# Purchase Orders

> A Purchase Order is a document that a Purchasing Organization sends to a Supplier Organization. It specifies the products or services to be purchased, in a

Source: https://www.purchaseplus.com/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders

Markdown: https://www.purchaseplus.com/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders.md

# Purchase Orders
Jump to:

-   [Introduction - What is a Purchase Order?](#Introduction)
-   [Viewing your Purchase Orders](#ViewingPurchaseOrders)
    -   [Viewing a Single Purchase Order](#ViewingASinglePurchaseOrder)
        -   [Quick Panels on Wide Monitors](#QuickPanels)
    -   [Purchase Order Statuses](#PurchaseOrderStatuses)
-   [Creating Purchase Orders](#CreatingPurchaseOrders)
-   [Consolidate Purchase Orders](#consolidate-purchase-orders)
-   [Sending Purchase Orders](#SendingPurchaseOrders)
-   [Cancelling Purchase Orders](#CancellingPurchaseOrders)
-   [Receiving Notes](#ReceivingNotes)
-   [Closing a Purchase Order](#ClosingPOs)
-   [Match purchase orders to invoices](#match-purchase-orders-to-invoices)
-   [Printing Purchase Orders](#PrintingPOs)
-   [Frequently Asked Questions](#FrequentlyAskedQuestions)

### Purchase Order

A Purchase Order is a document that a Purchasing Organization sends to a [Supplier](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-suppliers) Organization. It specifies the [products](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-products) or services to be purchased, in a desired quantity, and at an expected price. 

A Purchase Order can also include important information like Delivery Address, Expected Delivery Date, and other useful information that helps the Purchaser and Supplier communicate about the Purchase Order.

### Viewing Your Purchase Orders

To find your Purchase Orders select \[**Purchase Orders**\] → \[**View All**\] from the side navigation bar:

![Viewing Purchase Orders](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-1.avif)  
You can filter Purchase Orders by status: \[**Not Sent**\], \[**Sent**\], \[**Closed**\], \[**Cancelled**\], or Search for a specific Purchase Order.

#### Viewing a Single Purchase Order

Click on the Purchase Order Number in the Purchase Orders table to review the document in greater detail.

![Purchase Order details](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-2.avif)

The following actions are available on each Purchase Order:

a. Quick actions are available in the header of the Purchase Order. \[**Mark Purchase Order as Sent**\], \[**Receive Goods**\], \[**Match Invoice**\], \[**Show or hide details**\], \[**View Related Documents**\], and a \[**More Menu**\] → \[**View Audit Log**\] → \[**Print**\] → \[**Close Purchase Order**\] → \[**Cancel Purchase Order**\] → \[**Get Help**\]. See our [Send a Purchase Order](/docs/for-purchasers/send-a-purchase-order) article and our [Match a Purchase Order to an Invoice](/docs/for-purchasers/match-a-purchase-order-to-an-invoice) article to learn more.

b. View helpful information: Status, Goods Received Indicator and the Goods Invoiced Indicator. 

c. Purchase Order Tabs: \[**Product Summary**\], \[**Settings**\], \[**Comments**\], \[**Invoices**\], \[**Receiving Notes**\], \[**Send Events**\].

d. \[**Advanced View**\]. Click to view consolidated Purchase Order Sub-Lines. 

e. \[**Receive Goods**\]. Click to create a Goods Receiving Note.

f. \[**Search Products**\]. Enter product names, to search Purchase Order for item.

g. \[**Manage Columns**\]. Click to show and hide table columns.

h. Purchase Order lines. Click \[**Info**\] to browse detailed information relating to the Purchase Order line. This can be useful to understand the Invoiced and Received status of each particular Purchase Order line.

j. View Price and Tax information about each Purchase Order line.

k. View Purchase Order Total Values.

#### Quick Panels on Wide Monitors

Advanced Users who use PurchasePlus on a large monitor may also benefit from the Quick Panels that appear on the right-hand side of the Purchase Order:

![Purchase Order Quick Panel](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-3.avif)

The Quick Panel can be configured to display:

-   Any comments left on the Purchase Order by another user at your Organisation, or by the Supplier themselves if they use PurchasePlus,
-   The links to Related Documents - e.g. the Invoice that has been matched to the Purchase Order, or any Goods Receiving Notes related to that Purchase Order,

You can use the **\[Manage\]** button in the top-right hand corner of the Quick Panel to configure what your panels will display.

The Quick Panel will not be displayed if your monitor is not large enough to fit everything else on the screen.

