Purchasing with a paper trail

Branches ask, head office buys

Each branch raises a purchase request for what it needs. Requests go through approval, so nothing is ordered because someone assumed someone else had handled it.

Consolidation

Several approved requests for the same supplier can be rolled into a single purchase order. Three branches asking for the same ingredient becomes one order at one price, rather than three small orders at three prices — and the resulting PO records which requests it came from, so each branch can still see where its request went.

Purchase orders

Purchase orders are drafted, reviewed and approved, with line-level discounts where a supplier has given you one. Each PO prints cleanly for sending to a supplier who wants paper or a PDF.

Receiving goods

Record a goods receipt against a purchase order and stock rises at the receiving location automatically. Partial deliveries are normal and handled as such: receive what arrived, and the balance stays outstanding on the order rather than quietly vanishing.

Returns to supplier

Wrong or damaged goods go back on a purchase return, which reverses the stock movement and keeps the record of what happened. The history shows the receipt and the return, not a net figure that hides both.

Suppliers and prices

Each supplier has a record with contact details, TIN and terms. Items can be linked to several suppliers, each with its own price, minimum order quantity and lead time, and one marked preferred.

Reporting

Purchase order and goods receipt registers cover what was ordered and what arrived, at summary or line-item level, exportable to CSV. Combined with per-supplier price history, that is enough to see where your costs are drifting without building a spreadsheet.