A purchase order is a central component of the purchasing process and is used to request goods or services from suppliers. It forms the basis for organizing the flow of materials and ensures that the required resources are delivered at the right time, in the right quantity, and under the agreed terms.
The purchase order makes it possible to manage purchasing transactions by consolidating all relevant information such as items, quantities, prices, delivery terms, and payment conditions into a single document. It is also often linked to other modules such as warehouse management, goods receipt, or accounting to ensure seamless integration into the overall business process.
Note
The most important advantages of the purchase order module at a glance:
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Central data entry and integration: All order information in one document, linked to warehouse, goods receipt, and accounting.
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Flexible customization: Configuration of forms, item numbers, and purchase prices.
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Clear overview: Filter and batch processing options for easy management.
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Automation and export: Support for purchase order proposals, CSV export, and process starters.
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Status monitoring: Tracking of delivery dates with warning messages.
To create a new purchase order, you first select a supplier from the address master and import their data. You then enter the order details such as items, quantities, prices, delivery terms, and the requested or confirmed delivery date. After the order has been saved, you can release it to assign a sequential order number.
Steps to create a new purchase order:
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Open the menu Purchasing > Purchase orders.
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Click on + NEW in the top right.
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Click in the Supplier field and select a supplier from your address master.
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Click on Apply to automatically load the supplier’s address data.
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Fill in the required fields of the purchase order: items and quantities, prices (gross/net), delivery terms, requested or confirmed delivery date, payment method (e.g., bank transfer, prepayment).
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Optional steps:
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Additional information: Enter further details such as order notes or project references.
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Item options: Use options such as Do not show prices or Own item number in the first column.
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Click on Save.
The purchase order is created as a draft.
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Release the purchase order:
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Click on Release to assign the purchase order a sequential number and release it for further processing.
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From the status Released, the purchase order can be forwarded to the supplier.
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Tip
After release, the purchase order can be sent digitally by email to the supplier, downloaded as a PDF, printed, or exported in CSV format. You can also link the purchase order to projects, adjust purchase prices directly, or add supplier notes to reflect individual requirements.
The following fields are available for entering purchase order information. The fields listed below should always be maintained as required fields:
Supplier, items and quantities, prices (net or gross), delivery terms, payment method.
You can also add further information such as project references, alternative item numbers, or supplier notes. Requested and confirmed delivery dates can be stored directly in the Positions tab per item.
Note
For specific requirements, you can also configure custom settings in the ordering process, such as hiding item numbers or adjusting item details. These options provide flexibility to reflect individual order scenarios.
Field name |
Description |
|---|---|
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Supplier |
The unique ID or number of the supplier from whom the order was placed (e.g., "70000"). This number refers to the corresponding entry in the address master. |
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Project |
The project to which the purchase order is assigned (e.g., "STANDARD"). This enables the separation and organization of orders by business area, sales channel, or project. |
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Status |
The current processing status of the purchase order (e.g., "sent"). Typical statuses are "created", "released", "sent", "completed", or "canceled". |
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Price inquiry |
Indicates whether the order is based on a prior price inquiry. Relevant for tracking quotations and negotiated terms. |
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Your quotation |
The quotation number on which the order is based (e.g., "2005-67834542"). Enables the link between the original quotation and the order. |
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Internal description |
An internal reference or description for the purchase order (e.g., "Internal_123456"). Can be used for better traceability or internal documentation. |
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Order date |
The date on which the purchase order was created (e.g., "28.01.2025"). Important for time-based tracking and reporting. |
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Requested delivery date |
The requested delivery date for the ordered items (e.g., "26.02.2025"). This date serves as the delivery target and can be used as a note for the supplier. |
Field name |
Description |
|---|---|
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Order confirmed |
Marks whether the supplier has officially confirmed the order. This confirmation signals that the supplier has accepted and is processing the order. |
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Confirmed delivery date |
The date confirmed by the supplier on which the ordered items are to be delivered (e.g., "20.02.2025"). This date is binding for planning and monitoring the delivery. |
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Via |
The communication method by which the order confirmation was submitted by the supplier (e.g., "Email"). Alternatively, methods such as fax or phone may be specified. |
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Supplier order confirmation no. |
The order confirmation number (AB number) assigned by the supplier to the order (e.g., "200015-001"). Used for unique assignment and tracking of the order at the supplier. |
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Write protection |
Activates a lock that prevents the purchase order from being subsequently edited or changed. Useful once an order is completed or released. |
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Alternative labeling |
A customized label for the purchase order, used on the order document. |
Field name |
Description |
|---|---|
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Payment by |
Defines the payment method used to settle the purchase order liability (e.g., bank transfer, credit card). |
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Processor |
The user responsible for creating or processing the purchase order. |
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Delivery condition |
Defines the delivery terms, e.g., minimum order value or special delivery requirements. |
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Order confirmation |
Inserts a note on the order document requesting the supplier to confirm the order. Customizable under Administration > Settings > Translations via the variable dokument_bestellung_bestaetigung. |
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No item numbers |
Suppresses the display of item numbers on the order document. |
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Do not show prices |
Deactivates the display of prices on the order document. |
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Own item number in first column |
Displays your own item numbers instead of the supplier numbers in the first column of the order document. |
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Long item numbers |
Supports the correct display of particularly long item numbers. |
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No stationery and logo |
Removes the default stationery and logo from the order document. |
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Hide item texts |
Prevents the output of item descriptions on the order document. |
The taxation of this purchase order is based on the option selected in the VAT settings:
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Domestic: National VAT regulations apply. VAT is calculated on the net amount and shown separately in the order.
