How does the backorder-risk check work?

It's read-only. SideQuest walks your open draft Estimates and compares each matched line's ordered quantity to the current QuickBooks on-hand for that item, flagging any line where ordered exceeds on-hand. Out-of-stock lines (on-hand zero or negative) are called out separately from partial shortfalls, sorted by shortfall.

Does it change my drafts or QuickBooks?

No. It only reads the catalog and your open drafts. It surfaces the risk so a person can act — split the line, backorder it, or call the buyer — before the Estimate goes out. Nothing is written or submitted.

When does it help most?

Whenever demand outruns a shelf: seasonal HVAC spikes, an auto-parts run on a superseded number, a fastener line that moves in the thousands, an electrical job that clears your stock of one gauge. Catching it at draft time beats explaining a short-ship after the customer expected a full order.

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Product · July 23, 2026

Catch the short-ship before the customer does: backorder risk

An Estimate that promises twelve of something you have eight of isn't a sale — it's a phone call you haven't had yet, usually an unhappy one, usually after the customer already planned around a full shipment. SideQuest's backorder-risk check finds those lines while the draft is still on your screen, so the awkward conversation happens on your terms or doesn't happen at all.

What it checks

It's a read-only scan. SideQuest walks every open draft Estimate in your review queue and compares each matched line's ordered quantity against the current QuickBooks on-hand for that item. Any line where ordered exceeds on-hand gets flagged. Lines where you're genuinely out (on-hand zero or negative) are called out in red and separated from partial shortfalls, and the whole list sorts by shortfall so the biggest gaps sit on top. Nothing is written, nothing is submitted — it just tells you what can't ship in full before the Estimate leaves the building.

The move you make with it

Flagged early, a short-ship has good options: split the line and ship what you have now, backorder the rest with a date, offer a substitute, or call the buyer before they've committed downstream. Flagged late — after the customer opens a box that's four units short — you have none of those. The check turns a surprise into a decision.

Where it earns its keep, by trade

HVAC: a heat wave clears your condensers in a week. The backorder scan catches the drafts promising units you no longer have before they go out as firm Estimates.
Auto parts: a run on a fast-moving or freshly superseded number drains stock mid-morning. Catch the drafts that outran the shelf.
Fasteners: parts that move in the thousands hit zero fast. A line ordering 5,000 against 3,200 on hand is flagged before it ships short.
Electrical: one big job can clear your stock of a single wire gauge; the next draft for that gauge is flagged automatically.

On the dashboard

Backorder risk is a full section on the operations dashboard: a table of every at-risk line — customer, PO, SKU, ordered versus on-hand, shortfall — with out-of-stock rows in red, sorted by the biggest gap. It sits right next to the review queue, because catching the short-ship is part of reviewing the draft. Same read-only, human-in-the-loop discipline as everything else SideQuest does.

FAQ

How does the check work?

Read-only: it compares each open-draft line's ordered quantity to current QuickBooks on-hand and flags where ordered exceeds stock, out-of-stock separated from partial.

Does it change anything?

No. It only reads. It surfaces the risk so you can split, backorder, substitute, or call — before the Estimate goes out.

When does it matter most?

Any time demand outruns the shelf: seasonal spikes, a run on a hot number, a big job clearing stock.

See the short-ship before your customer does

SideQuest flags every open draft that can't ship in full against your QuickBooks on-hand. Free for 25 POs a month.

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