Tutorial: Placing Purchase Orders

If supplier exists: 1. Click the “Select Supplier” dropdown 2. Search for supplier by name 3. Select from the list 4. Supplier details auto-fill (contact info, account number)
If supplier doesn’t exist: 1. Leave supplier blank for now 2. You can add items without a supplier 3. Or click “Create New Supplier” link (opens supplier form)

Note

Supplier is optional: You can create orders without a supplier, but it’s recommended for tracking and reordering.

Step 2b: Set Order Date

Order Date: Defaults to today
Can be changed if recording a historical order
Format: DD/MM/YYYY

Step 2c: Add Reference Number (Optional)

Reference Number: Your internal PO number or reference
Example: “PO-2025-001”, “Q1-Lab-Equipment”
Helps with internal tracking and matching to finance systems

Step 2d: Expected Delivery Date (Optional)

When you expect items to arrive
Useful for planning and tracking late deliveries

Example Form:

Supplier: [Scientific Supplies Ltd ▼]
Order Date: 29/01/2025
Reference Number: PO-2025-BIO-001
Expected Delivery: 05/02/2025
Notes: Lab equipment for Spring semester

—

Step 3: Add Items to the Order 

Two Ways to Add Items 

You can add items that: 1. Already exist in inventory (link to existing items) 2. Don’t exist yet (create new items while ordering)

Method A: Adding Existing Items 

When to use: Reordering items already in your inventory

Click “Add Existing Item” button
Search for item by name or SKU
Select item from search results
Fill in order details:
Quantity:
- How many units you’re ordering
- Example: 10 pieces, 25.5 meters
Unit Cost:
- Price per unit (excluding VAT)
- Example: £12.50 per piece
- Currency: GBP (£)
VAT Rate (optional):
- Defaults to 20% (standard UK VAT)
- Can be changed to 5% (reduced rate) or 0% (zero-rated)
- System calculates total automatically
Click “Add to Order”

Example:

Item: Laboratory Microscope (SKU: LAB-MICRO-001)
Quantity: 5 pieces
Unit Cost: £450.00
VAT Rate: 20%
---
Subtotal: £2,250.00
VAT: £450.00
Total: £2,700.00

Method B: Creating New Items While Ordering 

When to use: Ordering items not yet in your inventory

Click “Create New Item” button
Fill in item details:
Required Fields:
- Name: Item description (e.g., “Pipette Tips 10-200µL”)
- SKU: Unique stock-keeping unit (e.g., “LAB-TIPS-200”)
- Category: Select from dropdown (e.g., “Laboratory Supplies”)
Recommended Fields:
- Location: Where it will be stored (e.g., “Lab Store, Shelf 3A”)
- Unit: Measurement type (pieces, kg, meters, liters)
- Minimum Stock: Low-stock alert threshold
Pricing:
- Price: Sale price (can differ from order cost)
- VAT Included: Yes/No (affects price calculation)
Fill in order details (quantity, unit cost, VAT rate)
Click “Add to Order”

What Happens:

Item is created in inventory with initial stock of 0
Item added to current order
When order is received, stock will be updated

Important

New items start with 0 stock: Stock is only added when the order is marked as received.

Adding Multiple Items 

Repeat Step 3 (Method A or B) for each item in your order:

Add first item
Item appears in order items list
Click “Add Existing Item” or “Create New Item” again
Add next item
Continue until all items added

You’ll see:

List of all order items
Quantities and prices
Individual subtotals
Running order total (updates automatically)

Example Order Items List:

Items in Order:
┌────────────────────────────┬─────────┬───────────┬────────────┐
│ Item                       │ Qty     │ Unit Cost │ Total      │
├────────────────────────────┼─────────┼───────────┼────────────┤
│ Laboratory Microscope      │ 5       │ £450.00   │ £2,250.00  │
│ Pipette Tips 10-200µL      │ 10 box  │ £15.50    │ £155.00    │
│ Safety Goggles             │ 25      │ £8.00     │ £200.00    │
└────────────────────────────┴─────────┴───────────┴────────────┘

