Trade Guides
Drawer Boxes, RTA Boxes and Panels: Repeat B2B Orders
Drawer box ordering for trade suppliers works best with size rules, cut-list uploads, account pricing and one-click reorders. Here is how to set it up.
Drawer box ordering, RTA cabinet boxes and cut-to-size panels are repeat trade business: the same shops order similar items every week, in quantity, from a cut list. What those customers need is speed and accuracy, which means bulk line entry checked against your size rules, their own pricing, PO numbers and a reorder button. A homeowner-style guided flow is too slow for them.
Who buys and how they order
Trade suppliers sell to cabinet shops, renovation contractors, furniture makers and sometimes other manufacturers. Their buyers tend to:
- Order many lines at once, sometimes dozens or hundreds of parts in one order.
- Work from a cut list or a design software export.
- Reorder the same configurations repeatedly.
- Buy on account with a PO number and expect terms.
- Have several people placing orders: the owner, a shop foreman, an office manager.
Most of these orders still arrive by email as spreadsheets, PDFs or photos of handwritten lists. Someone at the supplier re-keys them. Every re-key is a chance to swap width and depth.
Drawer box ordering rules that matter
Drawer boxes look like simple rectangles, but there are rules behind every one:
- Inside vs. outside dimensions. State clearly whether the customer gives the box's outside size or the cabinet opening, and calculate the other from your standard clearances for the slide type.
- Slide type. Undermount, side mount and others each need different clearances and sometimes notches or bottom recesses. The slide choice should drive the size math.
- Height increments. Many suppliers make boxes in set heights. Round or restrict to those.
- Minimum and maximum sizes. Very small or very deep boxes may not be buildable on your equipment.
- Material and joinery. Species or material, bottom thickness, dovetail or dowel, finish.
- Extras. Scoops, file rails, dividers, drilling for front adjusters.
RTA cabinet boxes and cut-to-size panels have their own rules: standard box sizes and depths, edgebanding sides, hinge boring patterns, grain direction, and maximum sheet sizes. The checkout should apply these per line.
| Product | Key rules | Typical errors caught |
|---|---|---|
| Drawer boxes | Slide clearances, height increments, size limits | Opening given instead of box size, impossible heights |
| RTA cabinet boxes | Standard widths and depths, boring patterns | Non-standard size without upcharge, wrong hinge side |
| Cut-to-size panels | Sheet size limits, grain direction, edgeband sides | Panels larger than sheet stock, grain running the wrong way |
Bulk entry from a cut list
For trade buyers, the fastest way in is the list they already have. Two methods cover most shops:
- CSV or spreadsheet upload. The customer uploads their cut list. Each line is mapped to your products and checked against the rules. Lines with errors are highlighted with a plain message ("Height 4.25 in not available, nearest sizes 4 in and 4.5 in").
- Grid entry. A table with one row per part, quantity, size and options, checked as they type.
We go deeper on this in ordering from a cut list. The important point is that bulk orders go through the same rules as single orders. Speed should never skip the checks.
Account pricing, POs and terms
Trade customers rarely pay list price. They have account pricing based on volume or relationship, and they expect it to be applied automatically. A tier per account (or a discount off list per account) means the price on screen is their price. See dealer price tiers without the spreadsheet.
They also need:
- A PO number or job name field on every order.
- Net terms for approved accounts, with invoices issued when the order ships or is placed, per your policy.
- Team logins so the foreman can build an order and the owner approves it if it goes above a set amount.
More on this in Net 30, POs and credit limits.
One-click reorders
Repeat business is the core of a trade supplier's revenue. A cabinet shop building a standard kitchen package might order the same set of drawer boxes every month. Make it easy:
- Order history with every past order searchable by PO or job name.
- A reorder button that copies the lines into a new order, rechecked against current rules and prices.
- The ability to edit quantities or remove lines before submitting.
Order status visible in the same place cuts the "where's my order" calls.
How Inlay handles this
- Inlay's dealer portal supports CSV and cut-list bulk line entry, with every line checked against your size and material rules before the order is placed.
- Each account gets its own price tier, PO numbers on orders and net terms (Net 15/30/60) invoiced through your own Stripe account.
- Customers can reorder in one click, see order status and use team logins with approval limits.
- Orders sync to Allmoxy or any production system that accepts a webhook, CSV or email.
- Each company's order data lives in a separate encrypted database, and you can export everything any time.
Book a 20-minute demo to see bulk drawer box and panel orders in Inlay.