Order entry is the task of recording a customer’s order in a business system, usually the ERP or order management system. In wholesale distribution, it means taking an order that arrived by email, fax, PDF, phone or text and turning it into a sales order with the right customer, products, quantities, units and prices.
Order entry is one step within wider order processing. It is also the step where most avoidable errors begin.
What order entry involves
A typical order entry task includes:
- opening the order and identifying the customer account
- matching each item the customer wrote to the correct SKU
- entering quantities in the right unit of measure, such as cases or eaches
- applying the customer’s agreed pricing
- adding delivery dates, notes and special instructions
- saving the sales order so the warehouse can act on it
When orders are well structured, such as clean EDI files, entry can happen automatically. When they are free-text emails, scanned faxes or PDFs in a customer’s own layout, someone usually has to read and type them.
Manual order entry
Manual order entry is when a person keys each order into the system by hand. It is still common across distribution, especially for independent retailers who order by email, phone or fax.
Manual entry has a few built-in problems:
It is slow. A rep may spend several minutes on a single order, and longer on large or messy ones.
It causes errors. Typing the wrong SKU, missing a line or entering 10 eaches instead of 10 cases are easy mistakes that lead to returns and credits. Here are practical ways to reduce manual order entry errors in wholesale.
It does not scale. More orders means more typing, so volume growth means hiring.
It depends on experience. New reps take time to learn customer habits, product names and pricing rules.
Automated order entry
Automated order entry uses software to capture and enter orders without retyping. There are three broad approaches:
| Approach | How it works | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| EDI | Structured orders flow directly from the customer’s system | Only works for customers set up on EDI |
| OCR and templates | Software reads text from PDFs and faxes using set layouts | Breaks when layouts change, cannot make decisions |
| AI agents | AI reads any format, validates data and resolves problems | Needs a good connection to live ERP data |
Some teams start with an AI order entry assistant that drafts orders for reps to approve. Others move straight to agents that complete the entry themselves.
Order entry vs order processing
Order entry is the act of recording the order. Order processing covers the full journey: receiving, checking, fixing exceptions, confirming with the customer and entering the order. A business can automate order entry and still have reps spending hours chasing exceptions.
Order entry metrics
- Orders entered per rep per day
- Entry error rate: share of orders with at least one mistake
- Time to entry: time between an order arriving and it appearing in the ERP
- Rework rate: share of orders that need correcting after entry
How Ordana helps
Ordana removes manual order entry for wholesale distributors. The Ordana Desk Agent reads orders from email, fax, PDF, SMS, EDI and web portals, matches each item to your catalog, applies the customer’s pricing and writes the order straight into your ERP.
It does not stop at entry. If an item is out of stock or a price does not match, the agent contacts the retailer, agrees a fix and completes the order. Ordana reports a 95% decrease in order entry errors for its customers.
Schedule a demo to see how Ordana enters your orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is an order entry clerk?
An order entry clerk is a staff member whose main job is keying customer orders into the business system.
What is the most common order entry error?
Wrong quantities or units of measure are among the most common, along with incorrect SKUs and prices.
Is EDI the same as automated order entry?
EDI is one form of automated order entry, but it only covers customers who send structured EDI orders.
Can AI handle handwritten fax orders?
Modern AI can read handwritten and low-quality faxes far better than template-based OCR, and flag anything it is unsure about.
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