Documentation/ Purchase orders and projects/ Sending by WhatsApp
Sending an order by WhatsApp
Sending by WhatsApp works differently from email: the application opens the chat with the message already written, and you send it from your own number. Which is why the supplier replies to you.
Purchase order › Send › the WhatsApp route
On this page
How it works
The screen explains it before anything happens: WhatsApp opens on your device with the message already written, you send it from your number, so the supplier replies to you, and the order is marked as sent as soon as it opens.
Nothing is sent automatically. Dijit.app prepares the message and opens WhatsApp; the send button is pressed by you, in your WhatsApp, from your number.
It is an important difference from email, where the message goes out from the application without your doing anything.
How it is sent
- Open the order and press Send.
- Choose the WhatsApp route.
- Check the number the screen shows and the preview of the message.
- Press Open WhatsApp.
- Go over the message in WhatsApp and press send there.
Once it opens, the application reminds you of the step still to come: WhatsApp is open with the order's message, look it over and press send in WhatsApp.
What the message says
The message writes itself, with this structure:
| Part | Contents |
|---|---|
| Opening | That this is a purchase order. |
| Supplier | The supplier's name. |
| Expected delivery | The date, if one was given. |
| Items | The list of lines with their quantities. |
| Notes | Whatever was written in the notes field. |
| Sign-off | A short closing line. |
It is plain text: no file is attached. It can be edited inside WhatsApp before sending, if something needs adding.
When it is marked as sent
The order becomes sent as WhatsApp opens, not when you press send inside WhatsApp. The application has no way of knowing whether you actually sent it.
The practical consequence: open WhatsApp and then think better of it, and the order is marked as sent all the same. It fits the way the job actually goes, opening and sending are usually one movement, but it is worth knowing.
Messages that are too long
WhatsApp has a length limit, and an order with a lot of lines can go past it. The application warns you first that the message is very long, that WhatsApp might cut it, and that you should consider sending this order by email.
It is a warning, not a block: you can send it anyway. But with a thirty-line order, email is the right route.
The pop-up window
Opening WhatsApp means the browser opening a new window, and some browsers block that by default. The message says so: the browser blocked the WhatsApp window, allow pop-ups from this site and try again.
It is solved by allowing the application's pop-ups in the browser's settings. Permission given once.
Which route to use when
| Situation | Route |
|---|---|
| An order with a lot of lines | Email. |
| A small supplier who works off a phone | WhatsApp. |
| You want them to reply to the purchasing mailbox | Email, with a reply address set. |
| Urgency and immediate confirmation | WhatsApp. |
| You need formal proof of sending | Email. |
Things that come up
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The WhatsApp option is not there | The supplier's record has no WhatsApp number. | Add it in international format, for example +34600111222. |
| WhatsApp does not open | The browser blocked the pop-up window. | Allow the site's pop-ups and try again. |
| The order shows as sent and it never went | The status changes as WhatsApp opens. | Open it again with Send again and send it this time. |
| The message arrives cut short | It went past the length WhatsApp takes. | Send that order by email. |
| The supplier replies to an employee's mobile | That is how the route works: it is sent from their number. | For a shared mailbox, use email. |