Configuring Order Statuses

Order statuses are customizable workflow stages that invoices progress through as work is completed. Every invoice in AccuArk is assigned an order status at all times, and that status determines what can happen to the invoice: whether it can be edited, whether stock is reserved or subtracted, and whether the invoice is considered open or closed. By configuring your own set of statuses, you create a workflow that matches how your business actually operates.

Where to Configure Order Statuses

To manage your order statuses:

1. Open Customers & Invoicing from the main menu.
2. Click Order Status Settings.

The Order Status Settings screen lists all configured statuses in a grid. From here you can add new statuses, edit existing ones, or delete statuses that are no longer needed. Each status you create will appear in the status dropdown on the invoice form, allowing users to transition invoices through your workflow.

Status Fields Explained

Each order status has several configurable fields that control its behavior. Understanding each field is essential to building an effective workflow.

Status Name

The display name shown in dropdown menus, invoice grids, and status history records. Choose clear, descriptive names that communicate the current state of the order to anyone who sees it. Examples include "Quote," "Approved," "In Production," "Ready to Ship," "Shipped," "Delivered," and "Completed."

Color on Grid

A color code used for visual distinction in invoice list grids. When users browse the invoice list, each row is color-coded according to its current status. This makes it easy to scan the list and quickly identify which invoices need attention. Choose contrasting colors so that different statuses are easy to tell apart at a glance. For example, you might use green for completed orders, yellow for in-progress work, and red for cancelled orders.

Is Edit Lock

When this option is enabled, the invoice cannot be edited once it enters this status. Edit locking protects completed work from accidental changes. For example, once an order has been shipped or delivered, you typically do not want anyone modifying the line items or pricing. If a user needs to make changes to an edit-locked invoice, they must use the Unlock button on the invoice toolbar, which requires appropriate permissions.

Inventory Action

This field determines what happens to stock when an invoice enters this status. There are four options:

• None — No inventory impact. Use this for early-stage statuses like "Quote" or "Pending" where no stock commitment is needed.
• Reserve — Creates inventory reservations for each physical item on the invoice. Reserved stock remains in inventory but is marked as committed, reducing the available quantity visible to other invoices.
• Subtract — Permanently removes stock from inventory and creates stock transaction records for the audit trail. This is used for statuses where the goods have been consumed, shipped, or delivered.
• Release — Cancels any existing reservations for the invoice. Use this for cancellation statuses or when rolling back to an earlier stage.

See the Status-Driven Inventory Actions article for a detailed explanation of how each action works internally.

Subtract On Enter

This field applies only when the Inventory Action is set to "subtract." When Subtract On Enter is enabled, stock is deducted immediately as soon as the invoice enters this status. If disabled, the subtract action is configured but will not execute automatically. In most workflows, you will enable this option so that the stock subtraction happens at the moment the status changes.

Requires Customer Approval

When enabled, the invoice cannot enter this status unless the customer has approved the invoice. AccuArk tracks customer approval through the Customer Approval workflow (see the Customer Approval article). If a user tries to move an invoice to a status that requires approval but the customer has not yet approved, the system blocks the transition and displays an error message explaining that approval is needed first.

This is useful for statuses like "Approved" or "In Production" where you want confirmation from the customer before committing resources or materials.

Auto-Advance Status

This optional field specifies a target status that the invoice should automatically move to after delivery confirmation is recorded. When a delivery is confirmed through the Delivery Confirmation form, the system checks whether the current status has an Auto-Advance Status configured. If it does, the invoice automatically transitions to that status without requiring a manual status change.

For example, you might configure a "Shipped" status with an Auto-Advance Status of "Delivered." When the delivery is confirmed, the invoice moves from "Shipped" to "Delivered" automatically.

Designing Your Workflow

A typical order status workflow might look like this:

1. Quote — Initial status. No inventory action, no edit lock. The invoice is a draft proposal.
2. Approved — Customer has approved. Requires Customer Approval enabled. Inventory action set to "reserve" to hold stock.
3. In Production — Work is underway. Edit lock enabled to prevent changes during production.
4. Ready to Ship — Production complete, awaiting shipment. No additional inventory action needed.
5. Shipped — Goods dispatched. Inventory action set to "subtract" with Subtract On Enter enabled. Auto-Advance Status set to "Delivered."
6. Delivered — Delivery confirmed. Edit lock enabled.
7. Completed — Final status. Edit lock enabled. All work and payment finalized.

You can also create a Cancelled status with inventory action set to "release" to free any reserved stock when an order is cancelled.

This is just one example. Your workflow might have fewer or more stages depending on your industry. A simple retail business might only need "Open," "Paid," and "Completed." A manufacturing business might need ten or more statuses to track each stage of production.

How Statuses Interact with Other Features

Order statuses do not operate in isolation. They connect to several other invoice features:

• Deposits — Statuses with inventory actions (reserve or subtract) cannot be entered until any required deposit has been collected. This prevents stock from being committed before the customer has put money down.
• Customer Approval — Statuses with the Requires Customer Approval flag cannot be entered without an approved approval record on the invoice.
• Delivery Confirmation — The Auto-Advance Status field ties status transitions to delivery events, automating post-delivery workflow.
• Edit Locks — The Is Edit Lock flag works together with the Unlock button and permissions to control who can modify invoices at each stage.

Tips

• Start with a simple workflow and add statuses as your needs become clear. It is easier to add statuses later than to remove ones that already have invoices assigned to them.
• Use distinct colors for each status so the invoice grid is easy to scan visually.
• Place inventory subtraction at the point in your workflow where goods are actually consumed or shipped, not earlier. Subtracting too early can create inventory discrepancies if the order is later cancelled.
• Use reservations for statuses where you want to hold stock without removing it. This gives you flexibility to release the stock if the order falls through.
• Test your status transitions by creating a test invoice and moving it through each status to confirm that inventory actions, edit locks, and gates behave as expected.

What to Read Next

• Understanding the Order Status Workflow — Learn how the system processes each status change step by step.
• Status-Driven Inventory Actions — Deep dive into how reserve, subtract, and release actions work.
• Viewing Invoice Status History — See how every status change is recorded for auditing.