Creating purchase orders
Applies to : Office Accounting Express, Professional
Purchase orders are often the first step in the purchase flow by providing the supplier with a written order for products or services.

Sample purchase order
The purchase order is in many ways similar to a sales order. It tells the supplier what you want to order and the prices and terms you expect to get.
Like quotes and sales orders, purchase orders are not posted as financial transactions. Rather they represent a request for a purchase at desired prices and terms.

There are several noticeable things about a purchase order:
  • A purchase order can be modified until it is fully received.
  • Only service- and non-stock products that have the “I buy this product or service” box checked can be selected on purchase documents. Stock products are always available as they are defined as products purchased for resale.
  • Purchase orders can be created from sales orders.
  • A purchase order can also be created by clicking the Reorder Stock button on the toolbar and selecting the products you want to put on the purchase order.
  • When the Show prices with VAT checkbox is checked, all amounts are treated as being VAT-inclusive (if the supplier lists their prices with VAT).
  • When you receive the products on the purchase order, you can create a goods received note (or more goods received notes if the order arrives in batches) directly from the purchase order (using the Receive Products button).
  • Just like sales documents, the purchase order can be printed and sent or emailed to the supplier either as inline text or as an attachment (Word, PDF or XPS).
Tip : If you want to create a drop-ship purchase order where the products ordered are delivered directly to your customer (or a construction site), simply type the customer name and address into the delivery address and the order will be sent directly to your customer.