Order Creation

This guide covers everything an order author needs to know about creating, managing, and publishing orders on the INBULK platform. If you are looking to participate in an existing order as a buyer or observer, refer to the Trade Participation documentation instead.

🚀 Getting Started

Navigating to Order Creation

1. Open the Trade page from the sidebar navigation
2. Click the “Create Order” button in the top-right corner of the orders list
3. The Order Creation wizard will open with a 4-step process

Overview of the 4-Step Wizard

💡 Tip: You can navigate between steps using the “Back” and “Next” buttons. The wizard saves your progress within each session, so you can go back and adjust earlier steps without losing data.

🌾 Step 1: Product & Documents

This step defines what you are buying or selling and the quality requirements.

Select Product

1. Click the “Product” dropdown
2. Choose a product from the catalog (for example, Hard Wheat, Corn, Barley, Sunflower)
3. Select the quality class for the product (for example, Class 1, Class 2, Seed, Other)
4. Choose the harvest year (for example, 2025)
5. Select the packaging type (for example, Bulk, Bagged)

Set Quality Indicators

After selecting a product, the system will display quality indicator fields specific to that product. For grain products, up to 9 indicators are available:

1. For each indicator, enter the threshold value
2. The direction (min/max) is preset based on the indicator type
3. Leave an indicator empty if you do not want to specify a requirement for it

Configure Discounts and Bonuses

For each quality indicator, you can optionally set discount and bonus rules:

1. Click ”+ Add Discount/Bonus” next to an indicator
2. Define the range — for example, if moisture exceeds 14.5% but is below 15.5%
3. Set the discount amount per metric ton (for example, -50 ₴/MT)
4. Or set a bonus for exceeding minimum requirements (for example, +30 ₴/MT for protein above 15%)

💡 Tip: Discounts and bonuses are calculated automatically when the actual delivery quality is measured. Configure them carefully — they directly affect the final settlement amount.

Upload Supporting Documents

1. Click ”+ Upload Document”
2. Select files from your device
3. Supported formats: PDF, JPG, PNG
4. Maximum file size: 10 MB per file
5. Documents may include: quality certificates, lab analysis results, product photos

⚠️ Important: Documents uploaded here are visible to trading participants. Do not upload confidential internal documents.

🚚 Step 2: Delivery & Payment

This step defines where, when, and how the goods will be delivered and paid for.

Select INCOTERMS Type

1. Click the “INCOTERMS” dropdown
2. Choose the delivery terms:
   • DAP (Delivered at Place) — seller is responsible for delivery to the buyer’s location
   • FCA (Free Carrier) — buyer picks up goods from the seller’s location
   • Other INCOTERMS types as available

💡 Tip: The INCOTERMS selection determines which party is responsible for logistics later when the business is created. Choose carefully based on your operational capabilities.

Set Delivery Period

1. In the “Delivery Period” fields, select:
   • From — the earliest date deliveries can begin
   • To — the latest date deliveries must be completed
2. The date range defines the window in which all shipments must occur

⚠️ Important: The start date cannot be earlier than today. For realistic logistics planning, set a start date at least a few days in the future.

Add Delivery Points

1. Click ”+ Add Delivery Point”
2. Select a storage location from your company’s registered storages
3. You can add multiple delivery points if deliveries can go to different locations
4. Each point displays:
   • 🏢 Storage name
   • 📍 Full address
   • 🗺️ Map pin showing the location

⚠️ Important: If you don’t have any storages configured, go to Company Settings first to add your facilities. You cannot create an order without at least one delivery point.

Configure Payment Conditions

Payment conditions define how and when payment is made:

1. Prepayment Percentage — enter the percentage to be paid upfront (for example, 100%, 50%, 0%)
2. Payment Trigger Event — select when payment is due:
   • Prepayment — before delivery begins
   • Upon Loading — when cargo is loaded onto transport
   • Upon Unloading — when cargo arrives and is unloaded
   • Upon Document Receipt — when shipping documents are received
3. Payment Deadline — number of days allowed for payment after the trigger event (for example, 5 days, 10 days, 30 days)
4. Click ”+ Add Value” to define split payment terms (for example, 50% prepayment + 50% upon unloading within 10 days)

💡 Tip: Clear payment terms reduce disputes. Specify explicit trigger events and deadlines so both parties know exactly when payment is expected.

💰 Step 3: Price & Quantity

This step defines the financial terms of your order.

Set Pricing Type

Choose how the price will be determined:

1. Fixed Price — you specify an exact price per metric ton; participants accept or reject it
2. Auction — participants bid on the price; you review and accept the best offer
3. Open for Counter-Offer — you specify a starting price, but participants can propose alternative prices

Enter Price per Metric Ton

1. In the “Price” field, enter the amount in your currency (for example, 4200 ₴/MT)
2. The price is always expressed per metric ton
3. The total contract amount is calculated automatically: Price × Quantity

Set Quantity with Tolerance

1. In the “Quantity” field, enter the volume in metric tons (for example, 300 MT)
2. Set the tolerance percentage — the acceptable variation from the specified quantity:
   • For example, ±10% means delivery can be between 270 MT and 330 MT
3. Select the option type:
   • SO (Seller’s Option) — the seller decides the exact quantity within the tolerance range
   • BO (Buyer’s Option) — the buyer decides the exact quantity within the tolerance range

💡 Tip: Tolerance is standard practice in commodity trading. It accounts for natural variation in loading, weighing, and transport conditions. A tolerance of ±5% to ±10% is typical.

