Track each order line in separate quantity buckets: cancelled, waiting for stock, ready, in transit and delivered. Pending dispatch excludes goods already sent. Pending delivery includes transit. Keep invoices separate from evidence of physical movement.
“Order dispatch ho gaya” does not tell the whole story
Your customer ordered 100 pieces. Sixty left the warehouse. The order still needs attention.
A single “dispatched” label hides the balance. Track each item, size and colour separately, then total quantities using consistent units.
Define what “pending” means
- Pending dispatch: The agreed quantity that has not left your warehouse.
- Pending delivery: The agreed quantity the customer has not yet received.
- Pending invoice: The quantity or value that still needs billing under your records.
These are different questions. An invoice does not, by itself, prove dispatch or delivery.
A partial-order tracker that balances
This fictional order contains 100 identical pieces. Assume no cancellations, losses, rejections or returns. All figures describe the same cut-off time.
| Current position | Pieces | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered and accepted | 35 | Save receipt confirmation |
| In transit | 25 | Check transport status |
| Allocated, not dispatched | 20 | Confirm warehouse release |
| Waiting for stock | 20 | Confirm supply date |
| Total ordered | 100 | Check each piece appears once |
Order check: 35 + 25 + 20 + 20 = 100 pieces.
Cumulative dispatch equals 35 + 25 = 60 pieces. It already includes the delivered pieces.
Pending dispatch equals 100 − 60 = 40 pieces. Pending delivery equals 100 − 35 = 65 pieces.
Do not add cumulative dispatch to delivered quantity. That would count the same 35 pieces twice.
Keep billing beside the tracker
Suppose your records show invoices covering all 100 pieces. The example still has 40 pieces awaiting dispatch.
Store invoice references in separate columns. Use warehouse movement and transport records for dispatch quantities. Use delivery confirmation for received quantities.
This distinction checks operational status; it does not prescribe when you should issue an invoice.
Copy these columns into your order sheet
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Order line and unit | SO-100 · SHIRT-M-BLUE · pieces |
| Ordered / cancelled | 100 / 0 |
| Waiting / allocated / transit / delivered | 20 / 20 / 25 / 35 |
| Release status and reason | Allocated goods on hold: credit approval pending |
| Next action and owner | Sales owner obtains the approval decision and records the next update |
Keep a second movement sheet with one row per shipment:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Unique movement and allocation | D-02 / SO-100 / SHIRT-M-BLUE |
| Movement quantity and date | 25 pieces; actual dispatch date |
| Carrier and delivery evidence | Carrier reference; delivery confirmation still pending |
| Freight for this dispatch | ₹600, illustrative; separate cost record |
| Correction reference | Link a correction to D-02 instead of counting a new dispatch |
Link every further dispatch to the original order line. Record the carton-to-piece conversion when those units differ.
Give each movement and its order-line allocation a unique reference. Count that allocation once. If one shipment covers several lines, split its quantity between those lines.
Keep freight against each dispatch as separate cost data. Do not treat the quantity tracker as an order-margin calculation.
Keep release holds separate from quantities
Allocated goods may still need credit approval, packing or warehouse release. Record the hold reason beside the quantity. Do not count held goods again in another quantity bucket.
For example, 20 allocated pieces can all await credit approval. They still form part of the 40 pending dispatch. Confirm release before promising their dispatch date.
Zoho Inventory documents multiple packages against one sales order. Separate shipment records help retain that link. Software status names alone do not replace physical evidence.
Handle cancellations and returns without hiding them
If the customer cancels 10 of the 20 unshipped pieces awaiting stock, record that agreement. The order check becomes 35 delivered + 25 transit + 20 allocated + 10 waiting + 10 cancelled.
That still totals 100. Pending dispatch becomes 30; pending delivery becomes 55. These deductions apply only to cancelled quantities that have not shipped.
For a cancellation after dispatch, record a separate exception and agree what happens next. Do not subtract those pieces again as unshipped cancellations. If goods return, record the return movement and its reason separately. Confirm whether the customer wants replacement goods, an adjustment, or another resolution.
Do not subtract a return from an order balance without checking that agreement. Track damaged, missing or disputed quantities as exceptions until you resolve their status.
A short delivery needs its own exception row
Separate example: you dispatch 25 pieces; the customer accepts 20 and reports five missing. Record the shortage separately from the earlier 100-piece example.
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Dispatch / accepted / reported shortage | D-03: 25 sent / 20 accepted / 5 reported missing |
| Location and evidence | Five pieces unlocated; compare packing, carrier and receipt records |
| Resolution and owner | Owner checks the shortage and agrees the response with the customer |
| Replacement obligation | Five only if the owner agrees replacement; otherwise unresolved |
| Replacement dispatch link | Link any new shipment to D-03 and the agreed replacement obligation |
The quantity check is 25 = 20 accepted + 5 unresolved. It does not prove who lost the goods. Do not treat the missing five as stock in your warehouse.
If the customer returns rejected goods, record their actual return location and receipt separately. An agreed replacement and returned stock are different records.
Send a customer update with quantities
Use this message for the original example, before cancellations:
Aapke 100 pieces mein se 35 deliver ho gaye hain. 25 transit mein hain. 20 allocated hain; dispatch release check kar rahe hain. Baaki 20 ki supply date [update time] tak confirm karenge.
Replace the update time with a commitment your team can meet. Do not turn an estimated arrival into confirmed delivery.
Review the exceptions each day
Start with missed dates, goods awaiting release and deliveries lacking confirmation. Give each exception one responsible person and one next update.
Check the dealer credit review when commercial approval holds an order. Use the follow-up tracker to keep responsibilities visible.
Bring your pending-order question
Ask whether your records can answer it. Tell us your software and which order or dispatch records you maintain. Empire is the current connector; this guide does not establish live carrier tracking.
Questions you might ask
What is the difference between pending dispatch and pending delivery?
Pending dispatch has not left the warehouse. Pending delivery also includes goods in transit. Deduct agreed cancellations of unshipped quantities. Handle post-dispatch cancellations and returns as separate exceptions.
Does an invoice prove an order was dispatched?
No. Check the physical movement and transport records. Keep invoice status separate from dispatched and delivered quantities.
How do I calculate a partially dispatched order balance?
Subtract cumulative dispatched quantity and agreed cancellations of unshipped quantities from the order total. Use the same unit and cut-off. A post-dispatch cancellation needs separate return and agreement checks; do not deduct it again.