Purchase orders

Security
Built-in filters

A purchase order represents a contractual agreement between your company and a vendor for the purchase of goods and/or services. ActivityHD assigns each purchase order a unique sequential number to identify it in the system.

The image below depicts the general workflow for a standard purchase order in ActivityHD.

Available statuses for a standard purchase order:

  • New. A purchase order that has not been approved for release to the vendor. Depending on your setup, a purchase order may require formal approval steps before it is released.
  • Hold. This status prevents processing of a purchase order. A hold purchase order is not ready for approval or release to the vendor. If a purchase order is placed on hold after being released to the vendor, hold status prevents it from being invoiced or received.
  • Ready. A purchase order that is ready for approval. If the purchase order does not require approval, you can skip this status. If approval is required, the purchase order must be in "Ready" status in order to be eligible for the approval process.
  • Master. A purchase order that is approved and can be released to the vendor. After a purchase order is moved to "Master" status, receipts and invoices can be recorded against it.
  • Closed. A purchase order for which all lines have been invoiced and received, or a purchase order that is canceled.
  • Canceled. A purchase order for which no further processing (invoicing and receiving) is permitted. If commitments have been posted for the purchase order, they are reversed.
Extras\Purchasing\Import Orders.xls
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Orders security

Common accesses available on orders

Access A user with this access can...
Change Use the mass change action on orders.
Custom Fields Create and edit custom fields for orders.
Data Have read-only access to orders from anywhere in the software (e.g., field validations, filters, date expressions).
Delete Delete orders.
Edit Edit order records.
Export Export order records from ActivityHD.
Import Import order records into ActivityHD.
New Create new order records.
Read Have read-only access to order records.
Report Run reports with order information.
Report Designs Create and edit report designs with order information. This access enables the Report Designs button on the Output tab of report dialogs.
Shared Answers Create and edit action profiles and report profiles related to orders.
Shared Filters Create and edit shared filters on orders.
Visible View the Orders folder in the Navigation pane.

Special accesses available on orders

Access A user with this access can...
Invoice Access the invoicing functions of the purchase order process.
Master Move a purchase order to "Master" status.
Print Print purchase orders.
Receive Access the receiving functions of the purchase order process.
Reprint Reprint purchase orders.

 

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Order filters

The following built-in filters are available for orders:

Filter Name Effect
? Agent Prompts for an agent name and lists purchase orders assigned to agents with a name that contains the specified search string.
? Amount Prompts for a range of amounts and lists purchase orders with order amounts in that range.
? Department Prompts for a department name and lists purchase orders from departments with a name that contains the specified search string.
? Description Prompts for an order description and lists purchase orders with a description that contains the specified search string.
? Has Invoice Prompts for a vendor code mask, invoice number mask, invoice date, invoice amount, and/or invoice AP liability account and lists the invoices which match the criteria specified. This filter can help you determine if an invoice has already been entered in the system.
? Order Date Prompts for a range of order dates and lists purchase orders with an order date in that range.
? Order Number Prompts for an order number and lists the purchase order with that number.
? Owner Prompts for an owner (aka PO operator) and lists the purchase orders with the specified owner.
? Status Prompts for an order status and lists the purchase orders with a status that contains the specified search string. You can type "N" for New, "H" for hold, "R" for Ready, "M" for Master, "C" for Closed, or "X" for Canceled.
? Vendor Prompts for a vendor and lists the purchase orders with a vendor name or vendor description that contains the specified search string.
Account Validation Lists open purchase orders with an invalid account or an invalid commitment account (if a purchase order is set to post commitments).
Approved Lists approved purchase orders.
Approved by Me Lists purchase orders approved by the current user.
Disapproved Lists disapproved purchase orders.
Disapproved by Me Lists purchase orders disapproved by the current user.
Has Commitments Lists all purchase orders with AP commitment invoices and/or reversal invoices.
Has Open Commitments Lists all purchase orders with AP commitment invoices and/or reversal invoices which have a balance.
Master Orders Lists purchase orders with a status of "Master".
My Orders Lists purchase orders for which your PO operator is the owner (based on data links to the authorized user record).
New Orders Lists purchase orders with a status of "New".
On Hold Lists purchase orders with a status of "On Hold".
Open Orders Lists open purchase orders (orders that do not have a status of "Closed" or "Canceled").
Ready to Approve (All) Lists purchase orders that require any level of approval.
Ready to Approve (Limited) Lists purchase orders which require approval at the current user's approval level or above.
Ready to Approve (Required) Lists purchase orders which require approval at the current user's approval level.
Ready to Print Lists master purchase orders that do not have a print record.

