Order validation is the process of checking a customer order against your own data before it is accepted and entered into the ERP. It confirms that every product exists, every price is correct, every quantity is available and every required detail is present.
Validation is where errors get caught. An order that passes proper validation can be entered with confidence. An order that skips it carries its mistakes all the way through to the warehouse, the delivery and the invoice.
Core order validation checks
| Check | What it confirms |
|---|---|
| Customer account | The order maps to the right account, address and terms |
| Product match | Each item matches a real SKU in your catalog |
| Product status | No discontinued or restricted items |
| Pricing | Prices match the customer’s contract, not list price |
| Stock availability | Requested quantities can be supplied |
| Unit of measure | Quantities are in the right units, such as cases or eaches |
| Quantity sense check | Amounts are within the customer’s normal range |
| Minimum order | The order meets the MOQ |
| Credit status | The account is not on hold or over its limit |
| Required fields | Delivery date, address and instructions are present |
When validation should happen
The earlier the better. Validating at the point the order arrives means problems are raised while the buyer is still thinking about the order. Validating at the end of the day, or after entry, means errors are found once the warehouse is already involved.
Three common timings:
At entry. The rep notices problems while keying the order. This depends on the rep spotting them.
After entry. A report flags suspect orders later. By then, some have already been picked.
On arrival. Automated checks run the moment the order lands, before anyone touches it. This catches the most and costs the least.
Manual vs automated validation
Manual validation relies on the rep knowing the customer, the catalog and the pricing rules. Experienced reps catch a lot, but they cannot check every line of a long order against live stock while working through a backlog.
Automated validation runs the same checks on every line of every order, including quantity sense checks against order history that a person would not have time to do. A deeper walkthrough is in this guide to automated order validation in wholesale.
Validation is only half the job
Finding a problem is not the same as fixing it. Many systems flag a failed line and stop there, leaving a rep to contact the customer, propose a fix and wait for a reply. The order sits open while that happens.
The useful question when comparing tools is not how much they validate but how much they resolve. Options are compared in this overview of order processing software.
How Ordana helps
Ordana validates every order the moment it arrives, whatever channel it came through. The Ordana Desk Agent checks each line against your live catalog, the customer’s pricing and current inventory, rather than a stale copy of your data.
When a check fails, the agent acts on it. For an out-of-stock line it selects a suitable substitute, contacts the retailer, agrees the change and closes the order. For a pricing mismatch it applies the contract price and flags it in the confirmation. Only the cases that need human judgement reach your team, with the context attached.
Schedule a demo to see Ordana validate your own orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between order validation and order verification?
They are usually used interchangeably. Both mean checking an order is correct before it is processed.
Do EDI orders need validation?
Yes. EDI removes typing errors, but the content can still contain wrong prices, discontinued items or unavailable quantities.
What causes the most failed validations?
Stock availability and pricing mismatches are the most common, followed by unmatched product codes.
Can validation run automatically?
Yes. Automated validation checks every line against live data as the order arrives.
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