A purchase order (PO) is what you send a vendor to order goods: which items, how many, at what price, and when you need them. It is a promise, not a purchase, so saving one moves no stock and changes nothing in your books. When the goods arrive you receive them against the order (Receive Items); that is when the stock comes in and the vendor's bill is recorded. SeroBooks keeps track of what has been received and what is still on order.
Opening Create Purchase Orders
- Vendors ▸ Create Purchase Orders.
- On the Home Page, Purchase Orders in the Vendors panel.
- From the Purchase Orders list, New PO.
Create a purchase order, step by step
- In VENDOR, type the vendor's name and pick them from the list under the box. The order takes the vendor's payment terms.
- Leave PO REFERENCE empty for SeroBooks to number the order (the box shows auto), or type your own number.
- Add the items in Scan or type to add items (name / code)…, or use Grid entry (size / colour) for items bought in sizes and colours. Correct each line's QTY and COST (the price you expect to pay). The columns are the same as a bill's; see Bill lines.
- On the right, set the TERMS, the DELIVER BY date, and a NOTE for the vendor if you want one. Choose the job and class if your company uses them.
- Tick what should happen when it is saved: Print, Save PDF, Email or WhatsApp.
- Choose Create PO — $…, or Save & New to save it and start another.
SeroBooks confirms PO … created — receive it from Purchase Orders when the goods arrive. and opens the Purchase Orders list.
The fields
| Field | What to enter / what it means |
|---|---|
| VENDOR | The vendor the order is for. Required. Edit vendor opens their record. |
| VENDOR ADDRESS | The vendor's address and tax number, from their record. |
| ORDER DATE | The date of the order. A new order opens on today; change it to date the order another day. Editing an order keeps its date unless you change it. |
| PO REFERENCE | The order number. Leave it empty to have SeroBooks number it. |
| Lines | Item, description, location to receive into, quantity, unit, expected cost, discount, tax, amount, and in SeroBooks the Customer:Job, Billable and Class columns. A purchase order has no Expenses tab: it is for things to be received. |
| TERMS | The payment terms agreed for this order. Chosen from your Terms List or typed as days or months. The bill created when you receive the goods carries them. |
| DELIVER BY | The date the vendor has committed to. It prints on the order and is what an overdue order is measured against. Not set until you choose it. |
| NOTE | Note on this document, printed on the order. |
| Job, Class | Shown when your company uses them. The bill created when you receive the goods inherits the job, so the cost reaches the job without being coded again. |
The totals card shows the Subtotal, the tax by rate and the ORDER TOTAL. A purchase order has no bill discount, shipping, currency, stock or payment settings.
Approval
If your business has set an approval limit for purchase orders, an order at or above that total is saved as Awaiting approval. SeroBooks says Purchase order created — it needs approval before it can be sent to the supplier or received. Someone with the Approve Purchase Order right approves it from the Purchase Orders list, where they also set the limit with Approval limit…. The person who raised an order cannot approve it. Editing an approved order sends it back for approval if it is still over the limit.
Sending the order
- Tick Email or WhatsApp before saving, or open the saved order and use Send this document (Print, Save PDF, Email, WhatsApp).
- From the Purchase Orders list, the send icon on a row does the same.
- The order prints with the vendor's address, the lines, the terms and the expected delivery date. An order awaiting approval cannot be sent.
Editing an order
Double-click the order in the Purchase Orders list. It opens in this form with an EDITING band: Nothing received yet — edit freely. A purchase order moves no stock, so quantities, costs and locations can all change without touching your books. Choose Save PO — $… to save.
Once any goods have been received against an order, it can no longer be edited: Cannot edit — goods were already received against this PO. Order the rest on a new purchase order if needed.
Duplicate on an open order starts a new order with the same vendor and lines; Memorize saves it to enter again (see Memorized Transactions).
What happens in the books
Nothing. A purchase order posts no journal entry, moves no stock and adds nothing to what you owe. It appears in Open Purchase Orders reports and in the Purchase Orders block of the Bill Tracker until it is fully received.
Permissions
Creating orders needs access to Create Purchase Orders. Approve Purchase Order and Delete Purchase Order are separate rights. See Roles and permissions explained.
Messages you may see
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Pick the vendor first. | Choose the vendor. |
| Add at least one item. | The order has no lines. |
| "Item" needs a quantity. | Type a quantity above zero. |
| "Item" needs the expected unit cost. | Type the price you expect to pay. |
Tips
- Use Reorder Levels to see what needs ordering, then raise one order per vendor.
- Set DELIVER BY on every order; without it nothing can tell you an order is late.
- To print several orders at once, use Print Forms; orders printed there follow the Purchase Order template in Templates.
Common problems
I cannot edit an order. Goods have been received against it, so its lines are fixed. Receive the rest when it comes. If the vendor is sending something different, put it on a new purchase order.
The Receive button is missing. The order is Awaiting approval; it shows Approve instead.