Step-by-Step Process for Managing Backorders and Partial Shipments – With Full Visibility in Your ERP
🚛 Introduction: When Inventory is Short, ERP is Your Best Tool
In the building materials industry, supply disruptions are part of the game. Whether it’s a delay in steel beams, a shortage of insulation rolls, or a split delivery of roofing shingles, backorders and partial shipments are inevitable.
The real issue isn’t the delay — it’s how you manage the communication, stock planning, and customer expectations that follow.
With a powerful ERP system tailored for building material logistics, you can turn backorder chaos into a streamlined, trackable, and customer-friendly process.
🧱 Why Backorders & Partial Shipments Are So Common in Building Supply
Vendor delays or stockouts
Long lead times for specialty materials
Weather-impacted transport
Custom fabrication schedules
Last-minute changes in construction project scope
Without a connected system, teams often miscommunicate, overpromise, or underdeliver — damaging trust and operational flow.
✅ Step-by-Step ERP-Driven Workflow for Backorder & Partial Shipment Management
🧾 Step 1: Identify Stock Gaps in Real Time
As soon as an order is created, your ERP automatically checks available inventory against requested quantities.
Products in stock are reserved immediately.
Shortages are flagged and listed as backordered.
Team members can see stock levels across all warehouse locations.
Benefit: No surprises at dispatch. You know exactly what can ship and what’s delayed.
📦 Step 2: Split Orders into Ship-Now and Backorder Queues
With ERP logic, orders are automatically split:
Available stock is queued for picking and shipping.
Backordered stock is held until restock arrives.
The system retains the original sales order, linking both segments for traceability.
Benefit: Clean workflows. Your team avoids double entry, duplicate orders, or confusion between split deliveries.
📤 Step 3: Generate Shipping Documents with Clear Status
The ERP auto-generates:
Pick lists and packing slips for what’s shipping now
Backorder confirmation for remaining quantities
Estimated fulfillment dates (based on PO delivery timelines)
All documents include notes for contractors, reducing jobsite confusion.
Benefit: Contractors know what’s arriving today — and what’s still en route.
🔄 Step 4: Trigger Auto-Replenishment or Vendor POs
For backordered SKUs, your ERP:
Triggers alerts to purchasing
Auto-generates a PO if inventory rules are set
Tracks inbound ETAs and links the shipment to the outstanding backorder
Benefit: You don’t miss reorder windows — and you don’t leave backorders hanging in limbo.
📬 Step 5: Fulfill Backorders Seamlessly Upon Restock
Once inventory is replenished:
The ERP automatically queues outstanding orders
Warehouse staff are notified with updated pick lists
Updated tracking and delivery notes are issued to the customer
Benefit: No manual tracking. The ERP remembers what’s owed and closes the loop when stock arrives.
📈 Bonus: ERP Dashboards to Track Backorder Health
Your ERP system gives you visibility into:
Total backorders by product or customer
Aging backorders
Average fulfillment time
Vendor delay patterns
Benefit: You make smarter procurement and customer service decisions with real-time data.
🧠 What Happens Without ERP?
Without ERP, teams juggle backorders manually — often with spreadsheets, sticky notes, or verbal promises. This leads to:
Forgotten partial orders
Angry customers
Stockouts with no resolution plan
Lost sales
Your ERP removes the guesswork and turns backorder chaos into clarity.
📞 Want to Make Backorders Less of a Headache?
Our ERP platform is purpose-built for backorder handling, partial shipments, and supply chain visibility. Reach out today for a live demo and see how we help you close gaps, fulfill faster, and keep customers happy.
