@Rasa-LilaM 

It seems QB team doesn't want to have the sales order function any time soon judging from your response

Your logic/ team's logic is this. You can use estimates! You convert estimates to invoice. Let me explain why this logic is flawed.

First, let's walk through how production type business use Quick Books Desktop Premier.

1. Customer request for quote on producing a product via email.

2. The business enters quote into QB and send the quote to customer.

3. Customer sends Purchase Order via email.

4. The business enters sales order with PO number, delivery date, and attached Purchase Order.

5. Production checks its backlog through Open Sales Order report. Production can prioritize which one to work on first based on delivery date on the report

6. Customer requests status update on the specific PO among many other ongoing purchase orders from different customers.

7.business easily tracks the order by entering PO number from Sales Order entry and give update to the customer

8.Part is delivered. Create an invoice from sales order and attach proof of delivery.

9. business runs booked sales order report by dollar amount and distinguishes it from delivered sales report by dollar amount to understand its operation better.

Please advise me how you deal with processes 4,5,6,7 and 9 effectively with current QBO without introducing Sales Order function.

Good luck