Purchase orders (POs) help you track items you plan to buy without changing your current inventory. Inventory only updates once you create a bill to receive the items.
Step 1: Turn on Purchase Orders
Go to Stores & Files, then Inventory Files, and click your inventory file.
Click Edit.
In the left panel, click Purchasing & Vendors.
Turn on Purchase Orders and click Save.
Once it's on, a Purchase Orders section shows under Purchasing in the ConnectStock tab.
Step 2: Create a purchase order
Go to ConnectStock, then Purchasing, then Purchase Orders.
Click Add Purchase Order and fill in the details:
PO Number (required)
Vendor (required)
PO Date (required)
Estimated Arrival Date (required)
The items and quantities you're ordering
Note: Purchase orders don't change your inventory. They only record what you plan to buy. Inventory only updates when you create a bill to receive the items.
Step 3: Receive items from a purchase order
When your items arrive, create a bill to record what you received:
Go to ConnectStock, then Purchasing, then Bills.
Click Add Bill, tick the PO, then click Next.
Enter the number of units received.
The PO tracks how many units are still outstanding. For example:
If your PO was for 40 units and you receive 35, the PO shows 5 units still open.
If you receive all remaining units, the PO closes automatically.
You can also create a bill without linking it to a PO if needed.
Tracking purchase order status
Each PO shows 1 of 3 statuses:
Open: no items have been received yet.
Partial: some items have been received, but the order isn't complete.
Closed: all items have been received, or the PO was closed by hand.
To close a PO by hand, open it, click Edit, then click Mark as closed. To reopen it, open it, click Edit, then click Reopen.
For more help, reach out to our support team. We're here to help!
Frequently asked questions
Do purchase orders change my inventory?
No. Inventory only updates when you create a bill to receive the items.
Can I close a PO before all items arrive?
Yes. Open it, click Edit, then click Mark as closed. To undo it, open it, click Edit, then click Reopen.
Can I still edit a closed PO?
Yes. Closed POs can still be edited.