Link a supplies request to a purchase order

You can streamline supplies distribution by linking new supplies requests to existing purchase orders. Linking allows organizations to place bulk orders with suppliers to accommodate the need for different product delivery dates, or to keep supplies on hand for multiple departments.

For example, your supplies manager might create a purchase order for items required for a specific initiative, such as materials for an upcoming series of outreach programs. As programs roll-out, supplies requests are submitted from different regions at different times. Each of these supplies requests can be linked to the pre-existing purchase order. The number of items needed at each requesting region is reserved against the total available in the purchase order.

Subscription Inventory Control or Supplies Inventory, Purchasing
Regional availability

Inventory Control and Supplies Inventory: Australia, Canada, UK, USA, South Africa

Purchasing: All regions
User type
  • Business

  • Warehouse

Permissions

Inventory Control

  • Manage supplies: Edit
Restrictions

The Supplies workbench displays top-level and entity-level transactions. However, you can only process entity-specific transactions from the entity where they originated. Learn more about multi-entity transactions

Only one line item can be linked at a time.

  1. Go to Inventory Control > All > Supplies Inventory > Workbench.

  2. Select a requisition with a line status of New request.
    If an order's line status displays a "Needs..." state, review the request and update the required fields.

  3. Select Action > Link PO.
    The Link PO window appears showing available matching purchase orders.

    For a purchase order to appear on the list, it must meet the following requirements:

    • Have a matching or higher unlinked quantity remaining.

    • Have the same destination warehouse as the requested item.

    • Be created in the same entity.

    • Does not allow editing of the deliver-to contact.

  4. On the selected purchase order line, in the Quantity to link field, enter the number of requested items you want to allocate on the selected purchase order.

    The Quantity remaining column indicates the number available to link. You can link up to the maximum quantity requested.

    If the linked purchase order does not have enough quantity available, you can create an additional purchase order the remaining items requested. See Create a supplies purchase order.

  5. Select Post link.

  6. In the confirmation window, select Done.

    The Supplies workbench displays a new Source column status, Purchase, and updates the Sourced quantity. If additional items need to be linked, repeat steps 3 to 6. The Line status changes to Multiple.

When the requested items are received, the supplies can be issued. See Fulfill supplies requests.

Link PO field descriptions

When you link a supplies request to an existing purchase order, an additional workbench window displays.

Column Description
Document no.

Displays a link for an matching purchase order. Purchase orders appear on this list if they contain matching criteria:

  • Item

  • Entity

  • Warehouse

  • Quantity available to link
Line number

The line number on the PO for the matching items.
PO line quantity

The total number of items requested on the PO.
Quantity already linked

The number of requested items already linked to other requests.
Quantity remaining

The number of items available to be linked. If the total number available does not meet the current request need, you can link the requisition to additional purchase orders.
Quantity to link

Enter the number of requested items (up the maximum quantity requested) to link to this PO.