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Purchase orders

A purchase order (PO) is a formal request to a supplier for parts and materials. FSM Navigator lets you create purchase orders, track their progress through every stage, add line items, generate professional PDFs, email orders directly to suppliers, and log incoming shipments — all from within the inventory dashboard.

Enterprise feature

Purchase order management is available exclusively on the Enterprise plan. Compare plans to learn more.

Why purchase orders matter

Without a structured purchasing workflow, teams end up placing orders over the phone, losing track of what was ordered, overpaying for parts, or running out of stock because nobody followed up. Purchase orders give you:

  • Accountability — every order has a paper trail showing who created it, who approved it, and when it was sent.
  • Visibility — see the status of every open order at a glance so nothing falls through the cracks.
  • Cost control — track unit costs, tax, and shipping on every order to keep budgets in check.
  • Professional communication — send branded PDF purchase orders directly to suppliers via email.
  • Receiving accuracy — log incoming quantities against what was ordered to catch short shipments immediately.

Creating a purchase order

From the Purchase Orders tab

  1. Navigate to Inventory in the sidebar and select the Purchase Orders tab.
  2. Click + New Purchase Order.
  3. Fill in the order details.
  4. Click Create Purchase Order.
Field Description Required
Supplier The supplier you are ordering from — choose from your supplier list Yes
Expected delivery date The date you expect the shipment to arrive No
Notes Internal notes for your team (not visible to the supplier) No

The system creates the PO in Draft status and opens the detail view so you can start adding items right away.

From a supplier record

You can also create a purchase order directly from a supplier's details page:

  1. Go to Inventory → Suppliers and open a supplier.
  2. Click Create PO.
  3. The supplier is pre-selected — fill in the remaining details and confirm.

Keep your supplier list up to date

Make sure each supplier has a valid email address saved. When you send a PO, the system uses that email to deliver the PDF automatically.

Adding items to an order

Once a purchase order is open in Draft status, you can add line items for the parts you need.

  1. In the PO detail view, find the Add Item section at the bottom.
  2. Click Select Part to open the parts selector.
  3. Search for and select the part you need.
  4. Enter the Quantity you want to order.
  5. Enter the Unit Cost (the price you are paying per unit). If the part already has a cost on file, it fills in automatically.
  6. Click Add.

The item appears in the line items table immediately, and the order totals recalculate.

Column What it shows
Item The part name
Part # The SKU or part number
Ordered Quantity requested
Received Quantity received so far (updated during receiving)
Unit cost Price per unit
Line total Ordered quantity × unit cost

Removing items

While the PO is still in Draft status, click the delete icon next to any line item to remove it. You cannot remove items after the order has been submitted.

Understanding order totals

The detail view shows a totals summary that updates as you add or remove items:

Line How it is calculated
Subtotal Sum of all line totals (quantity × unit cost for each item)
Tax Subtotal × the tax rate you set on the order
Shipping A flat shipping amount you enter manually
Total Subtotal + tax + shipping

You can update the tax rate and shipping cost at any time while the PO is in Draft or Pending Approval status.

Purchase order statuses

Every purchase order moves through a clear workflow. The current status is shown as a color-coded badge in the list view and detail view.

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Draft
    Draft --> PendingApproval : Submit for approval
    Draft --> Cancelled : Cancel
    PendingApproval --> Approved : Approve
    PendingApproval --> Draft : Return to draft
    PendingApproval --> Cancelled : Cancel
    Approved --> Sent : Send to supplier
    Approved --> Cancelled : Cancel
    Sent --> Acknowledged : Supplier confirms
    Sent --> PartiallyReceived : Some items arrive
    Sent --> Received : All items arrive
    Sent --> Cancelled : Cancel
    Acknowledged --> PartiallyReceived : Some items arrive
    Acknowledged --> Received : All items arrive
    Acknowledged --> Cancelled : Cancel
    PartiallyReceived --> Received : Remaining items arrive
    PartiallyReceived --> Cancelled : Cancel
    Received --> Closed : Close order
    Cancelled --> [*]
    Closed --> [*]
Status What it means
Draft The order is being prepared. You can add or remove items, edit costs, and update details freely.
Pending Approval The order has been submitted and is waiting for someone to approve it before it goes out.
Approved The order has been approved and is ready to send to the supplier.
Sent The order has been emailed to the supplier along with a PDF copy.
Acknowledged The supplier has confirmed they received the order.
Partially Received Some — but not all — of the ordered items have arrived at your warehouse.
Received All ordered items have been received in full.
Closed The order is finalized. No further changes are possible.
Cancelled The order was cancelled. It remains in your records for reference.

