> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ofatoura.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Purchase Orders and Suppliers

> Create and track purchase orders, manage supplier contacts, receive stock, record payments, and download PDF orders — all from the web admin.

Purchase orders let you formally request stock from your suppliers, track delivery status, and record what you paid and when. Suppliers are the contacts you buy from — you set them up once and reuse them across all your orders.

<Note>
  Both purchase orders and suppliers are managed in the **Inventory** section of the web admin. Staff need the **Show Purchase Order** permission to work with orders and the **Show Supplier** permission to manage supplier records.
</Note>

## Managing suppliers

Before you can raise a purchase order, you need at least one supplier on file.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Suppliers">
    Go to **Inventory > Suppliers** in the left menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a supplier">
    Click **Add Supplier** and fill in the details:

    | Field               | Notes                           |
    | ------------------- | ------------------------------- |
    | Supplier name       | Required                        |
    | Contact information | General contact details         |
    | Email address       | Used when sending a PO by email |
    | Phone number        | For your reference              |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save**. The supplier is now available when creating inventory items and purchase orders.
  </Step>
</Steps>

To update a supplier, click the edit icon next to their name. To remove one, use the delete icon — you can only delete a supplier that has no purchase orders linked to it.

***

## Creating a purchase order

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Purchase Orders">
    Go to **Inventory > Purchase Orders**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start a new order">
    Click **New Purchase Order**. A draft is created with an auto-generated PO number.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the order details">
    Complete the header fields:

    | Field                        | Notes                                          |
    | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
    | Supplier                     | Required — pick from your saved suppliers      |
    | Order date                   | Defaults to today                              |
    | Expected delivery date       | Optional; useful for planning                  |
    | Notes / special instructions | Any message you want to include with the order |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add items">
    For each item you want to order:

    1. Select the inventory item from the list.
    2. Enter the **quantity** you need.
    3. Enter the **unit price** you expect to pay.

    The subtotal per line and the order total are calculated automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the draft">
    Click **Save** to keep the PO in **Draft** status. You can return and edit it at any time while it is still a draft.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Sending a purchase order to your supplier

Once the draft looks correct, you can send it.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the draft PO">
    From **Inventory > Purchase Orders**, click the PO you want to send.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send to supplier">
    Click **Send to Supplier**. The system emails the supplier (using the email address on their record) and moves the PO status to **Sent**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Once a PO is sent, it can no longer be edited. If you need to make changes, cancel it and create a new draft.
</Warning>

***

## Receiving stock against a purchase order

When your delivery arrives, mark the items as received to update your stock levels.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the sent PO">
    Find the PO in **Inventory > Purchase Orders** (filter by **Sent** status if needed) and click to open it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Receive items">
    Click **Receive**. For each item, enter the **quantity actually received**. You do not have to receive everything at once — enter only what arrived today.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Click **Confirm Receipt**. The stock levels for the received items update immediately.

    * If you received everything, the PO moves to **Received**.
    * If you received only part of the order, it moves to **Partially Received** and you can receive the rest later.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  You can receive a partially delivered order multiple times until the full quantity is accounted for.
</Tip>

***

## Recording payments

Payments are recorded against an individual PO and do not need to match the total in a single transaction — you can record multiple partial payments over time.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the PO">
    From the purchase order detail page, scroll to the **Payments** section (or click **Record Payment**).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter payment details">
    | Field             | Notes                                       |
    | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
    | Payment method    | Cash, bank transfer, card, cheque, or other |
    | Amount            | The amount paid in this transaction         |
    | Payment date      | When the payment was made                   |
    | Payment reference | Cheque number, transfer reference, etc.     |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the payment">
    Click **Save**. The payment appears in the payment history for that PO.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Downloading a PDF copy

From any purchase order (any status), click **Download PDF** to get a formatted copy you can print or email manually.

***

## Cancelling a purchase order

If you no longer need an order, open it and click **Cancel**. The PO moves to **Cancelled** status and cannot be received or edited. Draft POs can also be deleted outright using the **Delete** option on the list.

***

## Purchase order statuses at a glance

| Status             | Meaning                                       |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------- |
| Draft              | Created but not yet sent — fully editable     |
| Sent               | Emailed to the supplier — editing locked      |
| Partially received | Some items received; more deliveries expected |
| Received           | All items received                            |
| Cancelled          | Order is void; no stock will be received      |

***

## Filtering and searching orders

On the **Inventory > Purchase Orders** list you can:

* Filter by **status** (draft / sent / received / partially received / cancelled)
* Filter by **supplier**
* Filter by **date range**
* Search by **PO number** or **supplier name**

***

## Auto purchase orders from low-stock alerts

If the **Allow Auto Purchase Order** option is turned on in **Inventory > Settings**, oFatoura can automatically generate a draft purchase order when an item's stock falls below its threshold quantity. The draft is created using the item's preferred supplier and its configured reorder quantity. You still review and send the draft manually — nothing is sent to a supplier without your action.

<Tip>
  Set a preferred supplier and a reorder quantity on each inventory item to get the most out of auto purchase orders. See [Inventory Dashboard and Items](/inventory/dashboard-and-items) for how to configure those fields.
</Tip>

***

## Related

* [Inventory Dashboard and Items](/inventory/dashboard-and-items) — set threshold quantities, preferred suppliers, and reorder quantities on items
* [Stock Levels, Movements, and Waste](/inventory/stock-and-movements) — view how received stock flows into your stock levels
* [Inventory Reports and Settings](/inventory/reports-and-settings) — purchase order summary reports and auto-PO settings