We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Finance

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is an Order Book?

By C. Daw
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,290
Share

An order book is used to maintain the records of trades and business orders, mainly the ones that are currently, or will be, going out to the customers purchasing a product. It contains a comprehensive list of all the orders that are completed, that need to be shipped, or that have been shipped. There are basically three different areas that the order book will cover, and each of them is in the various stages within the processing and shipping stages. They can also contain the margin and profitability analysis figures so they can easily be accessed, along with the orders that are currently being processed or sent.

Most businesses that offer products to their customers will eventually have to deal with large orders, which could include shipping the products out. Since there are more and more people buying goods online, there is a greater demand for products to be shipped, which also increases the need for companies to have an order book to keep track of it all. The first area that the book will cover begins with the orders that have been received and need to be sent out to the consumers. This section allows the managers of the company to see what orders are next in line to be processed and shipped.

The second section of the book will contain the items that have been shipped. The order book will show what products have been shipped to which customer, so that the in stock inventory is keep accurate. This section also allows the management team to track the progress of the orders, and to allow them to send notifications out about the shipping date, and the expected arrival date, as well as tracking numbers for the boxes if they were required. It also allows the company to see how fast it is to turn the orders into shipped orders.

The final section of the order book that deals with the shipping end of the business will cover the orders that have been received by the customers. This allows the company to ensure that the orders are completely fulfilled, as well as allowing them to refer to the specific order if the customer should make any complaints, or demand a refund. The completed orders are listed by dates, as well as by an assigned customer number, so it is easy to access any specific order or customer when the need arises.

Another section that can commonly be found within the order book details the margin analysis computations, and another that shows the profitability analysis figures. The margin analysis shows how well the pricing strategy of the company is working, meaning that it shows the amount of money made per each item. The profitability analysis shows a similar fact, except that it takes into account all the costs that are incurred by the company, rather than just the difference of the cost and selling price. These two reports allow the managing team to quickly and accurately see how well the product is doing when it comes to making a profit for the company.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-an-order-book.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.