Subtotal: £2,605.00
VAT (20%): £521.00
Order Total: £3,126.00

—

Step 4: Handle Delivery Charges 

Adding Delivery Costs 

If the supplier charges for delivery:

Scroll to “Delivery Charge” field
Enter delivery cost (excluding VAT): £25.00
System automatically: - Adds VAT to delivery charge - Distributes delivery cost across order items proportionally - Updates item costs

Why Distribute Delivery Charges?:

True cost per item includes delivery
Accurate inventory valuation
Better profitability calculations

Example:

BEFORE delivery charge:
- Item A: £100.00 (50% of subtotal)
- Item B: £100.00 (50% of subtotal)
- Delivery: £0.00
- Total: £200.00 + VAT

AFTER £20.00 delivery charge added:
- Item A: £110.00 (£100 + £10 allocated delivery)
- Item B: £110.00 (£100 + £10 allocated delivery)
- Delivery: £20.00 (distributed to items)
- Total: £220.00 + VAT

Note

Proportional Allocation: Delivery charge is split based on each item’s percentage of the subtotal.

—

Step 5: Upload Invoice PDF (Optional)

Attaching Invoice Documents 

If you have the supplier’s invoice as a PDF:

Scroll to “Upload Invoice” section
Click “Choose File” button
Select PDF from your computer
File uploads automatically

Supported Formats:

PDF files only (.pdf)
Maximum size: 10MB

Benefits:

Keeps invoice with order for reference
Audit trail for accounting
Easy retrieval for disputes or returns

What Gets Stored:

Original PDF filename
Upload date and user
Link to download invoice later

Tip

Best Practice: Always upload invoices when available. Makes reconciliation and audits much easier.

—

Step 6: Add Order Notes (Optional)

Internal Notes 

Use the “Notes” field for:

Special instructions (e.g., “Deliver to Lab 204, not main office”)
Urgency (e.g., “Urgent - needed for class on 05/02”)
Payment details (e.g., “Paid via university purchase card #1234”)
Contact person (e.g., “Contact Dr. Smith for delivery”)

Example Notes:

URGENT: Needed for Biology 101 lab on 05/02/2025
Deliver to: Chemistry Building, Lab 204
Contact: Dr. Smith (ext. 5678)
Payment: University PO #UC-2025-00123

—

Step 7: Review and Create Order 

Final Review 

Before submitting:

Double-check all items: - Quantities correct? - Prices match supplier quote? - Unit costs exclude VAT (VAT added separately)?
Verify totals: - Subtotal matches your calculations - VAT calculated correctly - Delivery charge (if any) is correct
Confirm supplier (if selected): - Correct supplier selected - Contact details accurate

Example Final Review:

Purchase Order Summary
=====================
Supplier: Scientific Supplies Ltd
Reference: PO-2025-BIO-001
Order Date: 29/01/2025
Expected Delivery: 05/02/2025

Items: 3
Subtotal: £2,605.00
Delivery: £25.00
VAT (20%): £526.00
──────────────────
Total: £3,156.00

Invoice: lab-equipment-invoice.pdf ✓
Notes: URGENT - needed for class...

Submit the Order 

Click “Create Purchase Order” button (bottom of form)
Order is saved to database
Order ID generated: Example: O202501291234
Confirmation message appears
Order Status: Set to “Pending”

What Happens Next:

Order appears in Orders list with status “Pending”
Items remain at 0 stock until order received
You’ll receive order later (Step 8)

—

Step 8: Receiving the Order 

When Items Arrive 

When the physical items arrive from the supplier:

Navigate to Orders page
Find your order in the list (search by order ID or supplier)
Click “Receive Order” button next to the order

The Receiving Form 

You’ll see a form showing:

All ordered items with quantities
Input fields for received quantities
Notes field for discrepancies

Step 8a: Enter Received Quantities

For each item:

Check physical items received
Enter actual quantity received in the “Received” column
If quantity matches order, just confirm
If quantity differs, enter actual amount

Example:

Item: Laboratory Microscope
Ordered: 5 pieces
Received: [5] ← Enter actual received quantity

