Add customizable information to PDF invoices

Software improvement (Archived)
1

What is the need / problem ?

Issue #5789 points out that shipping instructions are absent from PDF invoices. While not being really a software bug, it sprung the conversation around the actual demand for this and related features, as well as the need probe the user community in this regard.

This wishlist item deals with two feature requests:

i) Including shipping instructions on invoices. This is currently included in the order confirmation, which both customer and hub manager receive via Email, but is not included in neither of the currently available templates for invoices.

Update: This feature request is currently awaiting triage, as a papercut size feature.

ii) Customizing the information included on invoices. The topic of customizable invoices was also raised on the discussion (see link above). Currently, there are two distinct and pre-defined templates available for the whole community.

They are included on the same wishlist item, as feature ii) may include feature i).

Who does it impact ?

These feature requests would possibly affect both customers and hub-managers, as invoices are useful for management tasks, in which both user-groups engage.

What is the current impact of the problem ?

It should ease management tasks and have influence on how the invoices are used.

What is the benefit of focusing on this ?

i) Shipping instructions would maybe help to associate an item/purchase with a given delivery/shipping and facilitate management tasks.

ii) Customization may allow to address specific compliance issues, for each country/local community.

Potential solutions that will solve the problem ?

[brainstorming to list feature candidates]

Possible solutions for feature i)

  • add this information on one of the available invoice templates
  • add this information on both the available invoice templates
  • create a third invoice template with this information

Possible solutions for feature ii)

Open to discussion.

Selection of a feature candidate

[value x ease matric if needed]

T-shirt size of our selected feature candidate

Metrics to measure if need is satisfied after feature is implemented

Feature owners

Epic/projet where you can follow implementation

Connected wishlist and discovery discussions*

These wishlist items seem related:

1 Like
2

I’ll likely reply to the Invoices thread too.

Around customisation/interaction though we’d need to answer these kinds of questions:
What do invoices need to do? For who? in what circumstances and over what time?
How do these customisations currently happen? any why?

How does this differ across different global cases and which are critical to each global instance? e.g. I can see some complexity with delivery methods potentially in countries adding in new delivery methods.

3

Invoices are used in multiple ways in my experience with users. First - users - esp producer only shops or smaller hub shops - use them as packing slips. I know in some instances we develop scripts to help users with packing - but not all instances have this capacity. So in lieu of a packing slip - invoices are used. For this, they are usually printed after all the final order adjustments are done. So the invoice serves as a bill or receipt. AND for hubs that deliver orders to drop spots - having those addresses on them is important.

A second group uses invoices for billing. So after the order is finalized (ie: additions, deletions, adjustments made) they are sent as the final bill. For this purpose - we need the invoice to tell the whole story - why did the order get changed?.. (we have this in the pipe now). For this group, the invoice is usually sent via email and not printed. The delivery info might be less important for this group.

4

@tschumilas YES and having a free-text “note” field that the user can use for anything from pickup instructions to adjustment explanations to some element of the enterprise’s story (like links to social media, newsletter signups, etc) would be especially useful for the “invoice-as-packing slip” people, who might be in the majority.

1 Like
5

This has been migrated to wishlist board:

i) Including shipping instructions on invoices. This is currently included in the order confirmation, which both customer and hub manager receive via Email, but is not included in neither of the currently available templates for invoices

ii) Customizing the information included on invoices. The topic of customizable invoices was also raised on the discussion (see link above). Currently, there are two distinct and pre-defined templates available for the whole community