From Inquiry to Delivery: The Complete Order Journey
Follow an order from first customer contact through inquiry, quoting, production, delivery, and payment — the full lifecycle in BakeOnyx.
Follow an order from first customer contact through inquiry, quoting, production, delivery, and payment — the full lifecycle in BakeOnyx.
Three entry points — not every order needs every step:
- Custom orders (wedding cakes, events) → Full pipeline: Inquiry → Quote → Order
- Walk-in / repeat customers → Skip inquiry, create order directly
- Online store orders → Skip inquiry and quoting, order created automatically at checkout
Step 1: Create an Inquiry
When a customer contacts you (phone, email, WhatsApp, or your website contact form), create an inquiry at /dashboard/inquiries. BakeOnyx auto-generates a reference number like INQ-202604-001.
Capture: customer name, contact info, event date, event type, product requirements, budget, and special notes. Assign it to a staff member for follow-up.
Step 2: Send a Quote
From the inquiry detail page, click Create Quote. Add line items with quantities, descriptions, and prices. The quote gets its own number like QT-202604-001.
Send the quote to the customer. They can view and accept it via a public link — no login required.
Step 3: Convert to Order
When the customer accepts, click Convert to Order. BakeOnyx automatically:
- Creates a new order with all quote line items
- Links or creates the customer record
- Sets order status to pending
- Updates inquiry status to converted
Step 4: Production → Delivery → Payment
The order flows through: confirmed → in progress → ready → delivered. Track payments along the way — partial or full, cash or card.
Everything feeds into your P&L reports automatically.
Status Transitions at a Glance
| Entity | Status Flow |
|---|---|
| Inquiry | new → reviewing → responded → quoted → accepted → converted |
| Quote | draft → sent → accepted / declined |
| Order | pending → confirmed → in_progress → ready → delivered |
🤖 What BakeOnyx Automates
- Reference number generation (INQ-xxx, QT-xxx, order numbers)
- Quote total calculations
- Order creation from accepted quotes with all line items
- Customer record linking or creation
- Cost tracking through recipe-linked items
- Status change timestamps for audit trail
💡 Pro Tip
For repeat customers, skip the inquiry — go straight to /dashboard/orders and create a new order. Use the inquiry flow for custom cakes, weddings, and events where pricing negotiation is needed. You can also ask Bake Buddy to create orders and inquiries hands-free.