Managing eCommerce orders and CRM in SmartSuite using a template

Executive overview

Small e-commerce brands struggle to centralise orders, customers, and invoices across multiple tools. SmartSuite's Orders & Invoicing template gives one place to track all of it, with linked records connecting customers, orders, and invoices automatically.

The fastest path to a working order management system is a preconfigured template you trim to fit, not a custom build from scratch.

What the template includes

• Four apps out of the box: Orders, Invoices, Customers, Deliveries
• Delete the Deliveries app if you don't handle your own shipping
• Remove the Invoices app if you already invoice via Shopify or a separate tool
• Linked records connect customers to orders to invoices automatically

Customising the Orders app

• Rename the Order ID field to match your source system (e.g. "Order ID from Shopify")
• Trim the Status field to only the stages relevant to your workflow
• Reserve colour-coding for statuses that need immediate attention; use grey for the rest
• Remove fields like Priority if they don't apply to your business
• Sub-item fields inside each order let you itemise SKUs, sizes, and prices
• A formula field calculates the order total from subtotal, shipping, tax, and discount

Setting up views and spotlighting

• Group orders by status so the board is scannable by stage
• Use conditional highlighting to flag today's orders and high-value orders (e.g. $500+)
• Delete unused default views; rename and star the views your team will use daily
• Each view has a shareable link — send it to warehouse staff or stakeholders for live read-only access with no login required
• Remove the toolbar from shared views for a cleaner appearance

Taking an order end-to-end (example walkthrough)

• When an order comes in, create the customer record first (name, source, phone, location)
• Link a new order directly from the customer record while on the phone
• Fill in order status, date, and line items during or immediately after the call
• Calculate and share a total price verbally or email an invoice after
• Use SmartSuite's automation to notify a bookkeeper when status changes to "Awaiting Payment"
• The automation sends an email with dynamic fields: order number and customer name populated automatically

Getting started and scaling up

• Import existing customer or invoice data rather than entering it manually
• Clear all demo data before going live
• Once the structure is in place, layer on SOPs, documentation, and workflow automations
• Dashboard reports can be built on top of this data for sales visibility