Order automation
B2B purchase order automation for Shopify: how it works and what to check
B2B purchase order automation means a store's PO (a PDF, a spreadsheet, an email or a photo) becomes an order in your system without anyone retyping it. For wholesale brands on Shopify, that order is usually a draft order. Here is how the process works step by step, where a person should still decide, and what to check before you rely on it.
Key takeaways
- B2B purchase order automation turns a store's PO into an order without retyping: it captures the PO, reads it, matches each line to your products, checks it, and creates a Shopify draft order.
- Good automation doesn't guess. It fills in what it's sure of and holds back anything unclear for a person to decide.
- Before you trust it, test it on your own messiest POs and check three things: every line matched to the right variant, totals that agree with the PO, and nothing sent to a store without your approval.
What is B2B purchase order automation?
When a boutique or store buys from you wholesale, it sends a purchase order (PO): the list of what it wants, at what price, shipped where and when. B2B purchase order automation (also called purchase order processing or order entry automation) is software that takes that document and turns it into an order in your own system, so nobody on your team has to read it and retype every line.
For brands on Shopify, the result is usually a Shopify draft order: an order built on the store's behalf that you review, then invoice or confirm. If you're new to draft orders, start with how to turn a wholesale purchase order into a Shopify draft order.
How does PO automation work, step by step?
Whatever tool you use, the work breaks into the same six steps. A person does all six when entering a PO by hand; automation takes over the slow ones.
| Step | What happens | What can go wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Capture | The PO arrives by email, upload or forward, in any format | POs buried in inboxes, attachments missed |
| 2. Read | Text, tables and handwriting are turned into lines: item, option, quantity, price | Columns misread, handwriting misread, a page skipped |
| 3. Match | Each line is matched to a product and variant in your catalog | Old style numbers, nicknames, the wrong size or shade |
| 4. Check | Prices, totals, dates, stock and duplicates are compared | A price that doesn't match, a revised PO entered twice |
| 5. Review | A person decides anything unclear and approves | Unclear lines approved without a look |
| 6. Create | The approved order becomes a Shopify draft order, ready to invoice | Buyer, terms or dates left off the order |
Steps 1 and 2: capture and read
Stores send POs however their buying system or habits allow, so automation has to accept every format: PDFs, Excel and CSV files, plain email text, Word files, and phone photos of paper order forms. Reading means turning each one into structured lines. Spreadsheets are the easiest; photos of handwritten trade show forms are the hardest.
Step 3: match each line to your catalog
This is where most order-entry time goes, and where generic tools struggle. A line like "Linen shirt, Sage, S/M/L 2/4/2" has to become three exact Shopify variants. A candle line like "Fig 8oz × 12" has to find the right scent and size. Buyers use old item numbers, nicknames and their own spelling, so good matching uses your SKUs, option names and a memory of how each store writes things.
Step 4: check before anyone approves
Automation should catch the mistakes people make when tired: a unit price that differs from your wholesale price, totals that don't add up, an item you no longer make, a cancel date you can't meet, or a PO number you've already entered. See 10 things to check on every wholesale PO for the full list.
Steps 5 and 6: review, then create the draft
A person looks only at what the software flagged, decides it, and approves. The order then lands in Shopify as a draft with the store, lines, prices, PO number and dates filled in.
Where should people still decide?
The goal of B2B purchase order automation isn't to remove people from wholesale. It's to remove the retyping. These decisions should stay with you:
- Anything the software isn't sure of. An unclear size, a product it can't find, a price that doesn't match. It should flag these, never guess.
- Changes to the deal. Substitutions, partial shipments, new dates or discounts are conversations with the buyer.
- What goes to the store. Order confirmations and invoices should go out only when you've approved them.
Some tools let you skip review for trusted buyers whose POs match perfectly. That can save time once you've seen the tool work on many of that buyer's orders. It's best switched on per buyer, not for everyone at once.
What should you check before you trust it?
- Run your three messiest real POs through it, such as a photo of a handwritten form, a big size grid and a revised order.
- Compare line by line with the original. Every item, option and quantity should be right, or clearly flagged.
- Check the totals: units and amount on the draft should equal the PO.
- Confirm it only creates drafts and sends nothing to a store without your approval.
- Read the privacy policy to see who processes your POs and whether your data is used to train AI.
For a longer list of questions to ask a vendor, see how to choose an app that turns wholesale POs into Shopify draft orders.
How do you know it's working?
Track a few simple things for your first month, using your own numbers:
- How long it takes from a PO arriving to a draft order being ready.
- How many lines per PO you had to fix or decide.
- How many invoices needed correcting after they went out.
If those go down while your PO volume holds or grows, the automation is doing its job.
Orderseam is B2B purchase order automation built for wholesale brands on Shopify. Forward or upload a PO in any format, and it reads every line, matches each product and option to your catalog, flags anything unclear, and creates a Shopify draft order once you approve. Nothing goes to a store until you say so.
Common questions
- What is B2B purchase order automation?
- Software that turns a purchase order a store sends you, as a PDF, spreadsheet, email or photo, into an order in your own system without anyone retyping it. For brands on Shopify, the result is usually a draft order you review and invoice.
- Can purchase order automation handle handwritten POs?
- Many tools can read phone photos and scans of handwritten order forms, but handwriting is the hardest format. Test with your own trade show forms and make sure unclear lines are flagged for you rather than guessed.
- Does PO automation replace a B2B portal or wholesale app?
- No. A portal lets buyers order themselves on your store. PO automation handles the orders buyers still send as their own POs. Many brands use both.
Automate PO entry, keep the decisions
Orderseam reads every PO, matches every line to your Shopify catalog, flags what needs you, and creates the draft order when you approve. Your first 10 POs are free, up to 30 days, with no card and no contract.
Start free: 10 POs, no card