Purchase Order Emails and Notifications
A quick reference for every email the purchase order system sends - who receives it, when, and the settings that control it. Useful when someone asks "why didn't I get the email?".
Emails to your team
- Approval request - sent when an order needs approval, to everyone whose approval limit covers it. Only users with Purchase order approval requests switched on in the Notifications tab of their profile receive it - switching it off stops the emails without removing approval rights, so make sure at least one approver has it on. If an approved order's total is later increased, a re-approval required version goes out the same way.
- Order approved - sent to whoever created the order when it is approved.
- Order rejected - sent to whoever created the order, including the rejection reason if one was given.
Emails to the supplier
- The purchase order itself - sent automatically to the addresses in the order's Send to box as soon as the order is approved, with the PO PDF attached. Nothing is sent while the order is awaiting approval, and nothing is sent if the box was left blank. To send or resend at any time, open the order and choose Send Email from the three dots menu.
- Subcontractor POs - POs generated from the Subcontract Summary are emailed automatically on creation to the supplier's accounts email address (or their main contact address if none is set), with the PDF attached. The person who generated them receives a copy.
- Cancellation notice - when a PO is cancelled, the supplier's accounts email address is notified so they know not to fulfil it.
The day-to-day subcontract job emails - work instructions, rates and delivery notes sent when allocating work on the Scheduler - are separate from purchase orders. See Setting subcontractor rates when allocating work.
Common questions
- An approver says they never get approval emails. Check Purchase order approval requests is switched on in the Notifications tab of their profile, and that their approval limit actually covers the orders in question - the email only goes to users who could approve that order.
- The supplier says they never received the PO. Check the order was approved (pending orders are never emailed) and that the Send to box has the right address. Open the order and use Send Email to send it again.
- Which supplier address is used? Manual POs email whatever is in the order's Send to box, which prefills from the supplier's profile. Subcontractor POs and cancellation notices go to the supplier's accounts email address.