How to schedule Purchase Orders

Introduction

The Scheduled Purchase feature allows authorized users to schedule initial subscription creation for future dates through the shopping cart interface. This functionality complements the existing Scheduled Orders system, which enables changes to existing subscriptions, by providing the ability to plan new subscription purchases according to business needs.

In this article:

• User Permissions
• How to Schedule a Purchase
• Managing Scheduled Orders
• Important Notes and Limitations
• Notifications

User Permissions

Only users with the following permissions can create scheduled purchases:

• Distributor Admin
• Seller Admin
• Seller Agent Admin
• Account Manager

These users must have appropriate access rights to the customer organization they are purchasing on behalf of.

How to Schedule a Purchase

Follow these steps to schedule a purchase order:

1. Login on behalf of the customer organization
2. Add offer to cart by selecting the desired subscription or service
3. Access scheduling options by clicking the Schedule Order button in the shopping cart
   
4. Select date using the calendar selector that appears
   
   Purchases can only be scheduled starting from the next calendar day
   
5. Review pricing disclaimer regarding potential price changes for orders scheduled in the next calendar month
   
6. Complete scheduling by clicking the Schedule Order button
   

Alternative: Save for Later

Users can create a scheduled purchase order without selecting a specific date by clicking the Save for later option.

This saves an empty scheduled order that will be visible in the Orders tab, but no purchasing actions will occur until the user takes further action.

When using Save for later:

• The order remains dormant until the user manually confirms it
• No date selection is available with this option
• Once confirmed, the order is placed and processed immediately
• Users can only confirm the purchase or delete the scheduled order - no other actions are available
• The order appears in the Orders tab for easy management

Save for later option creates a scheduled order that can be placed or deleted later through the Orders tab.

End Date Alignment Warning for Scheduled Orders and Purchase Orders

When Schedule on Renewal or Schedule on Custom Date is selected and End Date Alignment is set to any value other than None, a warning message is displayed below the End Date Alignment field.

This warning applies to both Scheduled Orders and Scheduled Purchase Orders and is visible:

1. On the Cart page

2. In the Catalog Offer pages

The message indicates that the selected alignment must remain valid at the time the order executes. Scheduled transactions may fail in the following situations:

• Calendar-aligned dates expire at the start of a new month

• Subscription-aligned dates become invalid if the referenced subscription is modified or deleted

Managing Scheduled Orders

Viewing Scheduled Orders

After creating a scheduled purchase, users are redirected to the Orders tab where the new scheduled order appears with Status: Scheduled

Upon clicking on the Order name the Cart will be opened with the details.

Modifying Scheduled Orders

Currently it not possible to modify the Scheduled Purchase Orders.

Deleting Scheduled Orders

Scheduled purchase orders can be deleted by:

1. Navigate to the Orders section
2. Locate the scheduled order
3. Click the X in the Actions column

Order Execution

On the scheduled date, the order status automatically changes from Scheduled to Provision started, indicating that the purchase process has begun.

Important Notes and Limitations

Pricing Considerations

• Current month scheduling: Prices remain as displayed
• Future month scheduling: Prices may change due to vendor pricing updates
• The system provides clear warnings when scheduling across calendar months

Status Changes

Scheduled orders progress through these statuses:

1. Scheduled: Order created and waiting for execution date
2. Provision started: Order execution has begun on the scheduled date
3. Completed/Failed: Final status based on provisioning results

Notifications

The Platform supports comprehensive notifications for Scheduled Purchase activities to keep both Customers and Sellers informed throughout the order lifecycle.

Order Scheduled

When a scheduled purchase order is successfully created, the system sends a OrderScheduled notification to the Customer. This notification includes:

• Order reference number
• Scheduled execution date
• List of products/offers included in the order
• Summary of pricing information

Purchase Order Created

After the scheduled order is created, an OnPurchaseNotification is sent to inform relevant parties that a new order has been registered in the system. This notification provides:

• Order ID and details
• Customer information
• Complete list of ordered offers with quantities
• Price breakdown for each item
• Expected provisioning timeline

Order Cancellation

If a scheduled order is cancelled before the scheduled execution date, an OrderScheduledCancel notification is triggered. This notification informs the Customer that:

• The scheduled order has been cancelled
• Order reference number
• Offer details that were cancelled
• Cancellation date and time

Successful Provisioning

On the scheduled date, when the order is successfully processed and provisioned, an OfferProvisioned notification is sent to the Customer. This notification confirms:

• Successful provisioning of the offer
• Order completion date
• Offer name and details
• Next steps or access information (if applicable)

Provisioning Error

If the system encounters issues during the provisioning process on the scheduled date, an OfferProvisionError notification is sent to alert the Customer. This notification includes:

• Error description
• Affected offer details
• Reason for provisioning failure
• Guidance on next steps
• Contact information for support assistance

Attention Required

When a provisioning error occurs, an additional AttentionRequired notification is triggered to ensure immediate awareness of the issue. This notification emphasizes:

• Order number requiring attention
• Technical issue description
• Detailed error information
• List of affected offers with vendor information
• Error message from the system
• Instructions to contact the support team for resolution

Scheduled Changes on Renewal

When changes scheduled for subscription renewal are successfully processed, an OrderScheduledChangeSuccess notification is sent to the Customer. This notification provides:

• Confirmation of successful synchronization with the vendor
• Subscription name and reference
• Scheduled change date
• Comparison table showing current configuration versus changes applied
• Summary of what has been modified (quantity, status, billing frequency)

Notification Recipients

Notifications are sent to the following recipients based on their roles:

• Customers: Receive all notifications related to their scheduled orders
• Sellers: Receive notifications for orders they manage on behalf of customers

Notification Timing

• Order creation notifications: Sent immediately upon scheduling
• Cancellation notifications: Sent immediately upon order cancellation
• Execution notifications: Sent on the scheduled date during order processing
• Error notifications: Sent immediately when issues are detected

Summary

Scheduled Purchase provides a powerful tool for planning subscription purchases in advance. Key benefits include business planning flexibility, advance pricing awareness, and integration with existing order management workflows. Remember that only authorized users can create scheduled purchases and pricing may vary for future-dated orders (above one calendar month).

The feature seamlessly integrates with the broader Scheduled Orders ecosystem, providing comprehensive scheduling capabilities for both new purchases and existing subscription changes.

Related Content

• How to Manage Scheduled Orders
• Scheduled Orders
• How to place an Order

• User Permissions and Roles