Create a purchase order

Where: Purchase → Orders → Create order.
Who: purchase.order.create, the Purchase orders feature and business-unit access. Lookup access is also needed for supplier, product, business unit and warehouse choices.

The form at a glance

1. Find the supplier and products

Enter Find supplier by name or code and/or Find product by name or code, then select Search selectors. This refreshes the choices inside the order form; it does not save the order or search existing orders.

The initial lists are limited. If your supplier or product is absent, use a narrower search before assuming it does not exist. Existing selections can appear as Selected supplier #… or Selected product #… when outside the current lookup results.

2. Identify the order and destination

Field	What to enter	Example
PO number	Your unique order reference; the create form requires one	PO-BHS-2026-017
Supplier	Eligible supplier from the selector	SUP-0017 · Northstar Wholesale
Business unit	Unit making the purchase	Bright Home Supplies
Warehouse	Destination warehouse	Main Warehouse
Order type	Type of purchasing commitment	Standard
Procurement method	How the purchase was sourced	Direct
Priority	Operational priority	Normal

New forms start with Standard, Direct, Normal and exchange rate 1. Check them; defaults are not confirmation that those values suit the purchase.

3. Enter dates and currency

Field	Example	Rule / purpose
Order date	07/11/2026	Required.
Exchange rate date	07/11/2026	Required; cannot be after Order date.
Transaction currency	GBP	Required three-character code.
Base currency	GBP	Required three-character code.
Exchange rate	1	Positive transaction-to-base multiplier; enter the agreed rate, not its reciprocal.
Requested date	08/11/2026	Cannot be before Order date or after Required by.
Required by	12/11/2026	Cannot be before Order date.
Requested delivery	10/11/2026	Browser form rejects a date before Order date.
Promised delivery	11/11/2026	Requested delivery cannot be after this date when both are set.
Delivery window start / end	10/11/2026 09:00–12:00	Start cannot follow end.

Currency example: an EUR 1,000 order with GBP base currency and rate 0.85 has a GBP 850 base equivalent. Approval uses the base total. The form does not fetch a market rate automatically.

4. Record references and agreed terms

Field	Example	Purpose
Supplier reference	NW-ORDER-204	Supplier's reference for the order.
External reference	RESTOCK-NOV	Another business reference.
Requisition reference	REQ-331	Required for Requisition and Tender procurement.
Quotation reference	NW-Q-204	Required for Quotation and Tender procurement.
Contract reference	CT-2026-12	Required for Contract procurement or Subcontract order type.
Blanket order reference	BPO-009	Required for Blanket release order type.
Project reference	SHOP-REFIT	Optional allocation/context reference.
Payment term code	NET30	Used when deriving the invoice due date if one is not entered.
Payment method code	BANK_TRANSFER	Records the agreed payment method; does not execute a transfer.
Incoterm	DAP	Record the agreed delivery term.
Delivery method code	ROAD	Agreed delivery mode.
Freight terms	Supplier arranged	Agreed freight responsibility.
Shipping method code	STANDARD	Internal shipping-method reference.
Delivery instructions	Use goods-in entrance, call on arrival	Receiving instructions.
Tax calculation method	Your approved code	Records the chosen method; check saved amounts.
Notes	November replenishment	Internal context.

Some references are checked at Submit, so saving a draft does not prove it is ready for approval. Codes are entered text rather than a complete procurement or logistics workflow.

5. Add lines and charges

Complete Line 1, then select Add line for further products. Remove line 2 removes an unwanted draft line; at least one line must remain. The full line-field table explains quantity, tax and receipt settings.

Header fields freight Amount, insurance Amount, other Charges Amount, rounding Amount and prepaid Amount appear with automatically generated spacing/capitalisation. Enter the relevant non-negative amounts or leave unused amounts blank. Prices include tax records a flag; it does not make the editor reverse-calculate included tax. See Totals.

6. Save and check

Select Save order. The application opens the saved order in DRAFT. Check:

• supplier, business unit and warehouse;
• every quantity, unit price, tax and discount;
• dates, currency, terms and calculated grand total;
• receiving controls and captured supplier details.

For the running example, two lines (200 × 2.50 and 50 × 6.00) with zero tax, discount and charges total GBP 800.00. Select Submit only after reviewing; see Approval and issue.

Screenshot coming soon: The purchase order editor with supplier search, order details and product lines

The purchase order editor with supplier search, order details and product lines

Messages and recovery

Message / symptom	Meaning	Action
Currency codes must have three characters	A currency is incomplete	Enter the approved three-character codes.
Check the exchange rate, delivery dates and delivery window	Date ordering is invalid	Compare the fields with the date table above.
Supplier is not eligible for purchasing	A live supplier restriction applies	Ask the supplier administrator to resolve it.
A required field is marked	Form is incomplete	Complete the field and retry.
Order number already exists	PO reference has been used	Open the existing order before assigning a different reference.

If the save outcome is uncertain, search for your PO number before saving another order.