A purchase order (PO) records what you've ordered from a vendor before the items arrive. POs don't change your inventory. Inventory only updates when you create a bill to receive the items against the PO. This article walks through turning on Purchase Orders, creating a PO with a vendor, items, quantities and arrival date, and the PO statuses: Open, Partial and Closed. You can close a PO by hand with "Mark as closed", and undo it with "Reopen".

How to Create Purchase Orders

When your items arrive, link the bill to the original PO so ConnectStock tracks what was ordered, what was received, and what's still outstanding. You can link several POs to 1 bill, receive items partly across several bills, or keep 1 master bill per PO, whichever fits how your vendor ships.

How to Link a Bill to a Purchase Order

Before you send POs to vendors, set up your Company Info and Default Ship To Address so they show on all POs from now on. This is a setup you do once, and it saves you work later. You'll also set up your vendors in Lists so their details flow onto the PO.

How to Setup and Download Purchase Orders

Upload your company logo in Company Info so it shows on every PO and Invoice PDF you make. Go to Stores & Files, then Inventory Files, and click your inventory file. Click Edit, open Purchasing & Vendors, click Company Info and add your logo, then click Save. Any image up to 2 MB works.

How to Add Your Company Logo to Purchase Orders or Invoice PDFs

Once your POs are built and your company info is set up, send POs straight to your vendors from ConnectStock. This article covers adding vendor email addresses, setting your Email Greeting and Reply-To Email Address, adding CC recipients, previewing the PDF, and using Ignore Email to skip older POs you don't want sent.

How to Email Purchase Orders Directly to Vendors in ConnectStock

Workflow tags are a simple way to track where your POs are in your buying process. Create tags with any name, like Shipped. You can also filter the PO list by tag, and manage your tags from ConnectStock, then Lists, then PO Workflow Tags.

How to Use Workflow Tags on Purchase Orders

Once you're comfortable creating POs, skip the manual work and let the Inventory Forecasting Report do it. Select items right in the report, click Create Purchase Order, and the system makes draft POs grouped by preferred vendor (and by region, if regions are turned on). Review them in Restock PO Review, then click Activate. Just make sure every item has a preferred vendor first.

Create Purchase Orders Directly from the Forecasting Report

Want your PO numbers to follow your own sequence or match your internal system? ConnectBooks can create PO numbers for you, going up by 1 from wherever you left off. You can use a plain number (1001, 1002, 1003) or a custom format (PO500, PO501 and so on).

Auto Populating Purchase Order Numbers in ConnectStock

If you buy items in cases, packs or boxes (instead of single units), set up Units of Measure. Set the base unit and any variations, for example a Case of 24 or a Pack of 12, and ConnectStock works out the right quantities when you create POs and bills. This is especially important if you plan to create POs in bulk from the Forecasting Report.

How to Use Units of Measure

Vendors often use different names or UPCs for the same product. Vendor Items lets you map vendor specific item numbers to your ConnectStock items. When you add a vendor item number to a PO or bill, the system pulls in the right inventory item, cost and unit of measure.

How to Use Vendor Items

Want item descriptions to show on every PO and Invoice PDF? Turn on "Export With Description on POs" and "Export With Description on Invoices". Go to Stores & Files, then Inventory Files, and click your inventory file. Click Edit, open Purchasing & Vendors, turn on the switches you want, then click Save.

How to Add Item Descriptions to Purchase Orders PDF

Need to add specific details or instructions to single line items? Turn on Line Item Notes in File Settings to add a notes field to each line on your POs, bills and invoices.

How to Add Line Item Notes to Purchase Orders, Bills, Invoices

Do purchase orders change my inventory?

No. Inventory only updates when you create a bill to receive the items against the PO.

Can I close a PO before everything arrives?

Yes. Open the PO, click Edit, then click Mark as closed. To undo it, click Reopen.

Can I email a draft PO from the Forecasting Report?

No. Click Activate in Restock PO Review first. Then send it from the Purchase Orders page.