Processing a Purchase Order

Summary

This article explains how to process an purchase order.

More Information

There are a number of stages through which a purchase order must go before it has been processed fully. These stages are:

• Printing the Purchase Order (either to file or to a printer).
• Receiving the Purchase Order.
• Checking the Invoice against the Order.

To provide some level of checking, the first two stages can be done by the same person, but the invoice checking should be done by a different person, preferably someone in accounts or authority.

Printing the Purchase Order

This is a useful stage since it provides a way to show that the order has been noticed and placed.

Go to " Purchase Order Processing Add/Edit/Process Purch. Orders".

• Enter the supplier account code, or search for the supplier.
• Select the order to process.
• Press <F7> to go to the Order Items.
• Press <A> to tag all the Items in the list.
• Press <F3> to print the Order.

Receiving the Purchase Order

This stage is the point at which the items ordered are actually booked into stock.

Go to " Purchase Order Processing Add/Edit/Process Purch. Orders".

• Enter the Supplier Account Code, or search for the Supplier.
• Select the Order to process.
• Press <F7> to go to the Order Items.
• If you want to print labels for the items as you receive them click on the 'Label' field and enter the label number to use or press <F1>/<S+F1> to scroll between labels set up on your system. Click here to change the default settings if you always require labels to print when receiving stock.
• Press <T> to tag the Items received. Make sure you check that the price, quantity and part number are correct.

If you have only received part of what you ordered of an item, you deal with this in the following manner: Split the order line by moving the cursor onto the line in question, and pressing <Shift+F7>. Enter the amount that you are receiving into stock. Press <Esc> and <Accept>. The system creates two lines on the Purchase Order for the same Stock Code. Tag the line with quantity you want to receive as above.

• Press <F4> to receive the lines on the order.
• Press <Enter> on the "Tagged Items Found" window.
• Press the [Receive] button and enter the supplier 'Delivery Note' or 'Invoice Number' if there is no Delivery Note.
• The system will print a Goods Received Note, which should be stapled to the supplier paperwork from which you have booked in the goods. This should then go to the accounts department.

Checking the Invoice against the Order

This stage should be carried out to check that the supplier has charged correctly for the items supplied. It is a process that can save you money and time, and give you a level of security against items being ordered and paid for without authorisation.

There are two methods for carrying out this check. It can be done as part of the purchase invoice posting, or it can be done independently as follows:

Go to " Purchase Order Processing Add/Edit/Process Purch. Orders".

• Enter the Supplier Account Code, or search for the Supplier.
• Select the Order to process.
• Press <F7> to go to the Order Items.
• Press <T> to tag the Items that correspond to those shown on the invoice. Check the quantity and price against the invoice. The items on the order that you tag should come to the same nett total as the invoice, allowing for carriage if relevant.
• Press <F8> once you have checked and agreed the values.
• Press <Enter> on the "Tagged Items Found" window.
• Press the [Invoice] button and enter the supplier 'Invoice Number'. This will flag all the tagged items on the order with that invoice number for accounting purposes.

See also

• How do I find a supplier?
• Placing Purchase Orders Electronically
• How do I Receive Items by Barcode?
• Processing a Sales Order
• How do I Split an Order Item?

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Keywords AND Misspellings

Purchase orders, printing a purchase order, receiving, receive, invoice, order, checking, audit

Tags

PO01, OP72, OP73, OP79, OP80, OP82