Purchase Orders

The Purchase Orders tab manages your procurement workflow. Create, send, and track purchase orders from initial request through to conversion to bills when goods or services are received.

Overview cards

At the top of the page, summary cards show your current PO position:

Draft POs

• Amount: Total value of purchase orders in Draft status
• Count: Number of draft POs
• Purpose: POs created but not yet sent to suppliers
• Action: Review and send to suppliers

Sent POs

• Amount: Total value of POs already sent to suppliers
• Count: Number of sent POs
• Purpose: POs awaiting supplier acknowledgment or delivery
• Action: Track delivery and follow up as needed

Received/Billed

• Amount: Total converted to bills
• Count: Number of POs converted
• Purpose: POs that have been received and converted to bills
• Action: These are now in the Bills workflow

The purchase orders list

List columns

Row actions

Click any PO row to open the PO Editor where you can:

• View full PO details
• Edit line items and quantities
• Update status
• Convert to bill when goods received
• Download or print PO

Status filter

Filter purchase orders by their current state:

• All: Every PO in the system
• Draft: POs created but not yet sent
• Sent: POs sent to suppliers, awaiting delivery
• Partially Received: Some items received, some pending
• Received/Billed: Fully received and converted to bill
• Cancelled: POs that were cancelled

Using the status filter

1. Click the Status dropdown
2. Select the desired state
3. The list updates to show only matching POs

Use case examples:

• Check “Sent” to follow up on pending deliveries
• Review “Draft” to find POs ready to send
• See “Partially Received” to track split deliveries

Supplier filter

Filter POs by specific supplier:

All Suppliers: Show POs from all vendors (default)

Select Supplier: Choose a specific supplier to see only their POs

When to use supplier filter

• Reconciling supplier statements
• Reviewing all orders with a specific vendor
• Checking order history before placing new orders

Date filter

Filter POs by date range:

Filter by date button: Opens date range selector

• Preset ranges: Today, This Week, This Month, This Quarter, This Year
• Custom range: Select specific start and end dates
• Clear filter: Remove date restrictions

When to use date filters

• Finding POs from a specific period
• Quarter-end procurement review
• Year-end audit preparation

Search

The search box filters POs by:

• Supplier name
• PO number
• Line item descriptions

Search tips

• Search by PO number: “PO-1001”
• Find supplier POs: “ABC Supplies”
• Search for specific items: “laptop”

Creating new purchase orders

Purchase Order button

Click the Purchase Order button to create a new PO:

Opens the PO Editor with:

• Blank PO form
• Your next sequential PO number
• Today’s date as default

Purchase Order status explained

Visual status badges

Each PO displays a status badge:

Status workflow

Draft → Sent → Partially Received → Received/Billed
                    ↓
                Cancelled (at any point)

Draft: You’re still editing, not visible to supplier

Sent: Emailed to supplier or shared via portal

Partially Received: Track split deliveries, some items arrived

Received/Billed: Complete, converted to bill for payment

Cancelled: PO voided, no longer valid

Managing the PO lifecycle

From draft to sent

1. Create PO in Draft status
2. Review all details
3. Click Send to email to supplier
4. Status changes to “Sent”

Tracking deliveries

For split deliveries:

1. PO status changes to “Partially Received” automatically
2. Some line items marked received, others pending
3. Update quantities as more items arrive
4. When all items received, convert to bill

Converting to bill

When goods/services fully delivered:

1. Open the PO in editor
2. Click Convert to Bill
3. PO line items transfer to new bill
4. Adjust quantities/prices if actual differs from PO
5. Status changes to “Received/Billed”

PO numbering

Purchase orders use sequential numbering:

• Format: PO-XXXX (e.g., PO-1001)
• Next number configured in Bill Settings
• Important for tracking and reference
• Cannot reuse numbers

PO number display

• Generated automatically on new PO
• Shown in PO list
• Appears on PO documents sent to suppliers
• Links to related bill when converted

Supplier communication

Sending POs

From PO Editor:

1. Review PO details
2. Click Send button
3. Email sent to supplier contact
4. PDF attachment included
5. Status updates to “Sent”

Email templates

Configure in Emails tab:

• PO Sent: Template for sending POs
• Customizable subject and body
• Placeholders for PO details

Integration with bills

PO to bill conversion

When you receive goods:

1. Original PO line items pre-fill the bill
2. Adjust quantities for actual receipt
3. Update prices if different from estimate
4. Add freight/other charges not on PO

Why use POs before bills

• Approval workflow: Get internal approval before ordering
• Budget control: See committed spend before purchasing
• Delivery tracking: Know what’s expected vs received
• Three-way match: PO → Delivery Note → Invoice

Reporting and analysis

PO data feeds into:

• Committed spend reports: See total PO value not yet billed
• Supplier analysis: Track order volume by vendor
• Procurement timelines: Review time from PO to receipt

AU-specific considerations

GST on POs

• POs show estimated GST
• Final GST confirmed when converted to bill
• Tax codes preliminary until actual invoice received

ABN verification

• Ensure supplier ABN recorded before sending PO
• ABN appears on PO document
• Required for claiming GST credits later

Best practices

Before sending POs

• Verify supplier details (ABN, delivery address)
• Confirm item specifications
• Check pricing accuracy
• Ensure delivery date is realistic

PO tracking

• Review “Sent” POs weekly
• Follow up on overdue deliveries
• Update status as items arrive
• Convert to bill promptly upon full receipt

Record keeping

• Keep all POs even after conversion
• PO number referenced on related bill
• Full audit trail maintained

Troubleshooting

Can’t find a PO

• Check all status filters (might be “Received/Billed”)
• Search by PO number or supplier
• Verify date range

PO sent but not received

• Check supplier email address
• Resend if needed
• Contact supplier directly
• Update delivery date if delayed

Partial delivery issues

• Mark only received items
• Contact supplier about missing items
• Can convert partial to bill if needed
• Create new PO for missing items

Wrong supplier on PO

• If Draft: Edit and change supplier
• If Sent: Cancel PO, create new one
• Notify supplier of cancellation

Related pages

• PO Editor - Create and edit individual purchase orders
• Suppliers - Manage supplier database
• Bills Tab - View bills converted from POs
• Bill Editor - Convert POs to payable bills
• Settings - Configure PO numbering and defaults