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Who uses this: Admins for the Company Settings work — enabling purchase orders, setting purchase order defaults, and managing the supplier list. Availability: All regions.
A purchase order is the record you send a supplier to order parts and materials. FieldPulse builds the order, emails it to the supplier, replenishes your stock as items run low, and pulls several orders into one estimate or invoice for your customer — so the supplier, the linked job, and the cost of the parts all sit on one record.

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Overview

Purchase orders let you generate an order for a supplier, send it by email, track inventory replenishment, and combine multiple purchase orders into a single estimate or invoice for your customer. A purchase order gets created in one of two ways:
  • Manually — you build the order on the web app or the mobile app and email it to the supplier.
  • Automatically — you set an auto re-order level on an inventory item, and FieldPulse creates the purchase order when the quantity on hand reaches that level.
Purchase orders are turned on per account in Company Settings, and the same settings area holds your order defaults and your company-wide supplier list.

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Video walkthrough

Video walkthrough: purchase orders in FieldPulse

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Before you begin

  • Purchase orders must be enabled on your account before the Purchase Orders tab appears. Enabling it is the first task below.
  • Every purchase order needs a supplier. Add suppliers in Company Settings ahead of time, or create one while you build the order.
  • For automatic replenishment, set up inventory tracking on your items first. See Setting Up Item List & Inventory.
  • Set your purchase order defaults before you start ordering if you want new orders to fill in the delivery address, contact details, and display number for you.

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On web

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Enable purchase orders

Purchase orders are turned on from the plugin list in Company Settings.
  1. Select Company Settings in the left-side menu, then open the Features & Plugins tab.
  2. Find the Purchase Orders tile and select Enable.
Company Settings open on the Features & Plugins tab with the Purchase Orders tile and its green Enable button highlighted The Purchase Orders tab appears in the left-side menu, and you can begin ordering and tracking materials from your suppliers.

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Set purchase order defaults

Purchase order defaults fill in key fields on every new order, so there is less to enter by hand and less to get wrong.
  1. Select Company Settings in the left-side menu, then open the Orders tab and the General subtab.
  2. Set each default under Purchase Order Default Settings, then select Save.
Purchase Order Default Settings on the Orders tab General subtab, showing the Purchase Order Display Number, Contact Name, Designated Name, and Phone Number dropdowns with the Save button in the top right The Phone Number, Contact Email, and Delivery Address defaults apply to new purchase orders going forward, and you can still change them on any individual order. To choose the email address used when purchase order records are sent, open the PDF Emails subtab on the same Orders tab and set the default From, From Name, CC, and BCC methods. Email Settings on the Orders tab PDF Emails subtab, with dropdowns for the default From email address, From name, CC, and BCC methods

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Manage your suppliers

Your supplier list lives in Company Settings, so you can view, add, edit, archive, and import suppliers in one place without opening a purchase order first. To get there, select Company Settings, open the Orders tab, then select the Suppliers subtab. The Suppliers subtab under Company Settings Orders, listing supplier name, email, additional emails, phone, and notes columns, with the Create New button highlighted Add a supplier. Select Create New, fill in the supplier’s name, email, additional emails (optional), phone number, and notes, then select Save. The supplier is immediately available in the supplier picker when you create a purchase order. The Add New Supplier panel with required Supplier Name and Email fields, plus Additional Emails, Phone, and Notes fields above the Save and Cancel buttons Edit or archive a supplier. Each supplier row has an edit icon (pencil) and an archive icon (trash) in the Action column. Edits you make here update every existing purchase order that references that supplier, including historical ones. A supplier row in the Suppliers list with the pencil edit icon and red trash archive icon highlighted in the Action column Import a list of suppliers. Select Mass Import to download the import template, fill it in with your supplier details, then upload it. The Suppliers list with the Mass Import button highlighted next to Create New
If you have active supplier integrations (like Reece, The Granite Group, or City Electric Supply), those suppliers appear automatically in the list as read-only entries.

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Create and send a purchase order