 

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Report Email dialog

From
The email account from which to send the email. Valid options are:
  • Windows user default account. Sends email using the user's Windows default email account. For most users, this is the account configured in Outlook or another email client application.
  • Server personal. Sends email using the email configuration for the system or company server and the email address on the current user's authorized user record. The authorized user record must have a confirmed email address.
  • Server generic. Sends email using the email configuration and "from" address for the system or company server. This option requires "Send generic" access to the Server Email resource.
To
The email address(es) to which to send the email. Separate email addresses with semi-colons.
CC
The email addresses to copy on the email. Separate email addresses with semi-colons.
BCC
The email addresses to blind copy on the email. Separate email addresses with semi-colons.
Subject
The subject line.
Text box
The body of the email.

 

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Process Purchases, Purchase Order wizard

Process tab

Invoice
Use this section to select invoice processing options for the selected purchase order.
Invoice action options
The type of invoice processing to perform. Valid options are:
  • Create a New Invoice. Create a new invoice for the purchases you select in the Purchases table. The AP invoice is created using the options you specify in the rest of this section.

  • Edit an Existing Invoice. Assign purchases to an invoice that already exists. If you select this option, the adjacent field is enabled so that you can select one of the PO vendor's unmerged AP invoices to assign purchases to. After you select this option and specify an existing invoice, information for the selected invoice loads in this section and the fields are disabled.

    Example

    Suppose you receive an invoice from the vendor electronically and import it into Accounts Payable. You can use this option to edit the unmerged invoice and attach the appropriate purchases to it.

    Press F3 to look up the value.

    If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Vendor

Displays the PO vendor on the selected purchase order who is to be paid for the invoiced purchases.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Batch
The name of the batch of AP invoices the invoice is to be included in.
Invoice #
An invoice number that uniquely identifies the invoice for the vendor.
Description
A description of the invoice. This field defaults to the purchase order description.
Date
The invoice date. The default date is the current date.
Amount
The total amount of the invoice. This amount must equal the total of the purchases ultimately selected for invoicing in the Purchases table.
On Payment Hold
Indicates if the invoice has a status of "Payment Hold". Invoices on payment hold are not included in group payments and a warning occurs in the Accounts Payable Payments window if you attempt to pay an invoice on payment hold.
On Merge Hold
Indicates if the invoice has a status of "Merge Hold". Merge hold indicates that the invoice needs further attention before being merged.
Location

The payment location for the invoice. The default location is the vendor's payment location. The address associated with the selected location displays to the right.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

GL Date
The posting date to use when the invoice has been merged in Accounts Payable and posted to the general ledger.
GL Batch
The name of the GL batch to use when the invoice is merged in Accounts Payable and posted to the general ledger. Batches can be used to select groups of journal entries for proofing, merging, or deleting.
AP Terms

The payment terms for the invoice. The default payment terms are the vendor's default terms.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Receipt
Use this section to select receipt processing options for the selected purchase order.
Receipt action options
The type of receipt processing to perform. Your options are:
  • Create a New Receipt. Create a new receipt for the purchases you select in the Purchases table. The receipt is created using the receipt batch name and receipt date you specify.

  • Edit an Existing Receipt. Assign purchases to a receipt that already exists. If you select this option, the adjacent field is enabled so that you can select a receipt for the selected purchase order. After you select this option and specify an existing receipt, information for the selected receipt loads in this section and the fields are disabled.

