Purchases by Supplier

Spending breakdown by supplier. Track where your money goes and manage supplier relationships.

Overview

Purchases by Supplier shows how much you spent with each supplier over a period. It helps you identify major suppliers, analyse spending patterns, and negotiate better terms.

What it shows

Total purchases by supplier
Number of bills per supplier
Percentage of total spending per supplier
Supplier ranking by spend

Report columns

Column	Description
Supplier	Supplier name
Bills	Number of bills received
Total Purchases	Sum of all bill amounts
% of Total	Supplier’s share of total spending

Generating the report

Step 1: Set date range

Select period to analyse
Common periods: This Month, This Quarter, This Financial Year, Last Financial Year

Step 2: Choose reporting basis

Basis	What It Includes
Accrual	All bills in period (whether paid or not)
Cash	Only paid bills

Note: Cash basis only includes expenses from bills that have been paid.

Step 3: Filter by supplier (optional)

Show all suppliers (default)
Search for specific supplier

Step 4: Click Generate Report

Understanding the layout

Summary stat cards

Top cards show:

Total Purchases — All spending in period
Total Suppliers — Number of unique suppliers
Average per Supplier — Purchases / number of suppliers

Report table


Supplier              Bills    Purchases    % of Total
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Office Warehouse         15     $12,400         18.2%
Tech Solutions            8      $9,800         14.4%
Professional Services     4      $8,500         12.5%
Utilities Co.          12      $6,200          9.1%
Marketing Agency          3      $5,400          7.9%
... (more suppliers)
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TOTALS                   62     $68,100        100.0%

Sorting

Click column headers to sort:

Purchases — Highest to lowest (default)
Supplier — Alphabetical
Bills — Most bills first

Interpreting the report

Supplier concentration

Balanced spending:

No single supplier dominates
Diversified supply base
Lower risk of disruption

High concentration:

Top supplier > 30% of spend
Dependency risk
Opportunity for volume discounts

Spending patterns

Frequent small purchases:

Many bills, lower average
Often consumables and services
Consider bulk buying

Infrequent large purchases:

Few bills, high value
Often capital equipment
Negotiate payment terms

Using the report

Supplier management

Identify top 20% of suppliers (typically 80% of spend)
Review relationships with major suppliers
Negotiate better terms with high-volume suppliers
Consolidate purchasing where beneficial

Cost control

Review spending trends
Identify areas of increase
Benchmark against previous periods
Set budgets by supplier category

Procurement planning

Forecast needs based on history
Schedule regular orders with key suppliers
Plan for seasonal variations

Payment planning

See upcoming commitments
Align payment runs with cash flow
Prioritise critical suppliers

Exporting

CSV export

Generate the report
Click Export → CSV
File downloads as Purchases_by_Supplier_YYYY-MM-DD.csv

Use CSV for:

Spend analysis in spreadsheet
Supplier performance reviews
Budget preparation
Cost benchmarking

Best practices

Regular review

Monthly: Check for unusual spending
Quarterly: Analyse trends and patterns
Annually: Strategic supplier review

Supplier consolidation

Review whether multiple suppliers can be consolidated
Volume discounts often available
Simplifies procurement process
But maintain backup suppliers for critical items

Expense categorisation

Purchases by Supplier shows who you paid. For what you bought:

Also review by expense category in P&L
Same supplier may supply different categories
Helps understand spending composition

Payment timing

Consider alongside Aged Payables:

High spend + prompt payment = excellent supplier terms
High spend + stretched payments = strain relationship

AU-specific notes

GST considerations

Report shows gross amounts (including GST)
GST component shown separately in Tax Summary
Expenses for P&L include GST (accrual basis)

EOFY analysis

Before June 30:

Run full year Purchases by Supplier
Review for year-on-year changes
Identify suppliers for EOFY discounts

Tax deductions

Expenses deductible when bill received (accrual)
Ensure all business expenses captured
Private portions excluded

Comparison to other reports