Item: Pipette Tips
Ordered: 10 boxes
Received: [8] ← Only 8 boxes arrived (2 backordered)

Step 8b: Handle Discrepancies

If received quantity ≠ ordered quantity:

Shortage (Less Than Ordered):

Enter actual quantity received
Add note explaining: “Only 8 boxes received, 2 on backorder”
Stock will be increased by actual received amount only

Overage (More Than Ordered):

Enter actual quantity received (if accepting the extra)
Add note: “Supplier sent 12 instead of 10, keeping extras”
Or reject extras and enter ordered amount

Damaged/Rejected Items:

Don’t count damaged items in received quantity
Add note: “2 boxes damaged in transit, rejected”
Contact supplier for replacement

Step 8c: Add Receiving Notes (if needed)

Receiving Notes:
────────────────
- Delivery received 05/02/2025 10:30 AM
- 2 boxes of pipette tips on backorder (supplier notified)
- All items inspected and in good condition
- Invoice matches order total

Step 8d: Confirm Receipt

Review all received quantities
Check notes are accurate
Click “Confirm Receipt” button

What Happens When You Confirm 

The system automatically:

Updates Stock Levels: - Each item’s currentStock increased by received quantity - If ordered 5, received 5: stock +5 - If ordered 10, received 8: stock +8
Creates Stock Movement Records: - Type: ‘in’ (stock coming in) - Reason: “Received Order #O202501291234” - Performed by: Your user ID - Timestamp: Current date/time - Full audit trail created
Updates Order Status: - Status changes from “Pending” to “Received” - Received date recorded - Received by: Your user ID
Locks Order: - Order becomes read-only - Cannot edit received quantities - Prevents accidental changes

Example Stock Movement:

Item: Laboratory Microscope (SKU: LAB-MICRO-001)

Stock Movement Record Created:
───────────────────────────────
Type: in
Previous Stock: 3
New Stock: 8 (3 + 5 received)
Quantity: +5
Reason: "Received Order #O202501291234"
Performed By: manager@university.edu
Timestamp: 05/02/2025 10:45:00

—

Step 9: Viewing Order History 

Finding Orders 

All Orders:

Navigate to Orders page
See list of all orders (pending and received)

Filtering Orders:

By Status: Pending, Received, Cancelled
By Supplier: Select supplier from dropdown
By Date Range: Start date, End date
By Search: Order ID or reference number

Example Filters:

Filters:
├─ Status: Pending ✓
├─ Supplier: Scientific Supplies Ltd
├─ Date Range: 01/01/2025 - 31/01/2025
└─ Search: "PO-2025"

Results: 3 orders

Viewing Order Details 

To see full order details:

Click on order ID or “View Details” button
Order details page opens

What You See:

Order header (ID, supplier, dates, status)
All order items with quantities and prices
Delivery charge (if any)
Totals (subtotal, VAT, grand total)
Invoice PDF (download link if uploaded)
Order notes
Receiving information (if received): * Received date * Received by (user) * Received quantities * Receiving notes
Stock movement links (audit trail)

Example Order Details:

Order #O202501291234
════════════════════
Status: Received ✓
Supplier: Scientific Supplies Ltd
Order Date: 29/01/2025
Received Date: 05/02/2025
Received By: manager@university.edu
Reference: PO-2025-BIO-001

Items (3):
┌─────────────────────┬─────────┬──────────┬──────────┬─────────┐
│ Item                │ Ordered │ Received │ Unit Cost│ Total   │
├─────────────────────┼─────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────┤
│ Lab Microscope      │ 5       │ 5 ✓      │ £450.00  │ £2,250  │
│ Pipette Tips        │ 10      │ 8 ⚠      │ £15.50   │ £155    │
│ Safety Goggles      │ 25      │ 25 ✓     │ £8.00    │ £200    │
└─────────────────────┴─────────┴──────────┴──────────┴─────────┘

Subtotal: £2,605.00
Delivery: £25.00
VAT (20%): £526.00
Total: £3,156.00

Invoice: [Download lab-equipment-invoice.pdf]

