Create and Edit a Purchase Order
New purchase order opens a drawer with supplier, expected date, line items charged to expense, stock or asset accounts, VAT and notes; it is saved as a Draft.
For School administrators, Accountants. Updated 2026-10-09.
Overview
On Procurement > Purchase orders select New purchase order. Choose the Supplier (active only), optionally set Expected on, and add lines. Each line has Item (description, at least 2 characters), Qty (greater than zero), Unit price and Charge to, an account.
Only expense accounts and inventory or fixed-asset accounts can be chosen; any other account is refused with "<code> <name> is not an expense, stock or asset account." Use Add line for more lines (up to 100) and the bin icon to remove one. VAT on the order and Notes are optional. The footer shows Subtotal and Total as you type.
Save draft stores it as PO-0001, PO-0002 and so on, numbered per school, status Draft. A draft can be edited with Edit on its row, which rewrites all lines. Once submitted it can no longer be edited unless the approver sends it back.
Statuses are Draft, Submitted, Approved, Partially received, Received, Closed and Cancelled; filter the list with the Status dropdown. Click the order number or View to see lines, goods received, linked bills, who raised and who approved it.
Raising a PO posts nothing to the ledger yet; the ledger entry happens when goods are received and when the bill is approved.
Before you start
- The “add procurement” permission
- At least one active supplier
- Expense, inventory or fixed-asset accounts in the chart of accounts
Steps
- Open Accounting > Procurement > Purchase orders
- Select New purchase order
- Pick the supplier and optional expected date
- Fill in Item, Qty, Unit price and Charge to for each line, using Add line as needed
- Enter VAT and notes if required
- Select Save draft
- When ready use Submit on the row and confirm "Submit for approval"
Common problems
Save draft is greyed out
A supplier is required, and every line needs an item description (2+ characters), a quantity above zero, a unit price and an account.
"... is not an expense, stock or asset account."
Choose an expense, inventory or fixed-asset account in Charge to. Create one under Chart of Accounts if the right one is missing.
Edit is not available on my order
Only a Draft can be edited. A submitted order must be sent back by the approver first; otherwise cancel it and raise a new one.