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Purchase Order: Step-by-Step Guide

Purchase Orders lets you create, track, and manage supplier POs—search and list orders, create item/service POs, view statuses, receive stock, reorder from past POs, and cancel/return when needed. Found under Inventory Management → Purchase Orders.

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How-To Guide: Inventory Management → Purchase Order

Overview

The Purchase Orders module lets you create, track, and manage all the purchase orders (POs) you send to suppliers.

You use it to:

  • List and search all purchase orders

  • Create new POs for items and services

  • See the status of each PO (Pending, Confirmed, Partially Received, Received, Cancelled, Returned, etc.)

  • Receive stock against a PO

  • Reorder the same items from a previous PO

  • Cancel or return orders when needed

This module sits under:

  • Inventory Management → Purchase Orders


Key Features

From the wireframes and repository structure, the Purchase Orders module includes:

  • Purchase Order List

    • Search by PO Number

    • Filter by status (All, Pending, Confirmed, Partially Received, Partially Cancelled, Received, Released, Partially Returned, Returned, Cancelled, Rejected)

    • Filter by Location

    • Filter by Supplier (optional)

    • See columns for: PO Number, Supplier, Project/Customer, Status, Delivery Date, Total, Invoice, Quotation, Actions

  • Add Purchase Order

    • Delivery address by Location

    • Free-text Delivery Instructions

    • Item Information table with:

      • Item / Service

      • Description

      • UOM (Unit of Measure)

      • Stock

      • Recommended Quantity

      • Quantity

      • Suppliers

      • Cost

      • Subtotal

    • Buttons: Autofill, Add Item, Bulk add Items

    • Order Details:

      • Select Invoice (link to an existing invoice)

      • Project (link to a project / customer)

      • Order Date & Delivery Date

      • PO Number (system-generated)

  • PO Detail View

    • Full PO document layout (vendor details, delivery address, remarks, items, totals)

    • Status and approval information (e.g., Approved)

    • Receive Stock button

    • “Approval progress” panel showing each approval step

    • Toolbar icons for actions like printing or sharing the PO

  • Row Actions (per PO)

    • Quick View PO

    • View/Edit

    • Reorder

    • Cancel / Cancel Remaining (for partially received orders)

    • Receive Stock

    • Return to Supplier

  • Status-Aware Behaviour

    • Different statuses such as New, Confirmed, Partially Received, Partially Cancelled, Received, Released, Partially Returned, Returned, Cancelled

    • Some actions are only available in certain statuses (for example, Receive Stock is disabled once a PO is fully received or cancelled).


Getting Started

1. Open the Purchase Orders Module

  1. From the left sidebar, click Inventory Management.

  2. Click Purchase Orders.

  3. You’ll land on the Purchase Orders list page.

2. Understand the Purchase Orders List

At the top of the page, you will see:

  • Search Purchase Order – search box for PO Number

  • Location – filter by business location

  • Supplier (Optional) – filter by supplier

  • + Add Purchase Order – button to create a new PO

Below that, there is:

  • A row of status tabs (All, Pending, Confirmed, Partially Received, etc.)

  • A table listing POs with key information and an Actions menu for each row.


How to Use

A. Search and Filter Purchase Orders

  1. Search by PO Number

    • Type the PO Number in Search Purchase Order.

    • The list updates to show matching results.

  2. Filter by Location

    • Use the Location dropdown.

    • Choose a specific location or “All”.

  3. Filter by Supplier

    • Use the Supplier (Optional) dropdown.

    • Select a supplier to see only POs for that supplier.

  4. Filter by Status

    • Click one of the status tabs (e.g., Pending, Received, Cancelled).

    • The table shows only POs with that status.


B. Create a New Purchase Order

  1. Click + Add Purchase Order on the Purchase Orders list page.

  2. Delivery Address

    • Location: Choose the branch or store receiving the items.

    • Delivery Instructions: Type any instructions for the supplier or warehouse (e.g., “Deliver to back door between 9–11 AM”).

  3. Item Information

    • Click Select Item or Service and choose products to add.

    • Use one of the buttons:

      • Add Item – add items one by one.

      • Bulk add Items – add many items at once.

      • Autofill – let the system automatically fill item lines and/or quantities based on its internal suggestions.

    • For each item row you can see:

      • Description, UOM, Stock, Recommended Qty, Quantity, Suppliers, Cost, and Subtotal.

  4. Order Details

    • Select Invoice – link this PO to an existing invoice if applicable.

    • Project – choose a project or customer if the order is related to one.

    • Order Date – date you create the PO.

    • Delivery Date – expected delivery date.

