Getting Started with Purchase Orders

The Purchase Order (PO) system is designed to track costs from the moment you commit to a purchase until the final bill is paid. This allows you to manage supplier costs through a two-stage process: creating the order and later linking it to a Bill (also known as a Purchase Invoice).  Whether you are ordering office supplies or assigning work to a haulier, this system ensures your financial records are accurate and integrated.

Manual POs vs. Subcontractor POs

There are two distinct ways a Purchase Order can enter the system. While they both end up in your "Open" list, they function slightly differently:

Navigating the PO Dashboard

The main Purchase Orders screen is your hub for tracking the status of every commitment. The header bar allows you to toggle between views:

• Open: Displays orders with a status of New, Pending Approval, or Part-Invoiced.
• Invoiced: A history of all fully processed POs.
• Cancelled: A record of all voided or rejected POs.
• Pending Approvals: Quick access to purchase orders awaiting a manager's sign-off.
• Subcontract Summary: Quick access to the subcontractor PO tool.

The Order List

In any of these views, you can see high-level data at a glance, including Order No, Date, PO Type, Supplier, and Total Value.

• View Icon: Click to open the full details of an order.
• PDF Icon: Instantly generate a printable version of the PO.
• Supplier Code: Click this to jump directly to that Supplier’s profile settings.

Creating a Manual Purchase Order

To start a new order, click the New Order button in the top right of the screen.

1. Select Supplier: Choose the vendor for the order.
2. Order Date: This defaults to today’s date but can be adjusted.
3. Purchase Order Type: This defaults based on your settings (Settings > Purchase Order Types under Accounts Settings) but can be changed per order.
4. Add Purchase Lines: You must add at least one line to create the order. (See "Adding/Editing Lines" below).
5. Send Email to Supplier: If checked, a pop-up will appear after you click Create Order, allowing you to review the email address, subject, and message. A PDF of the PO is automatically attached.

Adding and Editing Purchase Lines

When adding or editing a line item on a PO, you can define the following:

• Description & Quantity: What you are buying and how many.
• Unit Cost: The price per individual item.
• Nominal & VAT Codes: Essential for your accounting integration.

• Link to Consignment: This lets you link the cost to a specific job (order). You can search by order number or customer name.

  Tip: When a PO is linked to a consignment, the cost will automatically display in the Financials tab of that job, allowing for accurate profit reporting. On an invoiced order, the PO will be linked just under where the invoice is linked.

Editing and Cancelling Purchase Orders

Editing an Existing PO

As long as a Purchase Order has not been invoiced, you can click the View icon to make changes.

• What you can change: Order Date, Notes, and Purchase Lines.
• You can add new lines using the green button.
• Resending: If you need to send the updated PO to the supplier, click the three dots at the top right and select Send Email.

Cancelling a PO

The rules for cancelling depend on the current status of the order:

• New Status: Click the three dots in the upper right and select Cancel.
• Pending Approval Status: These cannot be "cancelled" directly; they should be Rejected instead.
• Bulk Cancellation: From the Open list view, you can select the checkboxes for multiple POs and click the Cancel button at the top of the list.

Next Steps: Moving to Bills

A Purchase Order is a "promise to pay." To complete the cycle, you must record the actual bill when it arrives from your supplier.

Once you receive a bill, you will create a Bill (formerly known as a Purchase Invoice and found under Accounts > Bills). From there, you can allocate your Purchase Order to that bill—either line-by-line or by the total order number. This action moves the PO from New to Invoiced (or Part-Invoiced if only some items were billed) and prepares the data to be synced with your accounting software.