#### Purchase Order Statuses

A Purchase Order can be in a number of different states:

![Purchase Order Statuses in PurchasePlus](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-4.avif)

-   **Not Sent:** A Not Sent Purchase Order has been created from an Approved Requisition, but it is yet to be Sent to the Supplier. Prior to being Sent, items on a Purchase Order cannot be [Received](/docs/for-purchasers/receive-goods-from-a-purchase-order) or [Invoiced](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-invoices). 
-   **Sent**: A Sent Purchase Order has been marked as Sent and the items on the Purchase Order can now be Received and Invoiced. Once all items on the Purchase Order are Received and Invoiced, the Purchase Order can be Closed.
-   **Closed**: A Purchase Order can be closed once it has been Sent, and all items on the Purchase Order have been fully Received. Closed is the final state of a Purchase Order and it indicates that the Purchase Order items have been successfully received and invoiced.
-   **Cancelled**: A Purchase Order can be cancelled before it has been fully processed. This action terminates the order and voids any transactions associated with it. Cancelled is the status indicating that the Purchase Order will not proceed to completion. **Important:** If the PO has already been sent, the supplier will be notified of the cancellation. To avoid the delivery of incorrect goods, it’s important to cancel the PO as early as possible and also contact the supplier directly to confirm the cancellation. When cancelling older POs as part of a clean-up, we strongly recommend advising the supplier in advance. This helps set clear expectations and reduces the risk of confusion or unintended shipments. Learn more about [Cancelling Purchase Orders](#CancellingPurchaseOrders).

### Creating Purchase Orders

  

Purchase Orders (PO’s) in PurchasePlus are generated automatically when a [Requisition](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-requisitions) is approved. **It is not possible to raise a PO without first raising and approving a Requisition**. Products cannot be added to a Purchase Order once it has been generated - rather, a new Requisition must be created (and approved, if configured).

Purchase Orders inherit their settings (e.g. the assigned Account Code, the Delivery Address etc) from the Approved Requisition from which it was born, and shouldn’t need to be edited very much (if at all) before being [sent to the Supplier(s)](https://learn.purchaseplus.com/legacy-articles/send-purchase-orders?hsLang=en).

### Consolidate Purchase Orders

Consolidating two or more Purchase Orders from the same Supplier will create a singular (new) Purchase Order, and any Sub-Line detail will be available in the newly created Purchase Order. The original Purchase Orders will be hidden and appear to no longer exist in PurchasePlus. This can be a powerful efficiency tool for Purchasers and their Suppliers but does require care when using. [Learn more about Consolidating Purchase Orders.](/docs/for-purchasers/consolidate-purchase-orders)

![Consolidate Purchase Orders in PurchasePlus](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-5.avif)

### Sending Purchase Orders

A Purchase Order in a Not Sent State can be manually sent to a Supplier electronically, or the Requisition may have had the setting applied to send Purchase Orders automatically upon the Requisition’s Approval.

[Sending Purchase Orders to Suppliers](/docs/for-purchasers/send-a-purchase-order) electronically requires:

1.  The 'Send Purchase Orders' permission enabled for the user, and
2.  The [Supplier to have an Electronic Destination](/docs/for-purchasers/view-and-manage-suppliers#SupplierDestinations) (for example, an email inbox, or another software system) configured for their Organization in Purchase Plus. 

The act of Sending A Purchase Order and the act of Marking the Purchase Order As Sent are not the same thing; for example, a user may choose to Mark the Purchase Order as Sent, but opt against sending the Purchase Order Electronically (for example, if they phoned the order through to the Supplier).

![Sending Purchase Orders to Suppliers in PurchasePlus](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-6.avif)

Finally, Purchase Orders that have already been Marked as Sent are able to be re-sent to the same or different Electronic Destination (if the Supplier has multiple Destinations configured on their Organization).

### Cancelling Purchase Orders

Purchase Orders cannot be cancelled if any of the goods have been received (i.e. a goods receiving note has been created) or Invoiced. Purchase Plus does not allow the cancellation because the record of the Received or Invoiced goods relies on the Purchase Order for reporting accuracy.

To Cancel a Purchase Order, follow these steps.

1.  Navigate to the specific Purchase Order you want to cancel.
    
2.  Click the three dots **\[⋮\]** in the top-right corner and select \[**Cancel Purchase Order\]** from the menu:  
    ![Cancel Purchase Order](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-7.avif)
    
3.  Type a Cancellation reason in the box, and click the red \[**Confirm and Cancel\]** button. Once you click **\[Confirm and Cancel\]**, the PO is permanently closed and cannot be reopened.
    
4.  **Notify Your Supplier.** Since system alerts can be missed, follow up manually to ensure they don't ship the goods.
    
    1.  **By Email:** Send a quick note with the **PO Number** and **Total Amount**, asking them to confirm they’ve received the cancellation.
        
