Turn on Purchase Orders in File Settings first. To do that, go to Stores & Files, then Inventory Files, and click your inventory file. Click Edit, open Purchasing & Vendors, turn on Purchase Orders, then click Save.
How it works
Each item in the Inventory Forecasting Report has a checkbox. You can:
Tick the checkbox next to each item you want.
Tick the checkbox in the column header to select the items on this page.
To select every item in the report, on all pages, click the "Select All (N)" button in the top right. N is the number of items in the report.
Once your items are selected, click Create Purchase Order in the top right.
What happens next?
When you click Create Purchase Order, the system creates the purchase orders as drafts.
You'll find these drafts under Purchasing, in Restock PO Review. There you can review the quantities.
Click the 3 dots next to a draft, then Edit, Activate or Delete. Activate turns a draft into a standard PO.
To activate several, tick them, click Action, then Activate POs.
Draft POs can't be emailed until they are active. Click the 3 dots next to the draft, then Activate. Then send it from the Purchase Orders page.
Important note about dates
The purchase order date is always today's date, even if a reorder date is selected in the report.
Important requirements
Next PO Number
The Next PO Number must be set in File Settings before you create POs. If it isn't, you'll see this error: "Please configure the Next PO Number in File Settings before creating purchase orders."
To set it, go to Stores & Files, then Inventory Files, then click your file, then Purchasing & Vendors, then Custom PO Number. Click Edit before you change it, and click Save when you're done. This is also where you choose your own PO number format.
Preferred vendor
Purchase orders can only be created for items that have a preferred vendor.
If an item doesn't have one:
Go to the Items page and add vendors to your items, or import them with Excel.
Assign a preferred vendor before you create the purchase order.
Units of measure
If an item has a default purchasing unit of measure (UOM) set, such as case, pack or box, the PO uses that UOM instead of single base units.
For example, if the reorder quantity is 45 units and the item is bought in cases of 12, the PO is created for 4 cases (rounded up from 3.75).
A few things to keep in mind with UOM:
Reorder quantities are always worked out in base units first, then converted.
Quantities are always rounded up to the next whole purchasing unit. You'll never get a partial case or pack on a PO.
If no purchasing UOM is set, or the conversion factor is missing, the PO uses base units.
If the reorder quantity is less than 1 purchasing unit, the PO is created for 1 unit of that UOM.
Regions turned on?
If you have regions turned on in your account, the system creates a separate purchase order for each region.
This feature is only for ConnectStock users.
Frequently asked questions
Does the checkbox in the column header select every item?
No. It selects the items on this page. To select every item on all pages, click "Select All (N)".
Why do I get an error about the Next PO Number?
The Next PO Number isn't set yet. Set it in File Settings under Purchasing & Vendors, then Custom PO Number.
Can I email a draft PO?
No. In Restock PO Review, click the 3 dots next to the draft, then Activate. Then send it from the Purchase Orders page.
Why is the PO date today and not the reorder date?
The purchase order date always defaults to today's date.