    Press F3 to look up the value.

    If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Batch
The name of the batch of receipts the receipt is to be included in.
Date
The receipt date. The default date is the current date.
Purchases
Invoice All
Mark this checkbox to select all available purchases in the table for invoice processing.
Receive All
Mark this checkbox to select all unreceived purchases in the table for receipt processing.
Purchases table

The table shows the purchase detail lines for the selected purchase order.

Note

The visibility and order of the columns in the table are controlled by the settings on the Options tab.

Invoice

Mark the checkbox to select the purchase in this row for invoice processing.

Note

If the checkbox is marked and disabled, the purchase has already been invoiced.

If the checkbox is clear and disabled, the purchase on the detail line is assigned to a purchasing agent and must be invoiced using the Process Purchases, Purchasing Agent wizard.

Receive

Mark the checkbox to select the purchase in this row for receipt processing.

Note

If the checkbox is marked and disabled, the purchase has already been received.

Ship
The shipment line number associated with the purchase. This column is visible only if the purchase order has multiple shipments.
Type
The type of purchase. Valid types are:
  • Expense
  • Inventory
Product

The product purchased.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

UOM

The unit of measure in which the product was purchased.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Description
A detail description for the purchase. The description can be changed any time a purchase is invoiced or received through this process.
Quantity

The quantity of the product purchased expressed in terms of the unit of measure. This entry is blank and disabled if the quantity rule on the unit of measure is "Amount Only".

Note

If the actual quantity of a product to be invoiced and/or received is different than the original purchase quantity, you can change the quantity.

  • If the quantity is reduced, a new line is created for the quantity you enter, and the original line is reduced by that quantity. If the original line was previously flagged as invoiced or received, both resulting lines are flagged as invoiced or received.
  • If the quantity is increased, a new line is created for the difference between the new quantity and the original quantity. If the original quantity had previously been invoiced or received, the line for the original quantity remains flagged as invoiced or received.

Unit Cost

The cost of a single unit of measure of the product purchased. The entry is blank and disabled if the quantity rule on the unit of measure is "Amount Only".

Note

If the actual unit cost of a product to be invoiced and/or received is different than the original purchase unit cost, you can change the unit cost unless the purchase has already been invoiced. If the purchase has been invoiced, the entry is disabled. When changes occur to the unit cost, ActivityHD recalculates the extended amount based on the new unit cost and the existing quantity.

Amount

The extended purchase cost of the product purchased.

Note

If the actual extended amount of a product to be invoiced and/or received is different than the original purchase extended amount, you can change the amount unless the purchase has already been invoiced. If the purchase has been invoiced, the entry is disabled. When changes occur to the extended amount, ActivityHD recalculates the unit cost based on the new extended amount and the existing quantity.

Attribute(s)

Depending on your options settings, there may be a column in the table for each active purchase-type attribute with a setting of "Allowed" or "Required". Attributes provide additional ways to categorize purchases and may help determine the GL accounts used during invoice posting.

For each attribute represented, select an attribute item that is appropriate for the corresponding purchase detail line.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Account

The account to which the purchase is posted when invoiced. This entry is disabled once the purchase is invoiced. The entry is blank and disabled if the product is an allocated product.

Press F2 to open the Account Expand dialog box where you can look up an account number, find an account number by its alias, build the account number by segment, or view setup and setup sources.

Press F3 to look up the account.

If an account is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in the Account window.

Part Number
The vendor's part number for the product/unit of measure.
Serial Number

The product's serial number. Use this entry if you need to track specific purchases of the product by serial number.

Note

If the purchase order was written using a single detail line for a quantity instead of a single unit and the line needs to be received by serial number with a unique serial number for each unit, you can use the split function to create multiple single-unit detail lines. This allows you to enter a serial number for each detail line received.

Reference
Additional information to help identify the purchase.
Agent

Displays the name of the agent if this is an agent-based purchase.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Invoice

After the purchase is invoiced, this entry displays the invoice batch and entry number of the resulting invoice.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Receipt

After the purchase is received, this entry displays the receipt batch and entry number of the resulting receipt.

