Activated orders versus reduction orders
Key Takeaway
After an order is activated, you can't add or remove its order products, so you track a return, cancellation, or service reduction with a reduction order. Each reduction order ties back to one original activated order. Users create reduction orders in Salesforce Classic.
Activating an order puts limits on it to protect the integrity of order data. When a customer later wants to return products, cancel, or reduce services, you track that request with a reduction order. A reduction order is a separate agreement that ties back to one original activated order.
Activating an order
Before you can activate an order, the order must include order products. It must also belong to an active contract, because you can't activate orders for inactive contracts.
After you activate an order, you can still modify its order products, but you can't add or remove them. These limits protect the integrity of order data.
So when a customer later asks for a return or cancellation, you don't remove order products from the activated order. You create a reduction order instead.