Purchase Orders

Purchase orders (POs) in OpenBoxes manage the procurement process from requisition through delivery. They give you a clear record of what was ordered, from whom, at what price, and whether it has been received.

Creating a Purchase Order

To create a new PO:

  1. Navigate to Purchasing > Create Purchase Order
  2. Select the supplier from your location directory
  3. Enter the PO number (or let the system generate one)
  4. Set the order date and expected delivery date
  5. Choose the destination location where goods will be received
  6. Save to create the PO in draft status

Tip: Use a consistent PO numbering convention (e.g., PO-2026-001) so you can quickly identify orders by year and sequence when communicating with suppliers.

Adding Line Items

Once the PO is created, add the products you need:

  1. Click Add Line Item
  2. Search for and select the product
  3. Enter the quantity ordered
  4. Enter the unit price
  5. Select the unit of measure if different from the product default
  6. Repeat for each product

The PO total updates automatically as you add items. You can also add line item comments for special instructions (e.g., "Must be cold chain shipped").

Placing the Order

When your PO is complete and approved:

  1. Review all line items for accuracy
  2. Click Place Order to change the status from Draft to Placed
  3. Send the PO to the supplier (print or export as PDF)

A placed order signals that the procurement is committed. The PO becomes visible in your pending orders list for tracking.

Tip: Always review the PO with a second person before placing it. Catching a wrong quantity or price before the order ships saves significant time and cost compared to fixing it after delivery.

Purchase Order Status Lifecycle

Purchase orders move through these stages:

Status Meaning
Draft Being prepared, not yet committed
Placed Sent to supplier, awaiting fulfillment
Partially Received Some line items have been received
Received All items received in full
Completed Receiving and invoicing finished

You can filter the PO list by status to see which orders need follow-up.

Tracking Purchase Orders

The PO detail view shows:

  • Order summary — Supplier, dates, totals, status
  • Line items — Each product with ordered vs. received quantities
  • Shipments — Any linked shipments or stock movements
  • Documents — Attached files (supplier quotes, confirmations)
  • Audit log — History of changes to the PO

Use this view to monitor supplier performance. If an order is overdue, you have all the details needed to follow up.

Receiving Against a Purchase Order

When a shipment arrives from a supplier:

  1. Open the PO and click Receive
  2. For each line item, enter the quantity received
  3. Enter lot numbers and expiry dates for each batch
  4. Note any discrepancies (quantity differences, damage, wrong items)
  5. Complete the receiving

OpenBoxes links the receipt to the PO, updating the received quantities. If only part of the order arrives, the PO moves to Partially Received status and remains open for future deliveries.

See the Receiving guide for more details on the receiving workflow.

Managing Suppliers

Suppliers are managed as locations in OpenBoxes with the Supplier location type. Each supplier record includes:

  • Name and contact information
  • Address
  • Lead times
  • Product associations (which products they supply)

Linking products to suppliers helps during PO creation — you can quickly see which supplier carries the product you need and at what price.

Tip: Maintain at least two suppliers for critical products. If your primary supplier faces a stockout or delay, having an alternative already set up in OpenBoxes lets you create a backup PO immediately.

Budgets and Approval

For organizations that require purchase approval:

  • Set budget codes on line items to track spending by program or department
  • Use the approval workflow to route POs for sign-off before placing
  • Compare PO totals against budget allocations to prevent overspending

Best Practices

  • Create POs before goods arrive — Receiving against a PO is faster and more accurate than ad-hoc receiving
  • Update expected delivery dates — If a supplier notifies you of a delay, update the PO so your team has accurate expectations
  • Close completed POs — Do not leave fully received POs in open status; it clutters your active order list
  • Track supplier performance — Compare expected vs. actual delivery dates and ordered vs. received quantities to identify unreliable suppliers