Press F3 to look up the value.

If a value is already selected, you can press F4 to open the record in its native editor.

Canceled
A checkmark indicates that the purchase is canceled and is not eligible for processing.
Memo

Additional descriptive information about the purchase. Press F2 to access the Memo popup which makes it easier to enter a long memo.

Available
The total amount of eligible uninvoiced purchases in the table.
Selected
The total amount of invoices in the table selected to be invoiced.
Open the Invoice after Processing
Mark the checkbox to open the AP invoice created or updated in the invoicing process when the process concludes.
Open the Receipt after Processing
Mark the checkbox to open the receipt created or updated in the receipting process when the process concludes.

Options tab

Display Options
Use the options in this section to determine the appearance of the software interface under the specified conditions.
Account Override
If this checkbox is marked, account numbers display in purple whenever the default account number has been overridden.
Attribute Override
If this checkbox is marked, attribute items display in purple whenever the default attribute item has been overridden.
Confirmation Message
Mark this checkbox if you want to be prompted to confirm that you want to process the purchase order when you click OK. The confirmation message shows the total invoice amount and the number of invoice lines.
Detail Description Position
Select where on the Process tab to edit the detail description. This setting is intended to aid efficient entry. Your options are:
  • In Place. Edit the description directly on the purchase line in the Purchases table (provided you do not hide the description by deselecting it in the Detail Columns list box.

  • Bottom. Edit the description in a text box below the Purchases table. If you need long descriptions, this option provides the most room for text.

  • Right. Edit the description in a text box to the right of the Purchases table.

Invoice Tab Stops
By default, all fields in the Invoice section of the Process tab are included in the tab order. Clear the checkboxes for any fields you want to skip past in order to improve efficient data entry.
Receipt Tab Stops
By default, all fields in the Receipt section of the Process tab are included in the tab order. Clear the checkboxes for any fields you want to skip past in order to improve efficient data entry.
Detail Columns
The list box shows the columns you can include in the Purchases table on the Process tab. The checkboxes indicate which columns are included in the tab order. Clear the checkbox next to any column you want to skip in the tab order. Ensure the checkbox next to every column you want to include in the tab order is marked.
Order buttons
Use these buttons to change the order that columns appear in the table. To do so, highlight a column name and use and to move the column to the desired position. Repeat this action for other columns until you achieve the desired order.
Add/Remove button

Use this button to open the Column Selection dialog box where you can add and/or remove columns from the Purchases table.

To remove columns from the Purchases table, highlight the column(s) in the Assigned Columns list box and click to move the selected column(s) to the Available Columns list box.

To add columns to the Purchases table, highlight the column(s) in the Available Columns list box and click to move the selected column(s) to the Assigned Columns list box.

Defaults button
Click this button to restore the system default settings for columns in the Purchases table.

 

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Split detail lines in the invoicing and receiving process

You can split a purchase detail line into multiple detail lines in the invoicing and receiving process.

If the purchase order detail line you are splitting has a quantity on it, ActivityHD splits the detail line by quantity. If there is no quantity on the detail line, ActivityHD splits the detail line by amount.

Splitting a purchase detail line by quantity

  1. With purchases loaded in the Process Purchases, Purchase Order wizard, go to the Purchases table, select the detail line to split, right-click, and select Split from the shortcut menu. (You can also select > Tools > Split or press Ctrl+T.) The Split - Quantity section is added to the right of the Purchases table.

  2. In the Split field, enter the quantity to split out to a new purchase detail line.
  3. Click OK. A new detail line is created, the quantity on the original detail line is reduced by the split quantity, and a new extended amount is calculated for the original detail line.

    The new detail line's extended amount is calculated from the split quantity and the unit cost copied from the original detail line. All other details are copied to the new detail line from the original detail line except for the memo. You can change individual fields on the new detail line as needed.

Splitting a purchase detail line by amount

If you need to split a detail line that has no quantity, you must split it by amount.

