How to Configure Order Source in iDempiere

Step-by-step guide to configure Order Source in iDempiere, covering sales channel classification, setup, and Sales Order assignment.

Introduction

Order Source is a master configuration in iDempiere used to classify the origin of a sales order, identifying whether it came from manual entry, phone, email, a customer portal, or a POS terminal.

In retail operations, it is assigned to a Sales Order to give finance and operations teams visibility into how orders are being received across channels.

It is a reference field used for sales analysis and reporting and does not affect pricing, inventory, fulfillment, invoicing, or accounting.

Prerequisites

• Tenant configured.
• Organization available.
• User access to Sales and Marketing setup windows.

Business Rules

• Search Key and Name are mandatory for each Order Source record.
• Only Active Order Source records are available for selection on Sales Orders.
• Multiple Order Source records can be maintained within the same tenant.
• Order Source assigned at the tenant (*) level is shared across all organizations.
• Deactivating an Order Source prevents future selection without affecting existing orders.
• Order Source does not control order processing, fulfillment, invoicing, or accounting.
• Order Source can be assigned manually during Sales Order creation.

Navigation

Menu → Sales and Marketing → Order Source

The window opens to a list view showing all configured Order Source records with Organization, Search Key, Name, Description, Comment/Help, and Active status.

Click New Record (+) to add a new entry.

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Create the Order Source Record

Each sales channel or order intake method requires its own Order Source record so orders can be classified and tracked accurately.

• Open the Order Source window and click New Record.
• Enter Organization, Search Key, Name, and Description. Enable Active and save the record.

Field	Sample Value	Mandatory	Description
Organization	*	Yes	Tenant-level record shared across all organizations
Search Key	MANUAL	Yes	Unique identifier for the Order Source
Name	Manual Entry	Yes	Display name shown on the Sales Order
Description	Orders manually entered into the system by authorized users	No	Purpose of the Order Source
Comment/Help	Blank	No	Additional guidance notes for users
Active	Checked	Yes	Makes the record available for Sales Order selection

Step 2: Configure All Required Order Source Types

All sales channels used by the retail business must have dedicated records so each order can be correctly classified.

• Repeat the creation process for each order intake channel.
• Use consistent Search Key conventions to make records easy to identify in reports.

Search Key	Name	Description
MANUAL	Manual Entry	Orders manually entered into the system by authorized users
PHONE	Phone Order	Orders received through customer phone calls and entered by staff
EMAIL	Email Order	Orders received through email communication and recorded in the system
PORTAL	Customer Portal	Orders submitted directly through a customer self-service portal
POS	Point of Sale	Orders created through a point-of-sale transaction

Step 3: Assign Order Source to a Sales Order

Assigning the correct Order Source at the time of order entry ensures accurate channel tracking and sales analysis.

• Open the Sales Order window and create or edit a record.
• Locate the Order Source field in the header and select the appropriate channel from the configured list.

Field	Sample Value	Mandatory	Description
Order Source	POS	No	Classifies the origin of the sales order
Order Source	Phone Order	No	Used when the order was received by phone
Order Source	Manual Entry	No	Used for orders entered directly by staff

Common Issues and Resolutions

Issue	Cause	Resolution
Order Source not visible on Sales Order	Record is inactive	Enable the Active flag on the Order Source record.
Duplicate Search Key error	Search Key already exists in the tenant	Use a unique Search Key for each Order Source.
Order Source missing from selection list	Record not yet created	Create the required Order Source record in the setup window.
Order Source not shared across organizations	Record created at org level instead of tenant level	Set Organization to * when the source should be shared across all orgs.
Existing orders affected after deactivation	Order Source deactivated while still in use	Deactivation prevents future use only; existing order records retain the value.

Next Steps

• Assign Order Source records to Sales Orders during order entry.
• Use Order Source as a filter in Sales Order reports for channel analysis.
• Review Order Source distribution periodically to assess channel performance.