Order automation that ends in a correct Xero invoice

Order automation for Xero users is mostly about one outcome: invoices that go out right first time. Zestcode Automation builds platforms that read and check each order before it reaches your ERP, so when the invoice lands in Xero it already carries the correct customer, your prices, the customer’s PO reference and a delivery charge that reflects what the delivery really cost.

In most of the wholesale businesses we speak to, Xero isn’t where orders are entered. Orders go into an inventory or ERP system such as Unleashed, and that system sends the invoice to Xero. The mistakes that finance chases (a missing PO number, a wrong price, carriage left off) almost always started at order entry, several steps upstream.

Why most Xero invoice queries begin at order entry

Picture a hypothetical week: three invoices bounced back by customers’ accounts payable teams because the PO reference was missing, one with a price taken from an old PO rather than the current price list, and one where carriage was charged at the quoted rate when the pallet cost twice that. Every one of those errors was made when the order was keyed, and Xero simply recorded it. Each takes a few minutes to correct, but also means a credit note or a reissued invoice, a delayed payment and an awkward email to the customer.

Order, ERP, then Xero: where the platform sits

The platform works ahead of your ERP, not inside your accounts. Orders arrive by email, from a web shop or by phone; they’re read, checked against your ERP data and approved by a person; and approval creates the sales order in the ERP with everything in the right field. Where Unleashed is connected to Xero, a common setup, invoicing then follows its usual path and your accountant sees nothing unusual. The ERP integration page covers the mapping in more detail.

A checklist for an invoice nobody queries

These are the things an invoice needs to get right, and how each is covered before the order is created:

• The right customer. The sender or company name is matched to an existing account, so the invoice goes to the correct contact with the correct terms.
• The PO reference. The customer’s PO number is captured from the order and stored in the ERP’s customer reference field, which is what usually carries through to the invoice.
• Your prices, not theirs. Each line is priced from the ERP. If the PO shows a different figure, the line is flagged with both prices so someone decides.
• Quantities that match stock. Stock is checked at review, and the warehouse refreshes the order from the ERP when picking starts, so late edits aren’t missed.
• A delivery charge that holds up. With the shipping stage in place, the real cost is priced from the carrier after packing and compared with the PO.
• No second invoice. A PO number the customer has already used is caught, so a reply on an old email thread doesn’t become a duplicate order.

How do I get the customer’s PO number onto Xero invoices?

Get it into the order at the start and keep it in the field your ERP passes to Xero. When AI reads an emailed order, the PO number is one of the fields scored for confidence; under 7 out of 10, it’s highlighted for the reviewer. Orders without a PO number can be flagged too, if some of your customers refuse to pay invoices without one.

Delivery charges: the line most often wrong

Customers often state a carriage charge on their PO, or expect one from a quote. When packing records the true weight and dimensions, the platform prices the consignment live and updates the delivery charge. A difference from the PO holds the order for the office, so it can be amended before it is completed and invoiced.

What it costs and what you keep

Capture, review and ERP sync usually costs £8k–£12k plus VAT and takes about six weeks; the delivery price check comes with the shipping phase, part of a £20k–£30k order-to-dispatch project. A free written specification comes first, then a fixed quote valid for 90 days.

Ownership is straightforward. The finished system is handed over in hosting accounts in your business’s name, without per-user fees, and you can maintain it with us, someone else or no one. Running costs are typically under £50 a month for a few hundred orders.