  1. With purchases loaded in the Process Purchases, Purchase Order wizard, go to the Purchases table, select the detail line to split, right-click, and select Split from the shortcut menu. (You can also select > Tools > Split or press Ctrl+T.) The Split - Amount section is added to the right of the Purchases table.

  2. In the Split field, enter the amount to split out to a new purchase detail line.
  3. Click OK. A new detail line is created and the amount on the original detail line is reduced by the split amount.

    All other fields are copied to the new detail line from the original detail line except for the memo. You can change individual fields on the new detail line as needed.

 

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Combine detail lines in the invoicing and receiving process

You can combine purchase detail lines into a single detail line in the invoicing and receiving process provided the purchase has not already been printed.

To combine purchase order detail lines:

  1. With purchases loaded in the Process Purchases, Purchase Order wizard, go to the Purchases table, select one of the detail lines you want to combine, right-click, and select Combine from the shortcut menu. (You can also select > Tools > Combine or press Ctrl+B.) The Combine section is added to the right of the Purchases table and a Combine column with checkboxes is added to the table. The Combine checkbox for the detail line you clicked on is marked for you.

  2. Mark the Combine checkbox for each detail line to combine.

    Note

    The checkboxes for detail lines which cannot be combined are disabled. To be eligible for combining, almost all fields in the detail lines must be the same, except:

    • Quantity. The Quantity field values on combined lines can differ. All detail lines to be combined must have a quantity or all detail lines to be combined must not have a quantity. You cannot mix quantity and non-quantity detail lines for combining. The Quantity field in the Combine section updates as you select detail lines to combine.
    • Amount. The Amount fields on combined lines can differ. The Amount field in the Combine section updates as you select detail lines to combine.
    • Memo. The Memo fields on combined lines can differ. When lines are combined, the memo from the initial detail line selected is used on the resulting detail line.
  3. Click OK. The selected detail lines are combined into one detail line.

 

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Validation messages for purchase order approval

The following messages may be returned for purchase orders which do not pass validation for approval:

  • The order has already been approved.
  • The order has already been approved for less than the current amount.
  • The status of the order is "New".
  • The status of the order has been set to "Hold".
  • The status of the order has been set to "Closed".
  • The status of the order has been set to "Canceled".
  • The current operator cannot approve orders for this department.
  • No approval is required by the current operator.
  • The order has already been approved by the current operator.
  • The current operator's approval limit is <approval limit>.

 

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Validation messages for the Print Purchase Orders wizard

The following messages may be returned for purchase orders which do not pass validation for printing:

  • The order has already been printed. The purchase order has already been printed and no addendum is needed.
  • The order's status must be "Master" for printing. The purchase order is not currently in "Master" status.
  • The order must be approved before it can be printed. All required approvals have not been performed on the purchase order. This could be due to an increase in the purchase order amount that causes it to exceed the approval buffer.
  • An order location must be specified for the vendor. No order location is specified on the purchase order vendor. Without an order location, the purchase order cannot be printed.

 

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Purchase Order Approval dialog

