Purchasing & Receiving

TimberCloud provides a comprehensive purchasing and receiving system that streamlines your procurement workflow, from vendor management to inventory receipts. Track purchase orders, manage vendor relationships, receive goods, and maintain complete audit trails of all procurement activities.

Key Features

Complete Procurement Workflow

• Vendor Management: Maintain a database of suppliers with contact info, payment terms, and tax rates
• Purchase Orders: Create and manage orders with approval workflows and automatic notifications
• Receiving: Process incoming shipments with quality verification and partial receipt handling
• Auditing: Maintain compliance with detailed audit trails and discrepancy tracking

Seamless Integration

• Direct integration with inventory management
• Automatic stock level updates on receipt posting
• Multi-location support for receiving
• Real-time visibility into procurement status

The Purchasing Module

Navigate to Purchasing in the main menu to access:

Workflow Overview

┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│   Vendor     │ ──▶ │   Purchase   │ ──▶ │   Receipt    │ ──▶ │  Inventory   │
│  Management  │     │    Order     │     │   Posted     │     │   Updated    │
└──────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └──────────────┘
       │                    │                    │                    │
       ▼                    ▼                    ▼                    ▼
   Set up your        Create PO with       Receive goods        Stock levels
    suppliers         line items and       and verify           automatically
                      get approval         quantities           adjusted

Step 1: Set Up Vendors

Before creating purchase orders, establish your vendor database:

1. Add vendor contact information
2. Configure default payment terms
3. Set tax rates and currency preferences
4. Define lead times for planning

Step 2: Create Purchase Orders

Generate purchase orders when inventory needs replenishment:

1. Select a vendor and destination location
2. Add line items (catalog items, add-ons, or custom items)
3. Review pricing, taxes, and freight
4. Submit for approval

Step 3: Approve and Send

Once a PO is created:

1. Review the order details
2. Approve or reject with notes
3. System automatically emails the vendor with PDF attachment
4. PO status updates to "Sent"

Step 4: Receive Goods

When shipments arrive:

1. Create a receipt against the PO
2. Enter quantities received
3. Note any rejected items with reasons
4. Post the receipt to update inventory

Step 5: Audit and Verify

Maintain accuracy with regular audits:

1. Schedule inventory counts
2. Reconcile PO and receipt discrepancies
3. Document findings and corrective actions

Quick Start

Creating Your First Vendor

1. Go to Purchasing → Vendors
2. Click + New Vendor
3. Enter vendor name and contact details
4. Set payment terms (Net 30, COD, Prepaid)
5. Configure tax rate and default currency
6. Save the vendor

Creating Your First Purchase Order

1. Go to Purchasing → Purchase Orders
2. Click + New Purchase Order
3. Select a vendor from the dropdown
4. Choose the receiving location
5. Add line items using the item selector
6. Review totals and submit

Receiving Your First Shipment

1. Go to Purchasing → Receipts
2. Click + New Receipt
3. Select the associated purchase order
4. Verify quantities received
5. Post the receipt to update inventory

Status Workflows

Purchase Order Status

Receipt Status

Best Practices

Vendor Management

• Keep vendor information up to date
• Review and update lead times regularly
• Track vendor performance over time
• Maintain backup vendor relationships

Purchase Order Accuracy

• Double-check quantities before approval
• Use internal notes for special instructions
• Set realistic expected delivery dates
• Track overdue orders proactively

Receiving Quality

• Count all items before signing for delivery
• Document damages with photos when possible
• Use rejection reasons consistently
• Verify against packing slips and PO

Audit Compliance

• Perform cycle counts regularly
• Address discrepancies promptly
• Maintain proper documentation
• Follow up on corrective actions

Reports & Analytics

Access purchasing insights from Reports → Purchasing Reports:

• Summary Overview: Total purchase value, pending/approved/received values
• Status Breakdown: PO counts by status with pie chart
• Vendor Summary: Spending grouped by vendor
• Product Purchases: Items ordered by frequency
• Date Filtering: Filter by date range and status
• Export: Download reports to spreadsheet

Permissions

Access to purchasing features is controlled by user permissions:

• purchasing-page: Access to the Purchasing module
• Individual feature access can be configured per user or role

Contact your administrator to request purchasing access if needed.