The quick answer
To create a sales order in NetSuite, go to Transactions > Sales > Enter Sales Orders. Select the customer, review the order details, add the items and quantities, then save. Check the saved order number, total, and status before handing it to the fulfillment team.
A sales order gives your team a record of what the customer ordered. This walkthrough takes you from the entry menu to a saved order, with a separate check for what still needs to happen before shipping. The screenshots use sample data and fictional person and operating-company names.
Before you start
Have the customer, items, quantities, and agreed prices ready. Your role needs sales-order access. Required fields, approval routing, tax, and inventory commitment depend on your account and form.
01. Open the sales-order form
Go to Transactions > Sales > Enter Sales Orders. Choose the entry action, rather than a list of existing orders. The menu shown here is the route used in the recording; your role may arrange its menus differently.
02. Select the customer and order details
Select Customer and check the date. Review any subsidiary, location, shipping, and classification fields your form requires. The example uses 1 Test company and Test Location.
Add a memo that helps the next person understand the order. Check the displayed order status too; the example form shows Pending Fulfillment.
03. Add and review the item line
On Items, select the item, enter the quantity, and click Add to add the line to the Items sublist. The example orders 1 Test Widget at 100.00.
Check the completed row, not just the input fields. Review pricing, discounts, tax, and the order total before saving. A quantity on the order does not establish that stock has been committed.
04. Save and check the order
Click Save and wait for the saved record. The example finishes on SO15, with Pending Fulfillment status and a 100.00 total.
Check the item’s committed and back-ordered quantities when planning shipment. This example shows 0 committed and 1 back ordered, so the status alone is not evidence that inventory is committed.
Check the result
- The saved order belongs to the intended customer.
- The item, quantity, and total match the order.
- Status and stock commitment support the next fulfillment step.
The order is recorded. Saving this order does not complete fulfillment, invoicing, or payment. Whether fulfillment and invoicing happen together depends on your shipping features. Open the saved order when you’re ready to continue.
Common questions
Why does a saved sales order show Pending Approval instead of Pending Fulfillment?
Pending Approval usually means the account applies an approval workflow or uses approval as the default sales-order status. Pending Fulfillment generally indicates that approval is complete or unnecessary and the order is eligible for fulfillment. Custom workflows, user permissions, transaction conditions, and account preferences can change the available statuses and actions.
Does saving a sales order reserve inventory or create an invoice?
Saving creates the Sales Order record and calculates its transaction values, but it does not by itself prove that inventory was committed or reserved. Commitment depends on item availability, commitment rules, locations, and account configuration. Fulfillment and invoicing are separate processes; whether they occur independently or together depends partly on shipping features enabled in the account.
Why is the sales-order total different from the item’s listed rate?
The total is calculated from the saved transaction lines, not entered as an independent amount. Quantity, customer or item pricing, discounts, promotions, shipping, tax, currency, and other account settings can affect the result. Review the item quantity, rate, line amount, discounts, tax treatment, and applicable subsidiary or currency context when the calculated total is unexpected.
Why might Location or other sales-order fields be missing or required?
Field availability and requirements depend on the selected form, role permissions, subsidiaries, locations, enabled features, and company preferences. A location may be required at the header, required per line, defaulted automatically, or omitted when the account does not use that process. Custom forms and workflows can also hide, display, or enforce fields differently for different users.