Laddawn.com : Data on sales order changes

From 3/1/12 - 3/12/13

Total changes:    17,306 

Total orders changed:   12,695 

avg # changes/order: 1.4  

avg # of orders changed/business day (270?) - ~47      

Types of changes:      

Date change*     11,282  65.2%

Line added      2,740   15.8%

Qty change      2,282   13.2%

Line deleted    1,002   5.8%

SUM             17,306  100.0%

Timing of changes

• Avg time elapsed between date of order and date of line change: 2.6 days**     
• Count of same day line changes: 7,110** (41% of line changes)

*Date changes - many of the date changes are clearly corrections to data entry errors. Some of the errors are with the initial date entered;  other data entry errors are committed when an actual date change is requested, so then there is a second date change.

** These last figures may be somewhat misleading as I calculated them on a line basis, not an order basis. Although I was able to figure out the number of orders via filtering, due to my rustiness with Excel, I was not able to figure out how to isolate dates on an order by order basis.

Source: CHGORDHIST-calculations.xls

Why did we gather the data?

Collecting this data was spurred on by conversations we had about sales order changes in which there was some sentiment that we shouldn't be in the business of changing orders, if things are flowing smoothly.

Ladd proposed a concept of checking an order out without fully "updating it," in a way that might allow us to change it over the course of a day and then truly "post it" at day's end.  This would deal with changes that happen within a short window.   This likely presents some technical challenges.

Another option would be to allow an order to be recalled and changed.  This presents some real technical challenges and some significant time to design and program.

Another option is to leave sales order changes in Avante for Phase I and take it on at a later time.  This  will involve some logistical challenges.

Let's discuss further.