What is a sidemark?

Two identical Madison sofas in Fog linen arrive on the same truck. In this illustrative delivery, one belongs to a family and the other to a designer’s project. The fabric will not tell receiving which is which.

A sidemark is a customer-order or project reference used to identify merchandise through the supply chain. Put the same reference on the purchasing instructions, ask the vendor to carry it onto the goods, and compare it at receiving. Its job is to connect a physical piece with the sale it fulfills.

What belongs in a sidemark?

Use a short, stable reference that the store and vendor can both recognize. An order number with a project or room identifier is usually more useful than a long sentence.

For our sofas, the references could be “OP-2401 / Living room” and “OP-2402 / Studio project.” These are sample identifiers, not real customer details. If the order includes several similar pieces, add an item or room distinction that remains consistent across the documents.

Leave changing delivery instructions in their proper place. “Call before Friday” is a request, not a lasting identity for a sofa.

Should it include the customer’s full name?

Include only what the vendor and receiving team need to identify the goods. A project code or order reference can often do the job without a full name, phone number, or private address on a carton.

Some makers require specific identifying information. One upholstery maker’s COM form asks for a designer name, client sidemark, and item name on supplied materials, along with order references on the paperwork. Follow the agreed requirements while keeping unnecessary personal details out.

A sidemark is not a shipping address. The destination still needs to be correct in the shipment instructions.

Where should the reference appear?

Ask for the sidemark on the vendor’s acknowledgment and carton labels, as well as the PO instructions. Check whether the vendor also includes it on the invoice or packing list. Carry it onto your receiving tag so the link survives unpacking.

The trade meaning is reflected in this sidemark documentation: the reference tells a vendor how to tag merchandise for delivery. Your store’s specific workflow should make that instruction visible where the vendor actually reads it.

The furniture PO checklist helps keep the reference beside the specification. A label saying “sofa” contributes very little in a building devoted to sofas.

What if the vendor ignores the sidemark?

Compare the returned acknowledgment with the request before shipment. If the reference is absent, ask the vendor to confirm how it will label the pieces and provide the connection between its sales-order number and yours.

For a recurring omission, agree a repeatable labeling instruction with the rep and the shipping team. Keep that agreement with the PO conversation. A store can also add its own receiving tags after identifying the goods, but those tags should come from a checked match.

How do you match an unlabeled carton?

Hold the carton for identification rather than assigning it to the first similar order. Compare the packing list, vendor order number, model, configuration, quantities, and any serial or manufacturing identifiers with the outstanding POs.

If the evidence still leaves two possible customers, ask the vendor to resolve the match. Photograph the packaging and the identifiers that are present. Keep the item out of available stock and delivery preparation until receiving knows what it is.

The receiving checklist should include that exception path. Identical appearance is not a reason to erase an order’s identity.

How does OrderPilot connect the piece to its order?

OrderPilot links PO lines to the customer orders they fulfill. The team can review those links while purchasing from the sold specification, then hold received units for the order they cover.

For a vendor-visible sidemark, put the reference in the line description or the PO’s Vendor notes and inspect the PDF before sending. The saved Side Label and per-line customer-order number do not print on the PO PDF. The printed specification and vendor notes give the vendor the information it needs to label the goods. A customer name appears in the delivery address only for customer or dropship delivery when the PO’s source orders belong to one customer; a store-delivery address is the store. A searchable order-number reference can help the team locate the project internally.

Finish the receiving handoff by reviewing stock held for customer orders. The reference identifies the piece, and the hold preserves who it is for.

Sources

1. COM/COL/COT identification and application form — Gregorius Pineo, September 26, 2024.
2. Component window: Special instructions tab — Design Manager manual. Used for the trade definition only.