Shipments and delivery notes: deliver without errors using Dolibarr

Where delivery errors come from

A delivery error rarely happens when the box is closed. It happens earlier: an order retyped by hand, an item that looks similar but is not the same, a quantity changed by phone with no record. The picker reads a sheet of paper, the customer receives something else, and nobody knows who was right. In Dolibarr, the answer is to pass one single piece of information along, from the customer order to the invoice. The shipment is created from the order, the delivery note takes over the validated lines, and the invoice relies on what actually left the warehouse. Each step stays linked to the previous one. When a customer disputes something, you open the order, see the attached shipments and compare them with what was planned. The aim is not to add administrative steps, but to remove retyping, which is the first source of gaps between what was sold, what was shipped and what was invoiced.

Enable the Shipments module and check the prerequisites

Before preparing anything, check that the Shipments module is enabled in the module setup, along with the Customer orders and Products modules. If you manage quantities, the Stock module must be enabled too: it reduces stock when the shipment is validated. Take a moment to review your product records. An ambiguous reference or a vague description will appear unchanged on the delivery note. Also define who prepares, who validates and who can edit a shipment, through user permissions. If you have several warehouses, decide from the start which one is the default. To go further on this point, our article on multi-warehouse stock explains how quantities by location work.

Create the shipment from the validated order

The right habit: never create a shipment from scratch. Start from the validated customer order and use the shipment creation action on its record. Dolibarr then shows the ordered lines, what has already been shipped and what is left to deliver. You enter the quantity actually prepared for each line, and the source warehouse if you manage several locations. If you only have four parcels out of ten, enter four: the rest stays pending on the order. Add useful transport details, such as the carrier, the number of parcels or the dimensions, because they will help with tracking and with discussions with the customer. While the shipment is a draft, you can correct it with no effect on stock. Validation is the point of no return: it locks the lines and triggers the stock movement.

• Always start from the validated order, never from free entry.
• Enter the quantity actually prepared, not the quantity ordered.
• Set the source warehouse on each line if you have several.
• Check the draft before validating, because validation triggers the stock movement.

Issue a clear and usable delivery note

Once the shipment is validated, you generate the PDF document from its record. The delivery note should let a picker or a customer check the contents without interpretation: reference, description, delivered quantity, order reference, delivery address. Avoid showing prices if you deliver to a third party who is not the buyer. Think about the signature too: a space for the name and date of receipt gives you proof in case of dispute. Templates can be customised, and our guide to Dolibarr PDF templates explains how to adapt the header, the columns and the legal mentions. A delivery note that looks like your other documents also reassures the customer about the care taken in preparing the order.

Handle partial deliveries and backorders

A partial delivery is not an incident. It is a normal case, as long as you follow it. Take an example: a customer orders twenty chairs and ten tables, and you have all the tables but only twelve chairs. You create a first shipment with those quantities. The order is not closed: Dolibarr keeps the backorder of eight chairs, visible in the line details. When the restock arrives, you create a second shipment from the same order, which offers only the remaining quantity. Each dispatch has its own delivery note, with its own date and quantities. Check partially shipped orders regularly: filter the list by status to spot those that are dragging. A forgotten backorder quickly turns into a complaint or, worse, an order that is never settled. If you prefer not to deliver in several parts, tell the customer before preparation.

Invoice what actually left

The last link is the invoice. From the order, you create the customer invoice that takes over the lines, and you adjust quantities to what was delivered if you invoice on delivery. With staggered deliveries, you can issue one invoice per shipment or a single one at the end: choose one rule per type of customer and stick to it, otherwise accounting will lose track. Dolibarr lets you classify the order as billed or delivered depending on progress, which gives a clear view of the orders left to close. To limit omissions, review the list of delivered but not invoiced orders at the end of each week. The article on invoicing automation shows how to reduce these repetitive tasks. An invoice that matches the delivery note avoids most disputes.

Your next step: test with a real order

Choose an ongoing order from a regular customer and run it through the whole process: partial shipment, delivery note, backorder, second shipment, invoice. Note the differences from your current practice: missing fields, poorly set permissions, a delivery note template to adjust. This test shows in one hour what weeks of meetings will not. If you prefer support, our team can set up the process with you as part of a Dolibarr implementation, or show it to you in a demo using your own delivery cases. And to discuss a specific need, such as multiple carriers or custom documents, you can write to us through the contact page.