How to Track Order Status History for a Specific SKU

Tracking the order status history for specific SKUs helps you monitor product performance, identify fulfillment bottlenecks, and analyze inventory movement patterns. PayHelm provides multiple reporting approaches to track SKU-level order history, from initial order placement through fulfillment completion.

Understanding SKU Order Tracking in PayHelm

When you need to track the status history of a specific product SKU, you can use three different reporting methods:

• Order Line Items Report: Shows individual SKU transactions with order dates and quantities
• Product Timeline Report: Displays items sold over time for trend analysis
• Fulfillment Status Tracking: Monitors order processing stages for specific SKUs

Each method provides different insights into your SKU's order history and status progression.

Method 1: Creating an Order Line Items Report by SKU

This method shows detailed order information for a specific SKU, including when orders were placed and their current status.

Step 1: Create a New Report

1. Navigate to Reports in the main menu
2. Click Create a new report
3. Enter a descriptive name like "SKU Order Status History"
4. Set Visibility to your preferred access level (My Team or Private)
5. Under Source Type, select Orders
6. Choose Report Type as Order Line Items

Step 2: Configure Report Columns

Navigate to Report Configuration and select the Report Column tab. Include these columns for comprehensive status tracking:

• Order: Displays the order ID or number
• SKU: Shows the product SKU
• Customer Name: Identifies who placed the order
• Total Items Sold: Quantity ordered
• Total Price: Order value for the SKU

For status tracking, also consider adding:

• Payment Status: Shows if payment was completed
• Fulfillment Status: Displays current order processing stage
• Shipping Method: How the order will be delivered
• Shipping Provider: Which carrier is handling delivery

Click Reorder to save your column selections.

Step 3: Add SKU Filter

1. Go to the Filters tab in Report Configuration
2. Click Add Filters (+)
3. Select SKUs as your filter field
4. Enter the specific SKU you want to track (e.g., "LAMP-OUT-SEC-015")
5. Optionally add Date Filters to focus on a specific time period

Step 4: Sort by Date

To see the chronological order history:

1. In the Report Column configuration, locate the date column
2. Set Sort Desc (descending) to show most recent orders first
3. Or set Sort Asc (ascending) to show oldest orders first

Step 5: Preview and Save

1. Click Preview to see your configured report
2. Review the data to ensure all necessary information appears
3. Click Save to preserve the report configuration
4. Use Apply to run the report whenever you need updated data

Method 2: Tracking SKU Sales Trends Over Time

To analyze how many units of a specific SKU were sold during different time periods:

Creating a Product Timeline Report

1. Go to Reports and create a new report
2. Name it "SKU Sales Timeline" or similar
3. Select Source Type: Products
4. Choose a report type that shows product performance
5. Add SKUs as a filter with your target SKU
6. Include date range filters to define your tracking period

Key Columns for Timeline Analysis

• Total Items Sold: Quantity sold per period
• Total Sales: Revenue generated
• Date ranges: Use the date filter to break down by week, month, or custom periods

Viewing Trends

Run the report multiple times with different date ranges to compare periods:

• Week-over-week performance
• Month-over-month trends
• Seasonal patterns
• Growth or decline trajectories

Export the data to create visualizations in spreadsheet software if needed.

Method 3: Monitoring Fulfillment Status by SKU

To track where orders for a specific SKU are in the fulfillment process:

Creating a Fulfillment Tracking Report

1. Create a new Order Line Items report
2. Add the SKU filter for your target product
3. Include these essential columns:
   • Fulfillment Status: Current processing stage
   • Order: Order identifier
   • Customer Name: Order recipient
   • Shipping Method: Delivery type
   • Shipping Provider: Carrier information

Using Dashboard Filters

You can also monitor SKU fulfillment through the main Dashboard:

1. Navigate to Dashboard
2. Open the Filters panel on the left sidebar
3. Under Product SKU, enter your specific SKU
4. The dashboard metrics will update to show only data for that SKU
5. View Fulfillment Status breakdown to see order distribution

Tracking Multiple Status Points

To create a comprehensive status history, combine multiple data points in your report:

Status Point	PayHelm Column	What It Tells You
Order Placed	Order Date/Created Date	When the customer placed the order
Payment Received	Payment Status	Whether payment was completed successfully
Processing Started	Fulfillment Status	When order entered fulfillment workflow
Shipped	Shipping Method + Shipping Provider	Delivery method and carrier information
Quantity	Total Items Sold	How many units were ordered

Best Practices for SKU Status Tracking

Regular Monitoring

• Run your SKU status reports daily or weekly depending on sales volume
• Set consistent date ranges for period-over-period comparisons
• Export data regularly for historical record-keeping

Multiple SKU Tracking

If you need to track several SKUs:

• Leave the SKU filter empty to see all products
• Add Product SKU as a column to identify each item
• Sort by SKU to group orders by product
• Create separate reports for high-priority SKUs

Identifying Patterns

Use your SKU history reports to identify:

• Fulfillment bottlenecks: SKUs with delayed processing
• Demand patterns: Seasonal or cyclical ordering trends
• Customer preferences: Which customers order specific SKUs repeatedly
• Inventory needs: Reorder points based on historical sales velocity

Common Questions

Can I see the exact date an order was fulfilled?
The Fulfillment Status column shows the current processing stage. For detailed timestamp information, check if your data source provides fulfillment completion dates that can be added as custom columns.

How do I track inventory levels for a SKU over time?
Use the Dashboard with the Product SKU filter, or create a Products report focused on inventory metrics. This shows current inventory levels and can be run periodically to track changes.

Can I filter by multiple SKUs at once?
Yes, the SKU filter supports multiple entries. Enter each SKU you want to track, or leave it empty and add SKU as a column to see all products.

How do I export this data?
After running your report, look for the Export option (typically in the top-right area). You can export to CSV or other formats for further analysis or archiving.

Can I track returns or refunds for a SKU?
Add Payment Status and look for refund indicators, or check if your Orders report includes return status fields that can be added as columns.

Next Steps

After setting up your SKU status tracking reports:

• Save frequently-used configurations for quick access
• Schedule regular report reviews to stay on top of product performance
• Combine SKU tracking with customer and channel analytics for deeper insights
• Use the data to optimize inventory management and fulfillment processes