What is the difference between SO, DO, Invoice and OR?
SO is the sales order: the customer agrees to buy. DO is the delivery order: the goods have been sent. The invoice asks for payment. OR is the official receipt: the money has been received. Each one points back to the one before, so you can see what was ordered, delivered, billed and paid.
The four documents in order
A quotation comes first if you give one. The sales order (SO) records what the customer agreed to buy and at what price. The delivery order (DO) lists what you actually sent and the customer signs it. The invoice asks for payment for what was delivered. The official receipt (OR) confirms the payment you received.
Why the links matter
When the invoice is linked to the DO and the DO to the SO, partial deliveries, returns and price changes are easy to follow, and a customer who disputes a bill can be answered with the signed DO. When they are not linked, someone matches them by hand at month end.
Where small businesses go wrong
Billing before delivery, keeping DOs in a drawer so they never get matched, receipts that do not say which invoices they pay, and one customer with two names. Not every business needs all four. A shop paid on the spot can use one cash sale document.
How Lucco does it
Lucco Boss today covers quotations, invoices, payments marked against the invoice and the books, and you can make an invoice by telling Mei one line on WhatsApp. Lucco is building the full SO, DO, Invoice and OR chain for wholesalers and factories, written into SQL Account or AutoCount with your approval at each step. From RM8,000.
Questions bosses ask
Do I need a DO if I deliver myself?
A signed DO is your proof that the customer received the goods, so many wholesalers keep one even for small orders. Ask your accountant what your business needs.
What is the difference between an invoice and a receipt?
An invoice asks for payment. A receipt is proof of payment. The same sale usually has both, in that order.
Can one invoice cover several DOs?
Yes. Many businesses send one invoice a month that lists all the DOs of that month. The invoice should name each DO so the customer can check it.
Updated · Lucco Technology
