RO Manager for Central Parts

Last updated: May 9, 2026

Overview

The RO Manager is a workflow tab designed for central parts teams who need to move through orders quickly, focus on exceptions, and audit files. It organizes every RO in PartBay into filtered views that surface only what needs attention at each stage of the ordering process.

Unlike the Dashboard, which gives a broad view of all activity, the RO Manager applies stricter filters so each tab only shows files in a specific phase. It also includes a side-drawer view that lets you take action on an order without leaving the list — ideal for getting through exceptions in volume. Below is a brief walkthrough of that tab.

Default Filter - Workfile's Active for the Last 15 Days

The default view includes workfiles that have been active for the last 15 days. You can change this using the filter icon in the top right, but we largely view anything past 15 days as not an actionable file.

Tabs in the RO Manager

Each tab in the RO Manager represents a phase in the ordering lifecycle. Files move from left to right as they progress.

Tab

What It Shows

All

Every file in the RO Manager across all phases. Useful when you need to search broadly or don't know which phase a file is in.

New Parts

Files that have just been imported into PartBay and have not yet been quoted.

Ready to Order

Files that have been quoted but were not auto-ordered. This includes flagged orders, confirmed selections (when auto-order is disabled), and orders that exceeded a margin threshold. Potential totals and quote-onlys are excluded from this view.

Potential Total

Files marked as potential totals or quote-only. These are separated from Ready to Order because they aren't intended to be ordered in the normal flow.

Needs Export

Files in the final review phase before being marked complete. This is where central parts users review rekeys, flagged rekeys, and advisor scores.

Completed

Files that have been marked complete and are no longer active in the workflow.

Manually Flagged

Any file that a user has manually flagged for later review. You can flag files for yourself or for others on the team.

The Order Drawer

One of the key advantages of the RO Manager is that you can take action on an order without navigating away from the list. Each row includes two ways to open an order:

  • Clicking the hyperlink opens the full order page (same as navigating from the Dashboard)

  • Clicking the row itself opens a side drawer with a simplified view of the order

The side drawer is designed for speed. It shows a summary of the order status (e.g., "11 of 14 parts have been ordered and confirmed") along with the flagged or outstanding parts that need attention.

What You Can Do in the Drawer

Every action available on the full order page is also available in the drawer:

  • View flag reasons — hover over any flag to see why the part was flagged (e.g., manually flagged by a user before quoting, low margin, non-preferred vendor)

  • Exclude a part — remove a part from the order

  • Change the selection — swap to a different option before ordering

  • Place the order — confirm and submit the order without opening the full page

  • View placed orders — see the full order details for anything already ordered

This drawer-based workflow is what makes the RO Manager efficient for central parts users processing large volumes of exceptions.

When to Use the RO Manager

The RO Manager is built for central parts team members whose primary job is to:

  • Quickly work through exceptions and flagged orders

  • Audit files as they move through the ordering workflow

  • Stay focused on the parts of the process that still need human attention, rather than reviewing every order from scratch

Estimators and shop-level users will typically spend more time in the Dashboard. Central parts users should make the RO Manager their default workspace.

FAQ

What's the difference between the Dashboard and the RO Manager?

The Dashboard shows all PartBay activity with minimal filtering. The RO Manager applies stricter filters focused on the ordering lifecycle, which makes it faster to find and act on exceptions.

Why are potential totals and quote-onlys in their own tab?

They're excluded from the Ready to Order tab because they aren't intended to be ordered in the normal flow. Separating them keeps the Ready to Order queue focused on actionable work.

Can I take action on an order without opening the full order page?

Yes. Click the row (not the hyperlink) to open the side drawer, where you can review flags, change selections, exclude parts, and place orders.

What does "Manually Flagged" mean?

Any file a user has flagged for later review. You can flag files for yourself during normal work, and the Manually Flagged tab gives you one place to come back to them.

Who should primarily use the RO Manager?

Central parts users. The tab is designed for high-volume exception handling and auditing, which is typically the central parts team's responsibility.