Flow Chart

The objects in the diagram below represent processes in the application. Click on an object to view information about that process.

Summary

The Purchase Orders batch process is used to enter/create new purchase orders. Complete all of the steps on the palette to create and commit a batch of POs. The Purchase Orders process has the following steps:

• Settings – The Settings step defines which fiscal year the encumbrances will be recorded, which budget amounts will be compared to the purchase order amount when the PO is entered and which fiscal year the PO can be invoiced. If you would like to change the fiscal year of a PO, roll the purchase order into a new fiscal year using the Roll Over POs process (PO> Roll Over POs).
• Import – The Import step is used to import purchase orders into the Purchase Orders batch. Once imported, those purchase orders can be modified in the Purchase Orders step.
• Purchase Orders – The Purchase Orders step is used to create the POs or modify the POs in the open batch.
  • Once a purchase order has been created, you can create three types of purchase order line items:
    • Contract line item - Contract line items are purchase order line items that are set up to invoice a specific amount. As the purchase order line item is invoiced, the amount on the PO line item is reduced and, once the entire contract amount has been invoiced, the PO line item will close. 
    • Standard line item - This is a purchase order line item that is not set up as a contract amount. The amount of the PO line item can be changed as the PO is invoiced in the Accounts Payable module.
    • Blanket purchase order - This is a purchase order that will not close when all of the purchase order line items on the PO have been invoiced. 
• Proof List – The Proof List Report displays the purchase order line items in the batch. Each purchase order line item will display as a separate line item on the report.
• Budget Proof List – The Budget Proof List Report displays the budget amounts of the GL accounts attached to the purchase order line items and the encumbrances created by the purchase orders.
• Statements – The Statements step is used to generate the printed version of the purchase orders. The purchase orders can be generated in two formats: detailed and summary. The summary version of the statement displays only the basic information attached to each PO line item.
• Send Electronic POs – The Send Electronic POs step is used to generate and send emails containing PDFs of purchase orders to any vendor included in the batch that is set up to receive purchase orders electronically.
• Commit – The Commit step is used to commit the purchase orders. Committed purchase orders can only be modified using the Change Orders batch process in the Purchase Orders module (PO> Change Orders).

Once a Purchase Orders batch has been committed, the POs that were in that batch can be:

• Invoiced using the AP module Invoices process (AP> Invoices).
• Used to create a manual check in the AP module Manual Checks process.
• Modified using the Change Orders process (PO> Change Orders) - For example, if you would like to add a line item to a committed purchase order.
• Received using the Receiving process (PO> Receiving) - For example, if there are unit quantities attached to the PO line items, you can receive the PO line items and generate a receipt. The receiving process is optional, unless the Force Receiving toggle is checked on the AP module Setup window (AP> Utilities> Setup> Invoices tab> Force Receiving toggle). If the Force Receiving toggle is checked, you can only invoice purchase orders with quantities that have been received in the PO Receiving process.
• Rolled over into a new fiscal year using the Roll Over POs process (PO> Roll Over POs) - For example, if a purchase order is entered in fiscal year 2018, but the encumbered amount should be moved to fiscal year 2019, process the PO through the Roll Over POs process. This will move the encumbered amount from one fiscal year to another and allow the PO to be invoiced in the new fiscal year. Purchase orders can only be invoiced in the same fiscal year as the encumbrance was recorded.

Using a PO to create an AP manual check

Purchase orders can be used to create manual checks using the AP module Manual Checks process (AP> Manual Checks). The manual checks process is used to input checks that have been manually created outside the application. For example, if you manually cut a check to a vendor rather than creating a check in the AP module Computer Checks process (AP> Computer Checks).

Purchase Orders and the Project Management module

Attaching a PM module task and type code to a purchase order line item will not create a transaction on the PM module task code (PM> Maintenance> Task> History tab). The PM module transaction will be created when the purchase order is attached to an AP module invoice and then that invoice is committed (AP> Invoices> Commit).