Prophet 21 Special Order Request Form Template
Special orders go wrong when the details live in an email thread: the wrong vendor part number, a promise date nobody confirmed, or a return policy the customer never saw. This form puts the facts on one page before the order is keyed in Prophet 21.
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Prophet 21 Special Order Request Form Template
Special Order Request
Distributor: Lakeshore Industrial Supply Branch: Dallas Requested by: J. Alvarez, Inside Sales Date: 2026-10-20
Customer
Customer: Brazos Fabrication LLC, ID 104455 Customer PO: BF-77120 Promise date: 2026-10-30
Item and Source
Item: Hydraulic hose assembly, 1 in x 72 in, 6000 psi, VP-HH-1072 Quantity: 12 Preferred vendor: Gulf Coast Hydraulics Vendor cost per unit: 84.50 Sell price per unit: 119.00 Ship method: Drop ship to customer Returnable: No
Notes
Custom length. Not returnable once cut. Customer approved in writing.
Purchasing Checklist
| Step | Done | Initials |
|---|---|---|
| Item created as non-stock or mapped to a vendor item | ||
| Vendor price and lead time confirmed in writing | ||
| Customer approval and return terms recorded | ||
| Order entered and linked to the PO |
Approvals
Margin check: compare the sell price against vendor cost before approving. This is a starting form, adapt the fields to your own Prophet 21 order entry process and special order policy.
Automate special order intake
An optional review of how request emails could be turned into draft orders with human approval.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the form
Inside sales fills in the customer, item and promise date, then hands the page to purchasing. Purchasing confirms vendor cost, lead time and returnability, completes the checklist and signs off. Export the result to PDF or Word and attach it to the order record or the customer file so the details survive staff changes.
- Capture the vendor part number exactly as the vendor prints it
- Record whether the item is returnable before the order is placed
- Get the promise date from the vendor, not from memory
- Escalate when margin falls below your branch policy
Why a form before the order
A special order is a commitment to buy something you do not stock, usually with no way to return it. The risk sits with the distributor. A one-page record of who approved what, at what cost, and with which return terms turns a dispute into a quick lookup. It also gives purchasing a consistent intake instead of a different email format from every salesperson.
Reading the margin
Gross margin percent is (sell price minus vendor cost) divided by sell price. In the example, 119.00 against 84.50 gives about 29 percent. Compare that to your policy for non-stock items, which usually carries a higher target than stock because of the handling and no-return risk. Freight in and any setup or cutting charge from the vendor must be added to cost before judging the margin.
Common mistakes
Creating a throwaway item for every special order clutters the item master and distorts demand history. Decide a rule: create a permanent item when a customer is likely to reorder, otherwise use your non-stock handling. Also do not skip the customer PO number, it is the field accounts receivable will search when the invoice is disputed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this form write anything into Prophet 21?
No. It runs entirely in your browser and produces a document. Someone still keys the order in Prophet 21 using the details on the form, which is the point: the form is the intake record that comes before the transaction.
Should every special order get a new item ID?
Not necessarily. Create a permanent item if reorders are likely and you want demand history. For true one-offs, use whatever non-stock process your team has agreed, so the item master stays clean and forecasting is not skewed.
How do I handle drop ship in this form?
Select the drop ship option, record the customer ship-to address in the notes, and confirm the vendor will ship under your name with your packing slip if required. Make sure the promise date reflects the vendor transit time.
Can I change the approval lines?
The fields and values are editable on screen before export. For a different approval chain, edit the form text in the notes or add the names in the notes field, then export the version you need.
If special order intake still means copying details between email and Prophet 21, we can discuss reading these forms and drafting the order for human approval.
Related Tools
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