    2.  **By Phone:** Call your contact person. Mention the **PO Number** and ask them to halt any dispatch immediately.
        

### Receiving Notes

When the Supplier’s delivery arrives at the Purchaser’s Delivery Address, the goods can be marked as Received (or any variances can be accounted for) by creating a [Receiving Note](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-receiving-notes). 

If the goods have arrived in multiple separate deliveries, then multiple Receiving Notes can be created and the Purchase Order will remain in a Sent State until all the ordered products have been Received (and Invoiced). 

[Please read our article about Receiving Goods](/docs/for-purchasers/receive-goods-from-a-purchase-order) to learn more about Receiving Notes.

### Closing a Purchase Order

Closed is the final state of a Purchase Order and it indicates that the Purchase Order items have been successfully received.

Purchase Orders can be closed once:

-   it has been [Sent](#SendingPurchaseOrders), 
-   all items on the Purchase Order have been fully [Received](#ReceivingNotes). 

If these criteria are met, you can Close a Purchase Order manually by clicking **\[Close Purchase Order\]** in the **\[More\]** menu inside the Purchase Order:

![Close a PO](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-8.avif)

You can also Close a PO from the All Purchase Orders table, by clicking the checkbox next to the PO(s) in question, and clicking **\[Close\]** in the Available Actions list:

![Close multiple POs](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-9.avif)Once a Purchase Order is Closed, Receiving Notes will no longer be able to be created against it, and Invoices will no longer be able to be manually matched to it. For this reason, if the Purchase Order needs to be matched to an Invoice, we recommend that it not be Closed until the Invoice is matched.

### Match purchase orders to invoices

When the Supplier sends the Purchaser an [Invoice](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-invoices), it is good practice to make sure that the Invoice is Reconciled before [approving it to be paid](/docs/for-purchasers/approve-an-invoice-or-credit-note). 

PurchasePlus helps our Purchasers to reconcile the Invoices in two ways, depending on how their Finance department likes to work:

-   By [matching a Purchase Order to an Invoice](/docs/for-purchasers/match-a-purchase-order-to-an-invoice), to make sure that what the Supplier has Invoiced the Purchaser for actually matches what the Purchaser Ordered. This is sometimes referred to as ‘2-Way AP Matching’.
-   By matching and comparing a Purchase Order **and** its Receiving Notes to an Invoice, to make sure that what the Supplier has Invoiced the Purchaser for actually matches what the Purchaser Ordered **and** Received. This is sometimes referred to as ‘3-Way AP Matching’. 

![Matching Purchase Orders to Invoices in PurchasePlus](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-10.avif)

Discrepancies between the Purchase Order, Receiving Notes and an Invoice are picked up automatically by PurchasePlus and highlighted in the form of [Invoice Flags](/docs/for-purchasers/invoice-flags-explained), which must be addressed by the appropriate Purchaser Users before they can be [Approved](/docs/for-purchasers/approve-an-invoice-or-credit-note) for payment. 

### Printing Purchase Orders

To print a singular Purchase Order, select **\[More\] → \[Print\]** in the **\[Purchase Orders\]** → **\[View All\]** table:

![Print Purchase Order from View All](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-11.avif)

To print one or more Purchase Orders in the same action, click the checkbox next to the relevant Purchase Orders in the table, and then click **\[Print\]** in the table header:

![Bulk Print POs](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-purchase-orders-12.avif)

The Purchase Orders will be combined into a single PDF file and will be available for download or print.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Question:** Can I edit a purchase order after it has been approved?

**Answer:** No, once a purchase order (PO) has been created from an approved requisition, it cannot be edited. In most cases, POs are automatically sent to the supplier based on your user settings. You can verify this by checking the **Status Column**. If the PO is completely incorrect, you can cancel it by following these steps:

1.  Click the **'More Information'** icon (three dots) in the top-right corner of the PO.
2.  Select **'Cancel Purchase Order'**.

**Important:** The Supplier will be notified of the cancellation if it is in "Sent" status. To prevent the dispatch of incorrect goods, it’s crucial to cancel the PO promptly. Additionally, you must contact the supplier directly to confirm the cancellation and avoid shipment.

In cases where customers are carrying out a clean-up of older POs, we also strongly recommend advising the supplier of this activity, as it helps set clear expectations and reduces the risk of any confusion or potential issues.

* * *

  

**Question:** Can I reopen a cancelled purchase order (PO)

**Answer:** No, once a purchase order (PO) has been cancelled, it cannot be reopened.

However, you can [create a new purchase requisition (PR) from the invoice](/docs/for-purchasers/create-a-requisition-from-re-order). Once the PR generates a new PO, you can match the invoice to the newly created PO.

* * *