Customer Getting Started

Welcome. This guide walks you through everything you need to place and track orders with your supplier. Most people are placing their first order within a few minutes. There are five things to know:

Logging in
Finding products
Placing an order
What happens after you submit
Order history, shipments, and invoices

1. Logging In

First-time login

Your supplier created your account and you should have received an email with a link to the portal and your login email address.

Open the portal link from your supplier (bookmark it - this is the same address you'll use every time), or go to https://www.orderwerks.com/login
Sign in with your email and new password

Forgot Password

If you forget your password, you can click the 'Reset Password' link at the bottom of the page.Click the link in the email and follow the process to enter your new password.Tip - If the reset email doesn't arrive within a couple of minutes, check your spam folder. If it's still missing, your supplier can confirm the email address on your account.

Which view do you have?

Your supplier chooses one of two ordering views for your account. Both do the same job; they just look different.

eCommerce Portal - looks like an online store. You browse or search products with images, add them to your order, and check out.
Classic - looks like an order form. You create an order, then add items line by line with a lookup box.

If you're not sure which you have, sign in: if the first thing you see is a product catalog, you're on the eCommerce Portal. If you see a Dashboard or Orders list with a Create button, you're on Classic. Sections 2 and 3 below cover both - follow the one that matches your screen.

Using the portal on your phone

The portal works in any browser, including on your phone or tablet. For faster access:

iPhone / iPad - open the portal in Safari, tap the Share icon, then Add to Home Screen
Android - open the portal in Chrome, tap the menu (three dots), then Add to Home screen

Your supplier may also give you access to the Orderwerks Online mobile app, available in the App Store and Google Play. Sign in with the same email and password.

2. Finding Products

Your pricing

Whichever view you're on, you see your pricing. Prices, item availability, and minimum quantities are set by your supplier for your account, so what you see may differ from what another customer sees. If a price looks wrong, contact your supplier - they can adjust it on their end.

eCommerce Portal

Search - start typing an item name, SKU, or description in the search box. Matches appear as you type. This is the fastest route when you know what you want.Browse by category - use the category menu to drill down through your supplier's product groupings, the same way you'd shop any online store.Catalog view - scroll the full catalog with images and details. Useful when you're exploring what's available or building a larger order.Click any item to see its images, description, specs, and current price. Where your supplier has attached spec sheets or documents, you'll find them on the item for viewing or download. eCommerce Home View

Classic

In Classic, you look items up from inside the order itself (see the next section). Depending on how your supplier has set things up, you'll have some or all of these:Auto-Complete Lookup - type an item name or SKU in the lookup box and pick from the matches. Fastest when you know what you want.Catalog Viewer - opens the full catalog so you can scroll, view images and details, and add items from there.Category Viewer - browse by your supplier's product categories and drill down to the item.Inventory - some suppliers show on-hand quantity on each item so you know before you order whether it's in stock. This applies to both views.

3. Placing an Order

eCommerce Portal

Find the item using search, categories, or the catalog
Enter the quantity
Click Add - the item goes into your current order

Keep adding items. Your running total updates as you go. You can change quantities or remove items at any time before you submit.

Classic

Click Menu, then Orders
Click Create
Enter or select the order details (see below) and click Create
On the order, use the lookup box, Catalog Viewer, or Category Viewer to add items
Set the quantity on each line

Each line item shows the item's images (up to four), any spec files for viewing or download, and lets you adjust the quantity or add a note for that item.

Order details (both views)

Before submitting, review the order details. Depending on how your supplier has set things up, you may be able to enter:

PO Number - your internal purchase order number, printed on your invoice
Ship To - choose from the addresses on your account
Notes - anything your supplier needs to know about this order
Shipping Instructions - delivery notes, receiving hours, dock details

Requested delivery date or service level - if your supplier offers delivery windows or shipping options, you'll choose them here.

Submitting (both views)

Click Submit when your order is ready. You'll get a confirmation email with your order number and a copy of what you ordered.Tip - Not ready to submit? Your order is saved as you build it. You can come back later, finish it, and submit then. It doesn't go to your supplier until you click Submit.Payment - if your account is set up for pay-in-advance, you'll enter payment at checkout. If you're on terms (Net 30, etc.), you won't see a payment step; your supplier invoices you as usual.

4. What Happens After You Submit

Every order moves through a set of steps on your supplier's side. The step names are set by your supplier, but a typical flow looks like this:Preliminary → Submitted → Confirmed → Ready to Ship → Shipped

Preliminary - your draft order, allowing you to make changes and updates.
Submitted - you've submitted; your supplier hasn't reviewed it yet. Many suppliers allow edits at this stage. If you need to change something, do it now or contact them.
Confirmed - the supplier has accepted the order and is picking, packing, or preparing it.
Ready to Ship - the order is packed and ready to ship out.
Shipped / Out for Delivery - it's on the way. Tracking details appear under Shipments (next section).

You'll see the current step on every order in your order list and at the top of the order itself. Some suppliers send an email at each step, so watch your inbox.Tip - You don't need to call or email to check on an order. Open it in the portal and the current step is the status.

5. Order History, Shipments, and Invoices

Orders

The Orders screen lists every order on your account - including orders your supplier's sales rep placed on your behalf. Click any order to open it.

Reordering

Reorder - open any past order and use reorder to copy its items into a new order. Adjust quantities and submit. Most repeat buyers use this for their regular orders.Favorites - mark items you buy often so they're one click away.

Shipments and tracking

Once your supplier ships, the Shipments section shows where and when it went:

Shipment Group - the ship-to address, the orders included, and when it was created
Shipments - click the chevron on the left to expand and see each shipment's tracking number (clickable) and shipping label

Invoices

If your supplier's accounting system is connected, the invoice for a shipment appears on its Shipment Group. Open the group and click the invoice to view or download it.

Getting Help

For anything about your account, pricing, products, or an order - contact your supplier directly. They manage your account and can make changes on their side right away.If the portal itself isn't loading or you're seeing an error, tell your supplier what you were doing and what you saw. They'll pass it along to get it fixed.

That's everything you need to get started. If something in this guide is unclear or missing, let your supplier know so we can improve it.