  1. Select the Purchase Orders tab in the left-side menu, then select Create Order. The Purchase Orders list page with the Purchase Orders menu item and the green Create Order button highlighted above the order table
  2. Add a supplier. Select the Supplier search box to see your saved suppliers, find the one you want, and select Select Supplier. The Create a new order page with the supplier search box open, listing saved suppliers with a Select Supplier button beside each one If the supplier does not exist yet, select Create New Supplier, enter the name, email, phone number, and any notes, then select Create Supplier. Suppliers created here are added to your company-wide supplier list, so they are available everywhere going forward. The Create Supplier panel opened from the supplier picker, with Create New Supplier highlighted and empty Name and Email fields
  3. Enter the vendor’s order number in Order Number.
  4. Choose Delivery or Pickup, then enter the address. The new order form with the Order Number field, the Delivery and Pickup toggle, and the delivery Address, City, State, and Zip Code fields filled in
  5. Set the Expected Delivery Date to at least 2 hours from the current time. FieldPulse will not save the purchase order until a later date and time is set.
  6. Select the Customer Name field and choose an existing customer, or select Create New Customer to build one. The Customer Name field on the new order with the customer picker open, listing saved customers with an Add Customer button beside each one
  7. Set the Assigned Team Member. This field defaults to whoever is creating the purchase order.
  8. Enter an Order Title.
  9. Under Link, connect the order to an existing Project, Job, Invoice, or Estimate, or select None to create it as a standalone order. The new order form showing the Assigned Team Member, Order Title, and Link fields, with Project, Job, Invoice, Estimate, and None as link options
  10. Add your items. Select the item search bar to add items already in your system, or select Create New Line Item for an item that is not. Repeat for every item on the order. The Purchase Order Items screen with the item search open, listing saved items with SKU, inventory, and unit cost, and Create New Line Item in the left panel
  11. Add tags under Add Tags if you use them. Type a custom tag and press Enter to create it, set its color if you want one, or pick a previously used tag. Any tags you add also appear alongside the purchase order details on the purchase order list view.
  12. Complete any purchase order custom fields under Additional Fields. The Tags and Additional Fields sections of a purchase order, with an Add Tags box above two custom fields To create or edit purchase order custom fields, go to Company Settings > Orders > Custom Fields. For custom fields on individual line items, see Setting Up Custom Fields on Purchase Orders.
  13. Enter anything the supplier needs to know on the Instructions tab at the bottom of the page. Instructions appear on the purchase order PDF.
  14. Add internal notes on the Notes tab (the mobile app labels this field Notes (Internal)). The bottom of a purchase order with the Instructions and Notes tabs highlighted and the Instructions field labeled Appears on PO PDF
  15. Review the subtotal and total on the right, and adjust the Tax(%) rate if you need to.
  16. Select Save. The purchase order totals panel with Subtotal, Tax percentage, and Total highlighted, and the Save button below
  17. Check the details on the order record and edit anything that needs changing.
  18. When the order is ready, select Send Email to send it to your supplier. A saved purchase order record showing supplier, customer, and delivery details, with the Send Email button highlighted at the top
  19. To keep a copy, select Download Order.
The same purchase order record with the Download Order button highlighted next to Send Email The purchase order PDF opens in your browser, where you can save it to your computer. The purchase order PDF open in a browser tab, showing the company header, order details, and the item table with quantities and totals

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Set the order date

The Order Date field pre-populates with today’s date when you create a purchase order. The field is optional — while you are still drafting the order, select the X next to the date to clear it and save the record without it. You do not need to enter the Order Date by hand when you are ready to send. FieldPulse stamps it with the current date the moment you either select Send Email to send the order to your supplier, or change the purchase order status to Ordered. The Order Date therefore reflects when the purchase was dispatched rather than when the draft was created. Receiving labels route each part to the right tech as it arrives.
  1. Switch the Received toggle on for each line item as it comes in.
  2. Open the Actions menu on the purchase order and select Print Receiving Labels. FieldPulse prints one label per received line item.
A purchase order record with the Actions menu open and Print Receiving Labels highlighted under the Basic column Every label includes the part number, description, quantity, PO #, supplier order #, and received date. If the purchase order is linked to a job, the label also carries the job #, customer name, job location, assigned tech, and equipment, so it can go straight on the box. When no job is linked — a stock part, for example — those fields are left off. Selecting Print Receiving Labels opens your browser’s print dialog, where you choose the printer and label size. It works with a thermal label printer or a standard sheet printer. Three printed receiving labels, each showing the supplier order number, customer name, part description, item count, and PO number

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Set up automatic replenishment

Automatic replenishment creates a purchase order for you when an item’s quantity on hand reaches the level you set.
  1. Select Invoices in the left-side menu, then open the Inventory tab.
  2. Select the pencil icon next to the inventory item you want to replenish automatically. The Inventory tab of the Line Items page with the Inventory tab and an item row's pencil edit icon highlighted
  3. Open Advanced on the item and select the Supplier field. The Advanced section of an inventory item with the empty Supplier search field highlighted above the Inventory section
  4. Create a new supplier, or select an existing one.
    The Create Supplier panel opened from an inventory item, with Name and Email fields and a Create Supplier button
    The supplier picker on an inventory item showing a saved supplier with Edit and Select Supplier buttons
  5. Select the shopping cart icon next to the hub you want to replenish. If you use multiple hubs, repeat this for each hub. An inventory item with a supplier saved and the shopping cart icon highlighted next to the hub's on-hand quantity
  6. Switch on Automatic Replenishment via Purchase Order. The Automatic Replenishment via Purchase Order toggle in the off position on an inventory hub
  7. Set the two levels that control reordering. The panel also shows your current inventory in that hub, or your overall inventory if hubs are not enabled.
    • Auto Re-order Level (Quantity On Hand) — when the Inventory On Hand quantity reaches this number, FieldPulse initiates an automatic replenishment purchase order.
    • Replenishment Level — the Inventory On Hand quantity the automatic purchase order restocks up to.
An inventory hub with Automatic Replenishment via Purchase Order switched on, showing the Inventory On Hand, Auto Re-order Level, and Replenishment Level fields
Example — Inventory On Hand: 4 units. Auto Re-Order Level: 5 units. Replenishment Level: 12 units. Because the Auto Re-Order Level is set at 5 units and Inventory On Hand has fallen below 5 units, FieldPulse automatically places a purchase order to reach the Replenishment Level of 12 units.
Your hub’s inventory auto-updates once the purchase order status is marked Received or Completed. For more on hubs, see Inventory Hubs Overview. Stock moves the other way when you bill the work: once an invoice status is Invoiced, FieldPulse deducts the inventory listed on that invoice from the hub of the user who finalizes the invoice. For the full picture on when and how stock leaves your hubs, see How to Deduct and Count Inventory.

