Purchase Orders
Confirm and manage approved purchase orders with vendors
Purchase Order (PO) is a confirmed RFQ officially sent to the vendor. Purchase orders can be locked to prevent changes, track received quantities and billable amounts.
The Purchase module supports 1 or 2-step approval processes depending on order value, helping control procurement costs effectively.
Confirm RFQ to Purchase Order
When price and conditions are agreed with vendor, confirm RFQ to purchase order:
Steps
1. Open RFQ to confirm
2. Review information: vendor, products, quantity, price, taxes
3. Check expected arrival date for each line
4. Read warnings from product/vendor if any
5. Click Confirm Order
6. Order moves to Purchase Order or To Approve status
Order Approval Process
Configure at Purchase → Configuration → Settings → Levels of Approvals:
Approval Levels
| Configuration | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 step | Confirm directly to PO | Low value orders, simple process |
| 2 steps | Requires approval if exceeds threshold | High value orders, strict control needed |
Approve Order (2 steps)
If order is in To Approve status, user with Administrator rights needs to approve:
Steps
1. Go to Purchase → Orders → To Approve
2. Open order to approve
3. Review order value and content
4. Check reason for exceeding approval threshold
5. Click Approve Order to approve
6. Or click Cancel to reject
7. Approved order moves to Purchase Order
Lock Purchase Order
If Lock Confirmed Orders is enabled in Settings, confirmed orders are automatically locked:
Key points
• Prevents editing after vendor confirmation
• Reduces risk of uncontrolled changes
• Increases process control
• Authorized users can Unlock to edit if needed
Manage Order Lines
Odoo tracks important values for each order line:
Tracking Fields
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ordered Quantity | Quantity ordered |
| Received Qty | Quantity received |
| Billed Qty | Quantity billed |
| To Invoice Quantity | Quantity remaining to bill |
Invoice Control Policy
On product, Control Policy field determines how to bill:
Control Policy
| Policy | Description | Apply to |
|---|---|---|
| On ordered quantities | Bill based on ordered quantity | Services, pre-ordered goods |
| On received quantities | Bill based on received quantity | Physical goods |
Track Receipt
When purchase order is confirmed, system automatically creates receipt:
Steps
1. Open purchase order
2. Click Receipt smart button (shows number of receipts)
3. View receipt details
4. Warehouse confirms actual received quantity
5. Received quantity automatically updates on purchase order
Invoice Status
Invoice Status
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nothing to Bill | Nothing to bill |
| Waiting Bills | Waiting for receipt before billing |
| To Bill | Has lines to bill |
| Fully Billed | Fully billed |
Cancel Purchase Order
To cancel purchase order:
Steps
1. Open purchase order to cancel
2. If order is locked, click Unlock first
3. Click Cancel
4. Confirm cancellation
5. Note: Cannot cancel if there are uncancelled related bills
Print Purchase Order
Print purchase order to send to vendor or archive:
Steps
1. Open purchase order
2. Click Print
3. Select format: PDF or Excel
4. Download or print directly
Modify Confirmed Purchase Order
If need to modify confirmed order:
Steps
1. Click Unlock (if order is locked)
2. Modify necessary information
3. Note reason for change in Chatter
4. Notify vendor about changes
5. Click Lock again if needed
Track Late Orders
Use filters to track problematic orders:
Key points
• Late: Late orders
• Late Receipts: Late receipts
• Not Acknowledged: Not acknowledged by vendor
• To Invoice: Need to bill
Additional Information
Other Information tab contains important information:
Key points
• Invoices: List of related bills
• Incoming Shipments: Receipts
• Delivery Address: Delivery address
• Analytic Distribution: Cost allocation
• Notes: Internal notes
Best Practices
Steps
1. Review carefully before confirming order
2. Enable Lock Confirmed Orders to prevent unwanted changes
3. Monitor Late Receipts to manage late-delivering vendors
4. Use Chatter to record all changes and communications
5. Set appropriate approval threshold for high-value orders
6. Read warnings from product/vendor before confirming
7. Update Expected Arrival when vendor changes delivery date