How ordering works on LocalLine

This article walks through how ordering works on Local Line from end to end - what your team does on the platform, what your suppliers do, and what happens behind the scenes. Use it as an orientation for new team members or as a reference when configuring your workflows.

For step-by-step instructions on specific tasks, see the individual articles in the Placing Orders section.

Where LocalLine fits in your operation

Local Line consolidates ordering, supplier management, invoicing, and reporting for the local food portion of your procurement workflow. It sits alongside your existing systems — your ERP, your POS, your accounting platform — and integrates with them where it makes sense.

The platform doesn't replace your distributor relationships or your existing procurement processes. It gives your team a single place to manage the direct-from-supplier portion of your buying, with the data quality and reporting your operation needs.

The end-to-end ordering flow

Here's what a typical order looks like from start to finish:

1. A buyer at one of your locations logs in and browses available products.

Each location's ordering staff sees the products available from your approved suppliers, filtered by what's in season, in stock, and matches their location's order minimums and cutoffs. Pricing reflects whatever your team has negotiated with each supplier.

2. The buyer builds a cart and submits the order.

Orders are placed directly with each supplier — Local Line doesn't aggregate them through a distributor. If a buyer orders from three suppliers in one session, three separate orders are created and sent to those three suppliers.

3. The supplier receives the order and confirms availability.

Suppliers see the order immediately in their Local Line account. They confirm the items they can fulfill, adjust quantities or substitute items if needed, and confirm the delivery date.

4. The supplier prepares and delivers the order.

For products sold by weight (meat, produce), the supplier records the actual weights at packing and Local Line calculates the final invoice amount based on real weights — not estimates.

5. The order is delivered to your location.

Your receiving team checks the order against the packing slip. Any discrepancies (short shipments, damaged items) can be flagged in Local Line and reconciled with the supplier directly.

6. The invoice is generated and paid.

Once the order is fulfilled, an invoice is generated automatically. Depending on your account configuration, invoices can be paid via card, ACH, or net terms (e.g., net 30) with the supplier. Invoices sync to your accounting system if integrated.

7. Data flows into reports and integrations.

Order and invoice data is available in real-time reports — spend by supplier, fill rates, on-time delivery, product-level analytics — and can be pushed to your ERP, OMS, or accounting system via integrations.

Who does what on your team

Different team members typically handle different parts of the ordering process. Common role breakdowns:

• Category managers / head office - vet suppliers, approve products, negotiate pricing, monitor performance
• Store-level or location-level staff - place orders, receive deliveries, flag discrepancies
• Finance / AP - review and pay invoices, reconcile against budgets
• Operations leadership - review reports, track spend trends, plan supplier strategy

Local Line's permission system lets you give each role exactly the access they need. For details, see Users & Permissions.

Approvals and compliance gating

For most mid-market and enterprise buyers, suppliers and products go through an approval process before they're available to ordering staff:

• New suppliers require approval before their catalog becomes visible
• Required food safety documentation must be on file
• Individual products may require approval before they can be ordered

This protects your operation from non-compliant sourcing and ensures consistency across locations. For details, see Approving suppliers, Approving products, and Viewing food safety documentation.

Multi-location ordering

If you operate multiple locations, each location can:

• Have its own delivery address and primary contact
• Order from a subset of approved suppliers (e.g., suppliers within delivery range)
• Have its own order history and reporting
• Roll up into organization-wide reports for headquarters

For details on configuring locations, see Adding & editing locations.

How LocalLine works with your existing systems

For most buyers, Local Line is one of several systems involved in procurement. The most common integrations are:

• POS systems (e.g., ECRS) — inventory and sales data flow between Local Line and your POS so receiving and shelf inventory stay in sync
• EDI platforms (e.g., SPS Commerce) — order, invoice, and shipment transactions are automated with suppliers who require EDI
• Supplier data platforms (e.g., i-Trade Network) — supplier compliance documentation, certifications, and item data sync into Local Line
• Accounting systems — invoices and payments flow into your AP workflow
• Custom integrations — via API or EDI to your ERP, OMS, or other internal systems

For details, see the Integrations section.

What LocalLine does not do

A few clarifications that come up often:

• Local Line does not act as a distributor. Orders go directly from your team to each supplier. Local Line is the technology layer, not the middleman.
• Local Line does not set or negotiate pricing. Pricing is whatever you and your suppliers agree on. Suppliers can offer custom pricing per buyer, but Local Line doesn't take a cut of transactions.
• Local Line does not handle physical logistics. Deliveries are arranged between you and each supplier, using whatever logistics arrangement you've set up (supplier delivery, third-party logistics, your own fleet).

What's next

With a clear picture of how ordering works, the natural next steps are:

• Browsing & searching products - start exploring available suppliers and products
• Building an order - place your first order
• Approving suppliers - set up your vetting workflow if you haven't already
• Adding & editing users - get your team set up with access

Need help? 

If you have questions about how a specific part of the ordering workflow fits into your operation, contact your onboarding manager or email support@localline.ca.