What are backorders?

Backorders. You come across the term a lot with suppliers, webshops and warehouses. But what are they?

Order lines waiting for stock

Backorders occur when you order something from your supplier or webshop that is not in stock there. The supplier then orders it from their own supplier. In other words, they re-order it at their back end, which is where the name backorders comes from. A back-order is therefore a product that is re-ordered at the back.

Backorder overview

Your supplier can often provide you with a 'backorder overview'. These are all the products you have ordered from the supplier but that have not been delivered yet. In most cases the supplier still sends those products to you as soon as they come back in stock.

Expected delivery date

Because backorders are still to be delivered, they may also have a delivery date. This is the supplier's estimate of when they can deliver, based on the lead time of their own supplier.

Cancelling backorders

A product that is on backorder can sometimes take weeks or months before it can be delivered. Do you no longer want a product that "has gone into backorder" after all? Then you have to actively let your supplier know yourself. Most wholesalers and webshops keep backorders open indefinitely until they have the stock to fulfil them.

Are backorders a problem?

Backorders do not have to be a problem. Some products are sold so rarely that your direct supplier does not keep them in stock continuously. Keeping a product in stock is, after all, very expensive. As soon as someone needs the product, the supplier can still deliver it through a backorder, albeit with a slightly longer lead time.

Backorders in Picqer

Picqer automatically keeps track of your customers' backorders. Read more about backorders in Picqer.