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EU delivery: For intra-community deliveries to companies with a valid VAT ID, no VAT is charged (tax-free intra-community delivery in accordance with § 4 No. 1b UStG in conjunction with § 6a UStG).
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Import: For deliveries from third countries, no domestic VAT is levied. Instead, the goods are subject to import VAT and, where applicable, customs duties, which must be paid to customs.
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Tax-exempt domestic: This option applies to domestic transactions that are exempt from VAT due to special statutory provisions (e.g., export deliveries or certain tax-exempt services pursuant to § 4 UStG).
Action |
Description |
|---|---|
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Cancel order |
Marks the purchase order as canceled. |
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Copy order |
Creates a copy of the existing purchase order in draft mode. |
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Submit order |
Sends the purchase order to the supplier via the selected delivery method (e.g., email, printer). |
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Mark as shipped |
Sets the status of the purchase order to 'shipped' and marks it accordingly. |
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Complete order |
Marks the purchase order as completed and removes open positions from goods receipt. |
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Store order |
Assigns the delivered items of the purchase order to a warehouse location. |
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Release order |
Assigns a sequential order number and allows further processing. |
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Continue as liability |
Transfers the purchase order to accounting to be recorded as a liability. |
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Continue as production |
Converts the purchase order into a production order. |
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Create goods receipt |
Creates a document for recording the delivered items in goods receipt. |
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Export as CSV |
Exports the order positions as a CSV file, using the supplier’s item number. |
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Open PDF |
Opens the purchase order as a PDF document for viewing or printing. |
All orders are displayed in the overview. All orders that are still in draft mode are located in the "In process" sub-tab.
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Open → Orders that have not yet been completed
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Not confirmed → Orders without a confirmed delivery date
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Delivery missing → Orders for which the delivery is missing
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Shipped → Orders that have been sent
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Canceled → Orders that have been canceled
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Delivery date exceeded → Orders for which the delivery date has been exceeded
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Without liabilities → Orders that occur without liabilities
This filter is addressed by four possible fields, with descending priority:
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Confirmed delivery date of the order
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Desired delivery date of the order
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Highest confirmed delivery date of all positions
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Highest requested delivery date of the items
The first two points refer to the following fields in the order itself:
The last two points refer to the fields in the "Positions" tab when editing a position:
Example: The delivery date is displayed as exceeded if:
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The requested delivery date is in the past
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The confirmed delivery date is in the past
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The requested delivery date is in the future, but the confirmed date is yesterday
The delivery date is not displayed as exceeded if:
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The requested delivery date for yesterday, but the delivery date for tomorrow is entered in all items
It is possible to process several orders at once through bulk processing:
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Send by mail → Sends the selected orders by mail to the registered email address
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Mark as released → Sets the selected orders to the status 'released'. Only works with completed orders
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Mark as shipped → Sets the selected orders to the status 'shipped'
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Mark as completed → Sets the selected orders to the status 'completed'
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Collective PDF → Prints a collective PDF of the selected orders with the set printer
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Print → Prints all selected orders with the set printer
In the "Open positions" tab all ordered and not yet delivered items including the confirmed delivery date or confirmed delivery date can be viewed at the position level:
As in every document a lot of information can be seen at a glance in the log in the order. The action menu is also available. On the right there is an overview of how many units of the product have already been delivered, how many are still pending delivery and how many are already in stock:
Note if order numbers are too long:
It is possible to select the option "Long product numbers", then the product number is given a whole line in the position table on the document:
You can store and retrieve documents so that you can keep track of your order. With the use of this module, you can define exactly for each product in the order from which shelf which quantities are to be stored or removed.
There is the option "complete order" (Administration → Settings → Basic Settings → System). With this the orders are completed as soon as all products have been delivered.
In addition the process starter bestellungabschliessen (finalize sales order) can be used, which also automatically closes orders.
When the order has been completed, documents can be stored or removed. More information can be found here.
It is possible to enter an alternative label for an order in the system settings:
As a result the check mark can be activated in the order details in order to exchange the labeling on the document:
The order document can be provided with a desired delivery date as a note for the supplier, either for the entire document or for each product. The document language determines whether a translation is drawn. A delivery date can be specified for each order:
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Desired delivery date for the complete order
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In addition, a different date can be specified for each product (nothing is printed without a date)
Note
The texts can be changed in the document templates or supplemented with IF blocks. If no delivery date is given, the word "Immediately" is printed. This can be changed via the translation variable "document_ delivery date_sofort". It should be noted that this is a global variable for all documents and can then be changed for orders etc., if necessary.
If a note should always be displayed as a popup for a particular supplier when inserting the order items, this is possible with the "Supplier note text" field in the supplier address in the terms of payment/taxation tab.
As soon as a product that has stored this supplier as the standard supplier in the purchase prices, the popup is displayed.