What is the default sales order status if a company does use a sales order approval process?

If a company implements a sales order approval process within NetSuite, the default sales order status is "Pending Approval." This designation indicates that the sales order has been created but is awaiting the necessary approvals from the designated personnel in order to proceed further in the order fulfillment process.

The "Pending Approval" status is essential for companies that require oversight and authorization prior to fulfilling orders, ensuring that only approved transactions move forward. This process helps maintain control over sales operations, financial commitments, and inventory management.

Other statuses like "Pending Fulfillment," "Awaiting Payment," and "Ready for Shipment" occur later in the sales order lifecycle and typically apply to orders that have already received approval and are at various stages of the fulfillment process. Thus, they do not represent the initial status in an approved order process, making "Pending Approval" the accurate answer.