⚠️ Important: The option type (SO/BO) determines who has the right to decide the final delivered quantity. If you are selling, choose SO to retain control. If you are buying, choose BO.

📋 Step 4: Lot Details

The final step lets you add context to your order and control who can see it.

Add Lot Description

1. In the “Description” text area, provide any additional information about the lot
2. This may include:
   • Special storage conditions
   • Origin details (farm, region)
   • Additional quality notes not covered by indicators
   • Any special requirements for transport
3. The description is visible to all users who can see the order

Set Visibility

Choose who can see your order:

1. Public — visible to all platform users
   • Best for maximizing exposure and getting the most participants
2. Personal / Restricted — visible only to specific companies you select
   • Click ”+ Add Company” to search for and select companies by name
   • Only selected companies will see the order in their Trade feed
   • Useful for private deals or preferred partner arrangements

Review Summary

Before publishing, the wizard displays a full summary of your order:

• 🌾 Product, class, harvest year, packaging
• 📊 Quality indicators and discount/bonus rules
• 🚚 INCOTERMS, delivery period, delivery points
• 💰 Price type, price per MT, total amount
• ⚖️ Quantity, tolerance, option type (SO/BO)
• 👁️ Visibility setting
• 📄 Uploaded documents

⚠️ Important: Review every field carefully. While some fields can be edited after publishing, others become locked once participants start interacting with the order.

📑 Order Templates

Templates save time when you frequently create similar orders.

Saving a Template

1. After filling in order details (any step), click “Save as Template”
2. Enter a template name (for example, “Standard Corn Purchase Q1”)
3. Click “Save”
4. All current order settings are saved as a reusable template

Loading from a Template

1. When creating a new order, click “Load Template” at the top of the wizard
2. Select a template from the list
3. All fields will be pre-filled with the template’s values
4. Modify any fields as needed before publishing

Managing Templates

1. Navigate to the templates management section
2. You can:
   • ✏️ Rename a template
   • 📋 Duplicate a template
   • ❌ Delete a template that is no longer needed

💡 Tip: Create templates for your most common trading scenarios. For example, maintain separate templates for different crops, quality tiers, or delivery regions. This can reduce order creation time from minutes to seconds.

📤 Publishing

Review and Publish

1. On the final step, after reviewing the summary, click “Publish”
2. A confirmation dialog will appear: “Are you sure you want to publish this order?”
3. Click “Confirm” to publish

What Happens After Publishing

1. The order status changes from Draft to Planned
2. Once the delivery period start date is reached, the status automatically changes to Active
3. The order appears in the Trade feed for all eligible participants (based on visibility settings)
4. Participants can:
   • 🛒 Buy Now — accept your terms immediately
   • 💬 Make Counter-Proposal — suggest modified terms
5. You will receive notifications when participants interact with your order

⚠️ Important: After publishing, the order is live and visible to other users. Make sure all details are correct before confirming.

📊 Order Statuses

Every order on the platform goes through a defined lifecycle:

Status Flow

Draft → Planned → Active → Sold / Completed
                        ↘ Withdrawn

💡 Tip: You can withdraw an order at any time before it is sold, but this action is irreversible. If you want to temporarily hide an order, consider editing its visibility to Personal instead.

✏️ Editing Orders

What Can Be Edited After Publishing

Not all fields remain editable once an order is published. Here is a breakdown:

Re-Publishing Flow

If you make significant changes to a published order:

1. Edit the desired fields
2. Click “Save Changes”
3. If changes affect pricing or quantity, participants with pending proposals will be notified of the update
4. Existing counter-proposals may become invalid if the changed terms conflict with them
5. The order remains in its current status — no re-publishing step is required

⚠️ Important: Changing the price or quantity on an active order will notify all participants who have pending counter-proposals. They will need to review and potentially re-submit their proposals based on the new terms.

💡 Tips

• ✓ Prepare before starting — have your product details, quality certificates, delivery addresses, and payment terms ready before opening the wizard
• ✓ Use templates for recurring orders — it saves significant time and reduces errors
• ✓ Set realistic delivery periods — allow enough buffer for logistics coordination and unexpected delays
• ✓ Configure discounts and bonuses carefully — they directly impact your final revenue or costs
• ✓ Choose visibility wisely — public orders get more exposure, but restricted orders let you work with preferred partners
• ✓ Review the summary thoroughly before publishing — especially price, quantity, and payment terms
• ✓ Monitor your published orders — check regularly for counter-proposals and respond promptly
• ✓ Set tolerance realistically — too tight a tolerance (below ±5%) may scare off participants; too loose may expose you to risk
• ✓ Use the Description field to highlight unique selling points or special conditions that quality indicators alone don’t capture
• ✓ Withdraw rather than ignore — if you no longer want to fulfill an order, withdraw it properly instead of leaving it active

⚠️ Possible Errors

🎯 Summary

Creating an order on INBULK is a structured, 4-step process:

✅ Step 1 — Define the product, quality requirements, discounts/bonuses, and upload documents

✅ Step 2 — Set delivery terms (INCOTERMS, period, points) and payment conditions

✅ Step 3 — Configure pricing type, price per MT, and quantity with tolerance

✅ Step 4 — Add lot description, set visibility, and review everything before publishing

After publishing, monitor your order for participant activity and respond to counter-proposals promptly to close deals efficiently.