Receiving Notes:
- 2 boxes pipette tips on backorder
- All items inspected, good condition

Downloading Invoices 

If invoice PDF was uploaded:

Click “Download Invoice” link
PDF downloads to your computer
Filename includes order ID for easy identification
Example: invoice-O202501291234.pdf

—

Common Scenarios and Tips 

Scenario 1: Partial Deliveries 

Situation: Supplier delivers some items now, rest later

Solution:

Receive order with actual quantities received
Add note: “Partial delivery - 2 items on backorder ETA 12/02”
For backordered items: - Option A: Create new order for remaining items (recommended) - Option B: Wait and manually adjust stock when backorder arrives

Best Practice: Create a new order for backordered items with reference to original order

Scenario 2: Wrong Items Received 

Situation: Supplier sent wrong item or wrong quantity

Solution:

Do NOT receive the order yet
Contact supplier to resolve
Once corrected items arrive, then receive order with actual quantities
Add notes explaining the situation

If Already Received:

Use stock adjustments (Inventory page) to correct
Add detailed notes explaining the correction

Scenario 3: Recurring Orders 

Situation: You order the same items regularly (e.g., monthly lab supplies)

Tip: Use reference numbers consistently:

Format: “MONTHLY-LAB-JAN2025”, “MONTHLY-LAB-FEB2025”
Easy to find historical orders
Compare pricing over time

Future Feature: Order templates (coming soon - see roadmap)

Scenario 4: Emergency/Urgent Orders 

Best Practice:

Use reference number prefix: “URGENT-” or “PRIORITY-”
Add clear notes with deadline and reason
Include contact person for delivery
Flag expected delivery date

Example:

Reference: URGENT-LAB-SAFETY-2025-02
Notes: URGENT - Safety equipment for inspection on 08/02
       Contact: Dr. Smith (ext. 5678) for immediate delivery

—

Troubleshooting 

Common Issues 

“Cannot find item in search”

Item may not exist yet
Use “Create New Item” instead of “Add Existing Item”
Check spelling and try SKU instead of name

“Delivery charge not calculating correctly”

Ensure delivery charge entered BEFORE reviewing totals
Refresh page if amount doesn’t update
Check that items have subtotals (prices entered)

“Cannot receive order”

Check you have permission (Manager or Admin role)
Order must be in “Pending” status
Already received orders cannot be re-received

“Stock didn’t update after receiving”

Check order status is “Received” (not “Pending”)
Verify received quantities were entered
Check stock movements (click “View Audit Trail” on item)
Contact admin if issue persists

“Invoice won’t upload”

Check file is PDF format
File size must be under 10MB
Try different browser if issue persists

—

Next Steps 

After Completing This Tutorial 

You now know how to:

✓ Create purchase orders
✓ Add items (existing and new)
✓ Handle delivery charges and VAT
✓ Upload invoices
✓ Receive orders and update stock
✓ View order history

Related Tutorials:

Tutorial: Managing Inventory - Learn how to manage item details and stock
Tutorial: Taking Sales and Processing Quotes - Learn how to process sales and quotes

Related Guides:

Orders Management - New Order & CSV Import Features - Detailed reference for all order features
User Management - Managing user permissions for orders

Need Help?

See Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for common questions
Email: inventory-support@university.edu

—

Quick Reference Card 

Order Creation Checklist 

□ Select supplier (or leave blank)
□ Set order date and reference number
□ Add all items with quantities and prices
□ Add delivery charge (if any)
□ Upload invoice PDF (if available)
□ Add notes (if needed)
□ Review totals
□ Click "Create Purchase Order"

Receiving Checklist 

□ Physical items arrived
□ Find order in Orders list
□ Click "Receive Order"
□ Enter actual received quantities
□ Add notes for any discrepancies
□ Click "Confirm Receipt"
□ Verify stock levels updated

Key Keyboard Shortcuts 

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + F	Focus search box
Tab	Navigate between fields
Enter	Submit form (when focused on button)
Esc	Close dialog/cancel action