information You have two options for customer information: #### Option A: Select Existing Customer - Click the **"Select Customer"** dropdown - Search for the customer by name, phone, or email - Select the customer from the list #### Option B: Add New Customer - Click **"Add New Customer"** - Fill in the required information: - **Customer Name** (required) - **Phone Number** (recommended) - **Email Address** (optional) - **Address** (optional) - Click **"Save Customer"** to add them to your database ### Step 3: Add Products or Services #### Adding Products: 1. Click **"Add Product"** or **"Add Item"** 2. Search for products by name or scan barcode (if available) 3. Select the product from the search results 4. Specify the **quantity** 5. Adjust **price** if needed (if you have permission) 6. Add **notes** or **special instructions** (optional) #### For Service-Based Businesses: 1. Click **"Add Service"** 2. Enter service description 3. Set the service price 4. Specify duration or quantity as applicable #### Managing Line Items: - **Edit Quantity**: Click on the quantity field and update - **Remove Item**: Click the trash icon next to any line item - **Add Discount**: Use the discount field to apply percentage or fixed amount discounts - **Add Tax**: Tax is automatically calculated based on your settings ### Step 4: Review Order Details Before processing payment, review: - **Customer Information**: Ensure name and contact details are correct - **Order Items**: Verify all products/services are included with correct quantities - **Pricing**: Check individual prices and total amount - **Discounts**: Confirm any applied discounts are correct - **Tax Calculation**: Verify tax amounts are accurate - **Special Instructions**: Review any notes or special requests #### Order Summary Section: The order summary will show: - **Subtotal**: Total before tax and discounts - **Discounts**: Any applied discounts - **Tax**: Calculated tax amount - **Total**: Final amount to be paid ### Step 5: Process Payment #### Payment Methods Available: - **Cash**: Enter amount received and system calculates change - **Credit/Debit Card**: Process card payment through integrated terminal - **Bank Transfer**: Record bank transfer details - **Store Credit**: Apply existing customer credit - **Split Payment**: Combine multiple payment methods #### Processing Steps: 1. Click **"Process Payment"** 2. Select payment method 3. Enter payment amount 4. For cash payments, enter amount received 5. For card payments, follow terminal prompts 6. Click **"Complete Payment"** ### Step 6: Generate and Print Receipt After successful payment: 1. **Print Receipt**: Click **"Print Receipt"** for thermal printer output 2. **Email Receipt**: Enter customer email and click **"Email Receipt"** 3. **SMS Receipt**: Send receipt via SMS (if configured) 4. **View/Download**: Generate PDF receipt for digital storage #### Receipt Options: - **Standard Receipt**: Basic transaction details - **Detailed Receipt**: Includes itemized breakdown and customer info - **Gift Receipt**: Price-hidden version for gifts - **Return Receipt**: For return/exchange transactions ## Order Status and Tracking Once created, your order will have a status that helps you track its progress: - **Draft**: Order created but not yet finalized - **Pending**: Order confirmed, awaiting payment - **Paid**: Payment received, order complete - **Partially Paid**: Partial payment received - **Cancelled**: Order cancelled - **Refunded**: Payment refunded ## Tips for Success ### Best Practices: 1. **Double-check customer information** before finalizing orders 2. **Use product search** to quickly find items instead of manual entry 3. **Apply discounts carefully** and ensure they're authorized 4. **Keep receipts organized** for accounting and customer service 5. **Train staff** on the order creation process for consistency ### Common Shortcuts: - **F2**: Quick customer search - **F3**: Product search - **F4**: Apply discount - **F5**: Process payment - **Ctrl + P**: Print receipt ### Troubleshooting: - **Can't find a product?** Check if it's active in your inventory - **Payment not processing?** Verify payment terminal connection - **Receipt not printing?** Check thermal printer setup and paper - **Customer not found?** They may be registered under a different name or phone number ## Next Steps Now that you've created your first order, you might want to: - Learn about [Order Tracking and Management](https://sederly.com/help/order-tracking) - Set up [Thermal Printing](https://sederly.com/help/thermal-printing) for faster receipts - Explore [Payment Processing](https://sederly.com/help/payment-processing) options - Understand [Reports and Analytics](https://sederly.com/help/reports-analytics) to track your sales