# PAMS Ordering via API — Operations SOP

**Audience:** Operations / Fulfillment team
**Last updated:** June 11, 2026
**Replaces:** emailing the PAMS buy-price spreadsheet to PAMS

---

## What changed

We no longer email PAMS the fulfillment spreadsheet. Instead, the same Buy Price file
is **uploaded into Central**, and Central automatically:

1. **Sends the purchase order to PAMS** — a PAMS work order is created instantly, with
   the exact prices from the Ops-verified Buy Price file.
2. **Creates the Go-Parts Ship order** at the PAMS warehouse — the same thing the
   "Ship" button used to do. PAMS staff see the order in Go-Parts Ship and print the
   shipping label there, like they do today.
3. Marks the items **Shipped** in Central and adds the order notes automatically.

Everything runs on a **15-minute cycle** — after you upload, the order reaches PAMS
within 15 minutes. There is nothing else to send and nobody to email.

> **HAZMAT parts (airbags / seat belts):** the purchase order is still sent to PAMS
> automatically, but no Go-Parts Ship order is created — **PAMS handles the shipping**
> for hazmat themselves.

---

## The 3-step daily workflow

### Step 1 — Export the Buy Price file (same as always)

Go to the **Fulfillment** page, pick your PAMS fulfillment order from the dropdown,
and click the purple **Export (PAMS)** button. This downloads the Buy Price file.

![Step 1 — Fulfillment page with Export (PAMS)](img/step1-fulfillment-export.png)

The prices, core charges, HAZMAT flags, and the ship-to address in this file are
**exactly what gets sent to PAMS** — so the usual price verification matters just
as much as before. PAMS bills whatever price the file says.

### Step 2 — Upload it on the PAMS Fulfillment page

Go to **PAMS Fulfillment** (in the Fulfillment menu), stay on the **Import CSV** tab,
choose the file you just exported, and click **Upload**.

![Step 2 — PAMS Fulfillment import tab](img/step2-import-tab.png)

![Step 3 — file selected](img/step3-file-selected.png)

You'll see an **Import Summary** — check that the *imported* count matches the number
of PAMS lines in your file:

![Step 4 — import success](img/step4-import-success.png)

| Summary says | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **imported** | Line staged — will be sent to PAMS on the next 15-minute cycle |
| **skipped** | Already imported earlier (safe — duplicates are never re-sent), or the order/item couldn't be matched (a message explains which) |
| **errors** | Something is wrong with the line — read the message shown below the summary |

### Step 3 — Check the View Orders tab (a few minutes later)

Switch to the **View Orders** tab. Each uploaded part is one row:

![Step 5 — View Orders tab](img/step5-view-orders.png)

**Status column** (the PAMS purchase order):

| Badge | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| **Pending** (yellow) | Waiting for the next 15-minute cycle | Nothing — wait |
| **Ordered** (blue) | PAMS accepted the PO — the **WO #** column shows the PAMS work order number | Nothing — done |
| **Error** (red) | PAMS rejected the line — the **Error** column says why | See "Handling errors" below |

**GPS column** (the Go-Parts Ship order):

| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Pending** | Go-Parts Ship order not created yet (only happens after PAMS accepts the PO) |
| **Created** | Go-Parts Ship order exists — PAMS will pack & print the label there |
| **Hazmat — PAMS ships** | No Go-Parts Ship order on purpose — PAMS ships hazmat themselves |
| **Pre-shipped** | The item already had a shipment before the upload — nothing was duplicated |

---

## Handling errors

When a row shows **Error**, hover the Error column to read the full message, fix the
cause, then press the orange **Retry** button — the row goes back to Pending and is
re-sent on the next cycle.

![Step 6 — error row with Retry](img/step6-error-retry.png)

What the error messages mean in plain language:

| The error says… | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The **price is too low** (it shows the minimum PAMS expects) | Our Buy Price is below PAMS's price for that part | Verify the price, re-export the Buy Price file with the corrected price, then Retry |
| The part is **not available** | The part is no longer in stock at PAMS or is blocked from sale | Source the part elsewhere; contact PAMS if you believe it's wrong |
| The **stock ticket doesn't match** | Our records don't match the physical part at PAMS | Contact PAMS with the order number |
| There is **no buy price** | The wrong file was uploaded (not the Buy Price export) | Re-export using **Export (PAMS)** and upload again |
| There is **no stock ticket** | The part isn't in PAMS's daily inventory file yet | Try again later with Retry |
| It **gave up after several attempts** | PAMS's system was unreachable for a while | Press Retry once; if it errors again, tell the dev team |

**Important:** if any line of an order fails, PAMS rejects the **whole order** (none of
its lines get a work order). Fix all errored lines, then Retry them — the order is
re-sent as a whole.

---

## Rules to remember

1. **Always use the Buy Price export** (purple **Export (PAMS)** button) — not the plain
   fulfillment export. The plain export has no prices, and those rows will error.
2. **Prices are final.** PAMS bills exactly what the file says, so the price check
   before export is the real safeguard. Overpriced lines are *accepted* by PAMS, not
   rejected — they just cost us money.
3. **No more emails to PAMS.** The upload replaces the email completely.
4. **Cancellations can't go through the system.** If an order must be cancelled after it
   shows **Ordered**, call or email PAMS directly (the work order number is on the row).
5. **Duplicates are safe.** Re-uploading the same file never creates a second PO — rows
   already imported are skipped.
6. **HAZMAT** rows ship by PAMS — don't look for them in Go-Parts Ship.

---

## Quick reference

| | |
|---|---|
| Page | **PAMS Fulfillment** → `https://central.go-parts.com/pams-fulfillment` |
| Processing cycle | Every 15 minutes, automatic |
| PAMS work order # | **WO #** column on the View Orders tab |
| PAMS contact | pamsadmin@pamsauto.com (include the Order # and WO #) |
| Export button | **Export (PAMS)** on the Fulfillment page = the Buy Price file |
| Cancellations | Phone/email PAMS — they cannot be done from Central |

A short video walkthrough is available alongside this document: **PAMS-API-Walkthrough.mp4**.