Moving an order through the workflow

Each status unlocks specific actions. Here is what you can do at each stage:

Draft

  • Edit all order details (supplier, dates, notes, tax, shipping).
  • Add or remove line items.
  • Submit for Approval to move the order forward.
  • Cancel to abandon the order.

Pending Approval

  • Review the order details (editing is locked).
  • Approve the order if everything looks correct.
  • Return to Draft to send it back for changes.
  • Cancel if the order is no longer needed.

Approved

  • Send to Supplier — the system generates a PDF and emails it to the supplier automatically.
  • Cancel if plans change before the order ships.

Sent, Acknowledged & Receiving

Once the order has been sent, the focus shifts to receiving.

  • Mark Acknowledged — record that the supplier confirmed the order.
  • Update received quantities on individual line items as shipments arrive.
  • Mark as Partially Received or Fully Received depending on what came in.

Received

  • Review the completed order.
  • Close the order to finalize it.

Closed & Cancelled

These are end states. The order remains visible in your records for auditing and reporting, but no further changes can be made.

You can cancel from almost any stage

If something goes wrong — a supplier is unresponsive, pricing has changed, or the project was put on hold — you can cancel the order from any active status.

Generating and downloading the PDF

FSM Navigator generates a professional PDF for each purchase order. The PDF includes your company branding, supplier details, all line items with quantities and costs, and the order totals.

  • Automatic generation — when you click Send to Supplier, the system creates the PDF and attaches it to the email automatically.
  • Manual download — click Download PDF in the PO detail view at any time to save a copy to your computer.

The PDF is useful for:

  • Sending to suppliers who prefer attachments over email.
  • Printing for your warehouse receiving team.
  • Archiving for bookkeeping or audits.

Emailing a purchase order to the supplier

When you move an order to Sent status, the system handles delivery for you:

  1. The PDF is generated automatically.
  2. An email is sent to the supplier's email address on file.
  3. The email includes a professional greeting and the PDF as context.
  4. The order status updates to Sent.

Make sure the supplier has an email address

If no email is on file for the supplier, the system will still generate the PDF and update the status, but the email will not be sent. Add the supplier's email on the Suppliers page before sending.

Receiving items

When a shipment arrives, update the PO to reflect what you actually received.

  1. Open the purchase order (it should be in Sent, Acknowledged, or Partially Received status).
  2. In the line items table, the Received column becomes editable.
  3. Enter the quantity received for each item.
  4. Update the order status:
    • Use Partially Received if some items are still outstanding.
    • Use Fully Received once everything has arrived.

Catching short shipments

Comparing the "Ordered" and "Received" columns makes it easy to spot discrepancies. If a supplier shorts you on an item, you will see the difference immediately.

Searching and filtering purchase orders

The Purchase Orders tab includes tools to help you find the order you are looking for quickly.

  • Search — type in the search bar to filter by PO number, supplier name, or notes.
  • Status filter — use the dropdown to show only orders in a specific status (e.g., show only "Sent" orders to see what is outstanding).
  • Supplier filter — narrow the list to orders from a particular supplier.

Results update instantly as you type or change filters.

Editing order details

While a purchase order is in Draft or Pending Approval status, you can update:

  • Expected delivery date
  • Tax rate (percentage)
  • Shipping cost (flat amount)
  • Internal notes

Click Save Details after making changes. Once the order moves past approval, these fields become read-only.

Deleting a purchase order

You can delete a purchase order only if it is in Draft or Cancelled status.

  1. Open the PO detail view.
  2. Click the Delete button.
  3. Confirm the deletion.

Deletion is permanent

Once deleted, the order and all its line items are removed. If you might need the order for future reference, consider cancelling it instead — cancelled orders stay in your records.

Frequently asked questions

Who can create and manage purchase orders?

Purchase orders are managed by users with Owner or Manager roles. Technicians can view purchase orders but cannot create or modify them.

Can I edit an order after it has been sent?

No. Once an order reaches Sent status, the details and line items are locked. If you need to make changes, cancel the order and create a new one.

What if my supplier does not use email?

You can download the PDF and share it however works best — print it, send it via messaging, or hand it over in person.

Does receiving items automatically update warehouse stock?

Receiving items on a PO records what arrived. Stock levels in your warehouses are managed through the stock transfers and warehouse features.

Is there a limit to how many items I can add to a purchase order?

No. You can add as many line items as the order requires.

Can I reopen a closed or cancelled order?

No. Closed and cancelled orders are final. If you need to reorder the same items, create a new purchase order.

How do I see a history of all purchase orders for a specific supplier?

Use the supplier filter on the Purchase Orders tab to show only orders from that supplier.