Is there an app to manage workflow and track orders in Shopify?

Shopify Discussion
1

New to shopify! I believe I’ve done extensive searching and come up empty, but I’m likely just searching for the wrong thing/keyword.

I do laser engraving and have a couple apps that are going to help me with receiving customer artwork and workflow on proofs that we send back to the customer.

I’m looking for a workflow that A) let’s me track my orders and B) helps to group orders based on the item type (i.e., cups together, bottles together, etc.).

My basic workflow steps would be Design, Design Approved, Redesign needed, Engraving, Engraving Completed.

Different people do each one of the steps. I see that workflow is available in Shopify Plus (which looks like it runs $2k/month). But for our little business, we’ve only got Basic.

Is there some app that I can utilize for this? Or is there a topic I need to search to get educated on using basic functionality to accomplish this?

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I see that workflow is available in Shopify Plus (which looks like it runs $2k/month). But for our little business, we’ve only got Basic.

That features may not quite be a fit for what your describing aside from things like tagging orders.

A) let’s me track my orders

That’s a bit ambiguous, what does “track” mean in this context: shipping, workflow, build time, COGs, etc

My basic workflow steps would be Design, Design Approved, Redesign needed, Engraving, Engraving Completed.

order Fulfillment labels aka shipping status aka order status…

Then apps like stages for customer communication https://apps.shopify.com/stages

B) helps to group orders based on the item type (i.e., cups together, bottles together, etc.).

If just starting out, the labor way is to manually tag orders and use saved searches, or URL bookmarks

For the totality you’ll want to look into order tagger apps, automation apps, fulfillment workflow, inventory pickers.

Which category and which specific app you want will vary based on missing details and things like other services or software your using.

Such as if you need to connect to an ERP, and FTP service, or tools like airtable, or google docs(reviewing pdfs).

Often you’ll need a mix unless you build it yourself, or use a larger 2nd platform that lets you build automation-apps like retool.com

If your looking to build automation as much as possible in one place a great app is usemechanic that has a preset library or lets you script automations

https://tasks.mechanic.dev/?q=fulfillment%20label

One catch here is by WHO has access and interacts with these different phases , WHAT services are in the loop , WHEN are these different actions , WHERE these phases are actually triggered & designated & controlled , and then HOW customers are kept in the loop.

If a staff member has access to orders they have access to ALL orders.

So if you need granular access control that’s a good indicator you need something really custom.

A big complication can be if any of this also needs to be exposed dynamically on the frontend to customers as most apps meant for the backend don’t even consider that.

Example with customer artwork this often means you need some sort of approval back and forth process that may be more than just buttons but also art viewers and chat history,etc.