Purchasing & Receiving
Purchase Orders

Purchase Orders

TimberCloud Storefront — Product Catalog

Purchase Orders (POs) are formal documents sent to vendors to order products and materials. TimberCloud provides a complete PO management system with approval workflows, automatic vendor notification, and seamless integration with receiving and inventory.

Creating a Purchase Order

Navigation

  1. Go to Purchasing → Purchase Orders
  2. Click + New Purchase Order

Order Information

Required Fields

  • Vendor: Select from your vendor list
    • Auto-populates tax rate and currency from vendor settings
  • Location: Where goods will be received
    • Links to inventory location for stock updates
  • Order Date: When the order is placed
  • Expected Delivery Date: Anticipated arrival date

Optional Fields

  • Currency: Auto-filled from vendor, can be changed
  • Payment Terms: Net 30, Net 60, Net 90, COD, Prepaid, Due on Receipt
  • Tax Rate: Percentage applied to subtotal (auto-filled from vendor settings)

Adding Line Items

Purchase orders support three types of line items:

Item Type: Catalog Item

Add products from your inventory catalog:

  1. Select Item as the type
  2. Choose a Product Attribute (e.g., "Lumber - Oak")
  3. Select a Product Option (e.g., "1x6x8")
  4. Enter Quantity and Unit Cost
  5. Unit of measurement auto-fills from inventory configuration

Item Type: Add-on

Add accessories or add-on products:

  1. Select Addon as the type
  2. Choose from available add-ons
  3. Enter quantity and unit cost

Item Type: Custom

Add non-catalog items:

  1. Select Custom as the type
  2. Enter a Custom Item Name
  3. Add optional description
  4. Enter quantity, unit cost, and unit of measurement

Line Item Details

For each line item, specify:

  • Quantity Ordered: Number of units to purchase
  • Unit Cost: Price per unit from vendor
  • Unit of Measurement: EA (each), BOX, CASE, LB, KG, FT, M, GAL, L
  • Description: Optional notes about the item

Additional Costs

Beyond line items, include:

Freight Estimate

  • Expected shipping/freight charges
  • Added to order total

Other Charges

  • Handling fees
  • Special service charges
  • Any additional vendor fees

Tax Calculation

  • Tax rate applied to subtotal
  • Can be set from vendor default or overridden
  • Calculated automatically

Order Summary

The system calculates:

Subtotal:     Sum of all line item totals
+ Tax:        Subtotal × Tax Rate %
+ Freight:    Freight estimate
+ Other:      Other charges
─────────────────────────────────────
= Total:      Final purchase order amount

Notes

Notes to Vendor

  • Appears on the purchase order PDF
  • Include delivery instructions
  • Specify packaging requirements
  • Add reference numbers

Internal Notes

  • Visible only to your team
  • Document special circumstances
  • Track approver comments
  • Record rejection reasons

Purchase Order Workflow

Status Progression

┌─────────┐    ┌─────────┐    ┌─────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌────────────────┐
│  Draft  │ ─▶ │ Unsent  │ ─▶ │  Sent   │ ─▶ │    Partially    │ ─▶ │     Fully      │
│         │    │         │    │         │    │    Received     │    │    Received    │
└─────────┘    └─────────┘    └─────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └────────────────┘
                   │
                   ▼
             ┌───────────┐
             │ Cancelled │
             └───────────┘

Status Definitions

StatusDescriptionNext Actions
DraftOrder is being preparedEdit, Submit for Approval
UnsentReady but not sent to vendorApprove, Reject
SentApproved and emailed to vendorReceive goods
Partially ReceivedSome items receivedContinue receiving
Fully ReceivedAll items receivedClose order
ClosedOrder complete and archivedNone
CancelledOrder cancelledNone

Approval Workflow

Approval Status

  • Pending: Awaiting approval
  • Approved: Order approved, proceeds to Sent
  • Rejected: Order rejected with reason