    • PO Number – this is generated by the system.

  5. When all details are complete, click Save.

    • The new PO will now appear in the Purchase Orders list with its status (for example, Pending or Confirmed, depending on your workflow).


C. View or Edit an Existing Purchase Order

On the Purchase Orders list:

  1. Find the PO you want.

  2. Click the three-dot Actions menu on the right.

  3. Choose Quick View PO for a compact view, or View/Edit to open the full purchase order screen.

  4. Make your changes (for example, update items, dates, or instructions).

  5. Click Save.


D. Approve and Track a Purchase Order

When you open a PO in full detail view:

  • The right side shows:

    • Total Amount

    • A button or tag that indicates approval status (e.g., “Purchase Order approved”)

    • An Approval progress panel showing each step (e.g., auto-approved, business owner approved).

If approval is required in your account, a PO may need to reach an approved status before you can receive stock.


E. Receive Stock Against a Purchase Order

You can record received goods directly from a PO.

From the list:

  1. Click the Actions menu for the PO.

  2. Click Receive Stock.

From the PO detail page:

  1. Open the PO.

  2. Click Receive Stock on the right.

This opens the receive-stock flow (in another module) where you confirm quantities received. After receiving:

  • The PO status changes (e.g., from Confirmed to Partially Received or Received).

  • Inventory levels update at the chosen location.


F. Cancel or Partially Cancel a Purchase Order

  1. On the list, open the Actions menu.

  2. Click Cancel (or Cancel Remaining if the order is already Partially Received).

  3. Confirm the cancellation.

Behind the scenes, only certain status changes are allowed (for example, you can partially cancel an order that is Partially Received, and fully cancel orders that are not yet fully received).

The PO’s status will move to Cancelled or Partially Cancelled, and the system will record the cancellation date.


G. Reorder from an Existing Purchase Order

  1. On the list, open the Actions menu for a PO.

  2. Click Reorder.

This creates a new PO using the current one as a template so you don’t have to re-enter all items and details.


H. Return to Supplier

If you have already received goods and need to send some back:

  1. Open the Actions menu for a PO.

  2. Click Return to Supplier.

This opens a return-to-supplier flow, available only when enough stock has been received for that PO (for example, in statuses like Received or Released).


I. Share or Print a Purchase Order

In the PO detail screen:

  • Toolbar icons allow you to share a link to the PO or print it as a document, using DizLog’s built‑in preview and sharing functions.


Troubleshooting

“I can’t click Receive Stock”

  • Check if the PO is approved. Receive Stock is disabled until approval is Approved or Auto‑approved.

  • Ensure the PO is not already in a final status (Received, Cancelled, Returned, etc.).


“Cancel is disabled”

  • The system blocks cancellation for POs that are already fully received or in certain final statuses.

  • For partially received POs, you may see Cancel Remaining instead of Cancel (only the remaining balance can be cancelled).


“I can’t see a purchase order in the list”

Check:

  1. The Location filter – make sure the correct store/location is selected.

  2. The Status tab – try switching to All.

  3. The Search box – clear any text in “Enter a PO Number”.


“The totals on my PO don’t match my bill”

  • Make sure all item quantities and costs are correct.

  • If you have made changes after receiving goods or recording a bill, check related modules (Receive Stock, Bill Payment) for adjustments.


“Return to Supplier is disabled”

  • The PO may not yet have any received items.

  • The PO may already be fully returned or marked as Returned, in which case no further returns are allowed.


Connected Modules

The Purchase Orders module is tightly linked to other parts of DizLog:

  • Suppliers

    • Each PO has a supplier.

    • Supplier records show incoming POs and their details.

  • Items List (Products & Services → Items List)

    • POs select items and services from your catalog.

    • Item costs and units come from this module.

  • Purchase Requisitions

    • Approved purchase requisitions can be converted into purchase orders; the back end supports converting approved PR lines into one or more POs.

  • Receive Stock / Stock Receive History

    • Receive Stock from a PO creates stock entries that are shown in inventory history and stock receive reports.

  • Return to Supplier / Purchase Returns

    • “Return to Supplier” in the actions menu uses the purchase-return flow behind the scenes to adjust inventory and track returned goods.

  • Procurement Reports

    • PO status (Partially Received, Partially Cancelled, Received, etc.) feeds into procurement and accrual reports for tracking open commitments and cancellations.

  • Projects / Job Costing

    • The Projects module can open the PO creation screen with a project already selected so you can track purchases by project.

  • Bill Payments / Financials

    • Supplier bills can be linked to purchase orders so that approvals, totals, and procurement accruals match between purchasing and accounting.

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