Status messages
The top section of the dialog shows the action to be taken on the purchase order including the order number and company name. In addition, below this information, details about the approval status and the order status are shown.
Order Amount
Specify the order amount to approve. By default "Current Order Amount" is selected and the order amount is shown. Your options are:
  • Current Order Amount. Leave this option selected to approve the purchase order at the current amount.
  • Other Amount. Select this option if you need to approve the purchase order for a smaller or greater amount than the current order amount. In the adjacent field, enter the amount to approve. Approving an amount greater than the current order amount allows for additions and/or changes to the purchase order (up to the approved amount and any buffer amount that applies) without requiring additional approval.
Approval Buffer
This field is visible if you select "Other Amount" above and enter an amount that is less than the current order amount. The field shows the current approval buffer amount for the department on the purchase order. If the difference in the amount entered and the current order amount is less than or equal to the approval buffer, no further approval is required at this level.
Approval messages
In the area immediately above the approval level fields, advisory messages may display concerning the current approval and current operator.
Level n
A Level # section is visible for each level of approval applicable for the current purchase order. The Level row includes the following controls:
Approver name
If the purchase order is approved/disapproved, displays the username of the approver/disapprover. If the purchase order has not been approved/disapproved at this level, this field is blank. If you are approving or disapproving the purchase order at this level, the field is filled with your username when you mark one of the corresponding checkboxes.
Approve checkbox
If this checkbox is marked, indicates the purchase order is approved at the corresponding level by the person whose username is indicated. If no action has been taken at this level on the purchase order and you need to approve it at this level, click the checkbox to mark it. The checkbox is only enabled for levels at which you are authorized to approve.
Disapprove checkbox
If this checkbox is marked, indicates the purchase order is disapproved at the corresponding level by the person whose username is indicated. If no action has been taken at this level on the purchase order and you need to disapprove it at this level, click the checkbox to mark it. The checkbox is only enabled for levels at which you are authorized to approve.
Expand /collapse buttons
By default, this button is in "expand" mode when you open the Purchase Order Approval dialog box and the detail section for this level is collapsed. If you want to review existing approvals, click to expand the detail section. If you need to approve or disapprove at this level, the detail section automatically expands to show the approval amount, aprroval note, and approval date when you click the applicable checkbox; the button state changes to "collapse". To collapse the detail section, click .
Level n expanded
Amount
This field is visible when the current Level section is expanded. Displays the approval amount.
Note
This field is visible when the current Level section is expanded. Displays notes for approval/disapproval at this level. If you are performing an approval or disapproval, enter your notes here. Notes are optional on approvals but required on disapprovals.
Date
This field is visible when the current Level section is expanded. Displays the date and time of approval/disapproval. If you are performing an approval or disapproval, the field is blank until you click Apply or OK.
Master
This section is visible if an operator is designated as a master approver for the department on the purchase order and is enabled if the current operator has "Master" access on purchase orders. A master approver can approve any purchase order for any amount at any time. Typically, "Master" access should be reserved for special cases when it is necessary to bypass the normal approval workflow.
Approver name
If the purchase order is approved/disapproved, displays the username of the approver/disapprover. If the purchase order has not been approved/disapproved at the master level, this field is blank. If you are approving or disapproving the purchase order at the master level, the field is filled with your username when you mark one of the corresponding checkboxes.
Approve checkbox
If this checkbox is marked, indicates the purchase order is approved at the master level by the person whose username is indicated. If no action has been taken at the master level on the purchase order and you need to approve it at this level, click the checkbox to mark it. The checkbox is only enabled if you are a master approver.
Disapprove checkbox
If this checkbox is marked, indicates the purchase order is disapproved at the master level by the person whose username is indicated. If no action has been taken at the master level on the purchase order and you need to disapprove it at this level, click the checkbox to mark it. The checkbox is only enabled if you are a master approver.
Expand /collapse buttons
By default, this button is in "expand" mode when you open the Purchase Order Approval dialog box and the detail section for this level is collapsed. If you want to review existing approvals, click to expand the detail section. If you need to approve or disapprove at the master level, the detail section automatically expands to show the approval amount, aprroval note, and approval date when you click the applicable checkbox; the button state changes to "collapse". To collapse the detail section, click .
Master level expanded
Amount
This field is visible when the current Level section is expanded. Displays the approval amount.
Note
This field is visible when the current Level section is expanded. Displays notes for approval/disapproval at the master level. If you are performing an approval or disapproval, enter your notes here. Notes are optional on approvals but required on disapprovals.
Date
This field is visible when the current Level section is expanded. Displays the date and time of approval/disapproval. If you are performing an approval or disapproval, the field is blank until you click Apply or OK.
History button
Opens the Purchase Order Approval History popup where you can view approval history details for the current purchase order.
OK button
Applies changes in the Purchase Order Approval dialog box and closes it.
Cancel button
Closes the Purchase Order Approval dialog box without saving any changes.
Apply button
Applies changes in the Purchase Order Approval dialog box but leaves it open.