Creating a Purchase Order

A purchase order (PO) is your formal commitment to buy materials, services, or items from a supplier. You can create one from an RFQ response or start from scratch.

Creating a PO from an RFQ Response

The fastest way to create a PO is from a supplier's response to an RFQ. See Comparing RFQ Responses for details on reviewing responses first.

  1. Open the RFQ from Purchasing > RFQs.
  2. In the Suppliers section, expand the supplier whose response you want to order from.
  3. Click Convert to PO.
  4. In the modal, select which line items to include and click Convert to PO.

Forge creates the PO with the supplier, line items, quantities, and unit prices pre-filled from the RFQ response. The PO is linked back to the RFQ for traceability.

Creating a PO from Requirements

If you already know your supplier and pricing, skip the RFQ and create a PO directly from purchase requirements:

  1. Go to Purchasing > Requirements.
  2. Select the items you want to order.
  3. Click Create PO from the batch actions bar.
  4. Choose the supplier and fill in the order details.

Creating a PO Manually

To create a PO from scratch:

  1. Go to Purchasing > Purchase Orders.
  2. Click New Purchase Order in the top right.
  3. Select a supplier from the dropdown.
  4. Fill in the order details and add line items.

PO Detail Page

Once created, the PO detail page has several sections:

Order Information

The top section shows the key fields:

  • PO number -- auto-generated, unique identifier
  • Order date -- when the PO was created
  • Required date -- when you need the items delivered
  • Status -- the current state of the order
  • Currency -- the currency for this order
  • Payment terms -- e.g., Net 30, Net 60, or a custom term
  • Delivery terms -- e.g., FOB, Ex Works

Click Edit to modify these fields. Click Save when done.

Related Documents

The PO can be linked to related documents:

  • Job -- link the PO to a job so you know which production order it supports. Use the dropdown to select a job, or click the X to unlink.
  • RFQ -- if the PO was created from an RFQ response, the link appears automatically.
  • Quote -- if the underlying requirements came from a quote, that link is shown too.

Supplier Information

Shows the supplier's name, contacts, address, and default payment terms and lead time. This information comes from the supplier record in Settings > Suppliers.

Line Items

Each PO line includes:

  • Line number -- sequential order
  • Description -- what you're ordering
  • Line type -- Material, Purchased Item, Outside Process, or Other (shown as a colored badge)
  • Quantity and unit price -- with auto-calculated total
  • Delivery date -- per-line expected delivery (optional)
  • Received -- how many units have been received so far (shown as "received / ordered")

In edit mode, you can:

  • Add new lines with the Add Line button
  • Remove lines with the trash icon
  • Attach files and notes to individual lines
  • Change quantities, prices, and delivery dates

The Total Amount is shown in the footer.

Notes and Shipping Instructions

  • Notes -- internal notes about this order
  • Shipping instructions -- instructions for the supplier about delivery, packaging, or labeling

Files

The Files section lets you attach documents to the PO -- supplier confirmations, packing lists, inspection reports, or any other relevant files. Click the section header to expand or collapse it.

PO Statuses

A purchase order moves through these statuses:

| Status | Meaning | |---|---| | Draft | Created but not yet sent to the supplier | | Sent | Emailed to the supplier | | Acknowledged | The supplier has confirmed they received the order | | Received | Items have started arriving (partially or fully) | | Completed | All items received and the order is closed | | Cancelled | The order was cancelled |

Sending a PO to the Supplier

Once your PO is ready:

  1. Click the Send button (or navigate to the Send page from the PO detail).
  2. On the Send page, you'll see:
    • To -- pre-filled with the supplier's contact email. You can add or remove recipients.
    • CC -- add anyone who should receive a copy.
    • Subject -- auto-generated with the PO number. You can customize it.
    • Body -- the email message. Customize as needed.
    • PDF attachment -- the PO document is attached automatically. Click Preview PDF to review it before sending.
  3. Click Send to deliver the email. The PO status changes to "Sent."

The supplier receives a professional PDF of your purchase order as an email attachment. You can preview and download the PDF at any time from the PO detail page.

Related Articles

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