Order to Ship Ratio (Book-to-Bill) & Backlog Analytics
The Pulse of Agency Growth: Order to Ship Ratio
Tracking raw sales volume only tells you what happened yesterday. The Order to Ship Ratio Report (known in the industry as the Book-to-Bill Ratio) is a critical analytical report designed to help agency principals and sales managers evaluate forward demand, shipping backlogs, and operational fulfillment efficiency.
Core Mathematical Metric
Book-to-Bill Ratio = New Orders $ / Invoiced Sales $
Interpreting the Ratio
- Ratio > 1.00 (100%): You are booking business faster than manufacturers are shipping, building a healthy backlog for future commissions.
- Ratio = 1.00 (100%): Booking and fulfillment are in perfect equilibrium.
- Ratio < 1.00 (100%): Invoicing is clearing existing backlogs faster than new incoming demand is being captured.
Stepped Hierarchy Layout & Grouping
The report uses an advanced Stepped Layout to present complex multi-manufacturer relationships with maximum clarity:
- Primary Header: Customer Account Name and assigned Sales Representative.
- Subordinated Indented Rows: Specific Manufacturer data and annual performance indicators indented cleanly beneath each client account.
Key Analytical Metrics
| Metric | Business Definition & Formula |
|---|---|
| Year Start Backlog | Unfilled order balance carried over into the current operating year. |
| Order $ YTD | Cumulative value of all new orders placed year-to-date. |
| Order + Backlog | Total shipping opportunity for the year (Year Start Backlog + Order $ YTD). |
| Invoice $ YTD | Actual products shipped and invoiced year-to-date. |
| Fulfillment % | Operational delivery rate (Invoice $ YTD / [Order + Backlog]). |
| Year End Backlog | Remaining unfilled order backlog pending fulfillment. |
Interactive Smart Charts & Export Options
Click the Chart Icon on the data toolbar to toggle filter-aware data visualizations:
- Order vs. Invoice YTD by Sales Rep: Compare booking vs. billing across team members.
- Fulfillment % by Manufacturer: Identify supply chain bottlenecks or factory shipping delays.
- Total Opportunity by Customer: Rank accounts by total potential revenue.
Printed PDF versions provide concise executive summaries, while full monthly triplet breakdowns (Jan–Dec) are accessible anytime via Export to CSV in the Actions menu.