Short answer. Part dispatch means sending an order in more than one lot. Each lot travels with a delivery challan, a document that lists what is in that shipment. Track what has gone and what is pending, so the client and your team always know the balance. Check legal requirements for your goods with your CA.
Why orders go out in parts
Stock arrives from vendors on different days. A client may want the first 200 pieces for an event and the rest later. Or one item is ready while another is still in production. Sending what is ready keeps clients happy, as long as everyone knows what is pending.
What a delivery challan is
A delivery challan is a document that goes with the goods. It lists the items and quantities in that consignment, who it is for, and where it is going. The client uses it to check what they received. It is not a bill.
Rules about when a challan is required, and what it must contain, depend on the type of goods and the movement. Please check with your CA for your own case.
Keep a clean record per lot
For each lot note the date, the items and quantities, the transport name or courier, and the tracking or vehicle number. Give each challan a running number so it can be found later, for example one per financial year.
Always keep the balance in view: ordered, sent so far, pending. A client who asks 'how many are left?' should get an answer in seconds.
How ResellerSuite handles it
On an order you can record a dispatch with its details, send part of the order, and the desk keeps track of what is still pending. Each dispatch gets a delivery challan with a number like DC/2026-27/0001. You can print it, and the client can open it from a private link or in their portal.
The order steps continue after dispatch, so delivered and closed are still clear. Purchase orders you raised to vendors stay linked to the same order.
Tell the client before they ask
Send the challan link and the tracking details the moment the lot leaves. Say what is still pending and when to expect it. A short message works: the order, the quantity sent, the quantity pending and the next date.
This also helps payment. Clients pay faster when they can see exactly what has reached them. You can pair it with a reminder from the Money page. See proforma vs tax invoice for the billing side.
A worked example: 1,000 uniforms in three lots
A hotel orders 1,000 uniforms. The first 400 are ready on the 5th, the next 400 on the 12th, and the final 200 on the 20th. You send three dispatches, each with its own challan: 400, 400 and 200. After the first dispatch the order shows 400 sent and 600 pending. After the second, 800 sent and 200 pending. After the third, nothing is pending and the order can close.
At every step the hotel's store manager can open the challan link, count what arrived and tell you of any shortage the same day. That is far easier to settle than a dispute about 'what we got three weeks ago'.
Checklist for each lot
Confirm the items and quantities. Pack and label by order. Write the transport or courier details. Give the challan its number. Send the link to the client. Update the pending balance. Note who received it and when, if you have a signed copy. A minute for each step saves hours of argument later.
How part dispatch affects payment
Agree early whether the client pays for each lot as it ships or for the whole order. For long orders, paying per lot keeps your cash moving. For small orders, a single payment before the first lot is simpler. Whatever you agree, put it on the proforma so the payment terms are not a surprise.
Keep the proforma and the dispatches linked to the same order, so that the amount paid, the amount shipped and the amount pending can be read side by side. If the client asks 'where do we stand?', one screen should answer.
Returns, shortages and damage
Even with good records, boxes get damaged and counts go wrong. Ask the client to check the delivery against the challan on arrival and report any shortage or damage within a day or two, with a photo. Note the issue on the order, decide whether to replace, credit or refund, and keep the vendor in the loop if the fault was theirs. A clear challan makes this a short conversation instead of a long one.
Keep copies of every challan with the order for as long as your CA advises.
Common mistakes
Sending a lot with no paper, so nobody can prove what was in the box. Forgetting the balance, so the last lot never goes. Changing quantities in conversation but not in the record. And mixing up lots from different orders in one shipment. A simple system fixes all four.
See the features or try the demo.
Frequently asked questions
Is a delivery challan the same as an invoice?
No. A challan lists what is in a shipment. An invoice is the bill. Check requirements for your case with your CA.
Can one order have many challans?
Yes. Each lot gets its own challan, and the order shows what is still pending.
Can the client see the challan?
In ResellerSuite the client can open it from a private link or in their portal.
Can I print a challan?
Yes, it can be printed from the desk.