Approval Process

  1. Submitter creates PO with status "Draft"
  2. Save to submit for approval (status becomes "Unsent")
  3. Approver reviews the order
  4. Approver clicks Approve or Reject
  5. On approval:
    • Status changes to "Sent"
    • System generates PDF
    • Email sent to vendor with attachment
    • Approval date and user recorded

Viewing Purchase Orders

List View

The PO list shows:

  • PO Number
  • Vendor name
  • Order date
  • Expected delivery date
  • Status
  • Total amount
  • Line item count

Filtering and Search

  • Search by PO number or vendor
  • Filter by status
  • Filter by date range
  • Sort by any column

Detail View

Click a PO to see:

  • Complete order information
  • All line items with details
  • Receipt history
  • Audit trail
  • Available actions

Purchase Order Actions

From List View

  • View: Open PO detail page
  • Create Receipt: Start receiving process (if approved)

From Detail View

  • Edit: Modify order (if Draft)
  • Approve: Approve pending order
  • Reject: Reject with reason
  • Send Email: Resend PO to vendor
  • Create Receipt: Receive against this PO
  • Cancel: Cancel the order
  • Print/Download: Generate PDF

Email Notifications

Automatic Vendor Email

When a PO is approved:

  1. System generates professional PDF
  2. Email sent to vendor email address
  3. Includes:
    • PO number and date
    • Company and vendor details
    • Line items with quantities and prices
    • Total with taxes and freight
    • Payment terms
    • Notes to vendor
  4. CC sent to company email (optional)

PDF Contents

The attached PDF includes:

  • Company letterhead
  • Purchase order number
  • Vendor billing/shipping addresses
  • Complete line item table
  • Pricing breakdown
  • Terms and notes
  • Expected delivery date

Managing Purchase Orders

Editing a PO

Only Draft orders can be edited:

  1. Open the PO detail page
  2. Click Edit
  3. Modify fields and line items
  4. Save changes

Cancelling a PO

Cancel orders that won't be fulfilled:

  1. Open the PO detail page
  2. Click Cancel Order
  3. Provide cancellation reason
  4. Status changes to "Cancelled"

Note: Cannot cancel orders with posted receipts.

Closing a PO

After all items are received:

  1. Review final receipt status
  2. Verify all quantities received
  3. Click Close Order
  4. PO moves to historical records

Reports

Purchase Order Summary

  • Orders by status
  • Spending by vendor
  • Spending by time period
  • Average order value

Open PO Report

  • All orders not yet fully received
  • Expected delivery dates
  • Vendor information
  • Line item details

PO History

  • Complete order history
  • Approval dates and users
  • Receipt linkage
  • Payment status

Best Practices

Creating Accurate POs

  1. Verify Vendor: Confirm correct vendor selected
  2. Check Pricing: Verify unit costs match vendor quotes
  3. Set Dates: Use realistic expected delivery dates
  4. Add Context: Include notes for special requirements
  5. Review Totals: Confirm calculations before submitting

Approval Process

  1. Review Thoroughly: Check all line items and quantities
  2. Verify Budget: Confirm funds are available
  3. Check Lead Times: Ensure delivery aligns with needs
  4. Document Decisions: Use internal notes for approvals/rejections

Tracking Orders

  • Monitor "Sent" orders for expected receipts
  • Follow up on overdue deliveries
  • Track partial receipts closely
  • Close completed orders promptly

Troubleshooting

PO Not Sending to Vendor

  • Verify vendor email address is set
  • Check for email delivery errors
  • Ensure PO was approved (not just saved)
  • Try "Resend Email" option

Line Items Not Appearing

  • Confirm product attributes have product options
  • Check that inventory items are active
  • Verify company association on products

Incorrect Totals

  • Review tax rate percentage
  • Check unit cost entries (decimal placement)
  • Verify quantity values
  • Recalculate manually to identify discrepancy

Cannot Receive Against PO

  • Confirm PO status is "Sent" or "Partially Received"
  • Verify approval status is "Approved"
  • Check user has receiving permissions
  • Ensure PO hasn't been cancelled
Purchasing OverviewReceiving & Receipts