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Turn on auto-replenishment notifications

Admins can receive a real-time email, an in-app notification, and an optional push notification when auto-replenishment creates a purchase order. The email includes a direct link to the new purchase order, so you can open it right away.
  1. Select the profile icon in the top-right corner, then select My Settings.
  2. Set the Email, In-App, and Push options on the Auto Replenishment Purchase Order Created row.
The notification settings row for Auto Replenishment Purchase Order Created, with Email, In-App, and Push columns
An auto-replenishment email titled New Purchase Order Created with a green View Purchase Order button

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Combine purchase orders into one estimate or invoice

You can pull multiple purchase orders into a single estimate or invoice, so your customer receives one organized document instead of several. Reece maX users in Australia can pull in supplier invoices the same way — see Reece maX (ANZ) Overview.
  1. While in Edit Mode on an estimate or invoice, select Insert PO Items. An invoice record in edit mode with the Insert PO Items option highlighted in the row of buttons below the line items
  2. Search for the purchase order by connected customer, purchase order number, order title, connected estimate or invoice number or title, or connected job or project number or title.
  3. Select each order you want, then select Add Selected PO Items to Invoice. The Insert Items From Purchase Orders panel listing orders by order number, vendor, customer, assignee, and total, with three selected orders shown above the list
  4. Choose how the items are laid out — Insert Items Individually, Insert all items into one grouping, or Group items by Purchase Order, which adds a grouping for each purchase order.
The item layout dialog with three options for inserting purchase order items individually, in one grouping, or grouped by purchase order For the rest of the estimate and invoice workflow, see How to Create an Estimate.

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On mobile

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Create and send a purchase order

  1. Select the Sales tab at the bottom of the screen, then select Purchase Orders. The mobile Sales menu with Purchase Orders highlighted in the list and the Sales tab highlighted in the bottom navigation bar
  2. Sort existing purchase orders with the status tabs at the top: All, Compose, Draft, Ordered, Pending, En Route, Ready For Pickup, Received, and Completed.
  3. Select Create New to start a new order. The mobile Purchase Orders list with the status filter tabs highlighted at the top and the Create New button highlighted at the bottom
  4. Fill in the order details and attach an existing supplier, or create a new one with the + button next to Supplier.
    The mobile New Order form showing Order Title, Supplier, Supplier Order Number, Customer, Project, Job, Invoice/Estimate, and Expected Delivery Date fields
    The mobile New Order form scrolled to the Phone, Status, Payment Status, Instructions, Notes, and Tags fields
  5. Select Add Line Item to add items to the order.
  6. Select Save in the top-right corner to send your purchase order.
The lower half of the mobile New Order form with the Delivery and Pickup address fields, the Add Line Item button, order totals, and the Save button highlighted in the top-right corner

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FAQs

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Can I resend a purchase order to a supplier after it has already been sent?

Yes. For Reece, The Granite Group, and City Electric Supply the order is integrated directly into the supplier’s system, so contact that branch directly if you need to change an order. For a supplier without a purchase order integration, edit the order, change its status back to Draft, and resend it — confirm with the supplier first, because resending can leave them with two separate orders to fulfill.

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Can I manually change the next number of my purchase orders?

Yes. Go to Company Settings > Orders > General, edit the Next Order # field, and save — the next purchase order you create uses that number, and numbering auto-increments from there. The Purchase Order Default Settings page with the Next Order # field highlighted and the Save button highlighted in the top right

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How does FieldPulse generate purchase orders when auto-replenishment is triggered?

When an item reaches its Auto Re-order Level, FieldPulse generates the purchase order immediately, with no delay or batching. FieldPulse groups items that hit their threshold at the same time and share a supplier into a single purchase order, and appends them to an existing Draft purchase order for that supplier instead of creating a second one. Items with no supplier assigned always generate their own standalone purchase order. Your purchase orders are working when the Purchase Orders tab is live, an order you create carries the right supplier and linked job, the supplier receives it by email, and stock replenishes on its own as items run low.