Question: I have been using the order numbers that QuickBooks auto-assigns for sales orders (SO), purchase orders (PO) and invoices numbers. Is there a better way?
Answer: Yes. When I was a distributor, I quickly learned how often I had to access different orders during the course of a day. And thus, being able to quickly find these orders saved a lot of time.
I adopted a consistent numbering system. I made sure the SO number on customer sales orders and the PO number on supplier purchase orders matched the number I assigned for the order.
I see that some distributors let the invoice number auto-generate to have a count of the orders invoiced. I can see some value in this, but, to me, a consistent numbering system provided more value. Whenever I needed to find a file I could go to the "Find" button at the top of each form, enter the order number, and have access to both the customer and supplier side details quickly and easily.
Please email accounting questions you would like considered for the column to HGatter@AccountingSupportLLC.com with the subject line of "Ask the Accountant."
- Categories:
- Marketing and Sales
- Promo Products

Harriet Gatter, owner of Accounting Support LLC, was an ad specialty distributor for 23 years and an adjunct professor of accounting at Neumann University. She sold her ad specialty business in 2012, became certified as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and now works exclusively with ad specialty distributors nationwide on their QuickBooks, order management and accounting needs.





