The Purchase Order sub-tab is where we create and manage all purchase orders for a project. There are various options to create and manage purchase orders – the easiest way is to create a purchase order from an accepted quote.
 
 
This article covers all of these options, you can scroll down the page to find the section you're after, or click on any of the links below for the FAQ of that section specifically: 


Create a NEW Purchase Order from an Accepted Quote

 

There are multiple ways to create Purchase Orders in RAVE – the easiest way is to create a purchase order from an accepted quote.  To create a new Purchase Order, via the purchase orders page:

 

  1. We click on the ‘Purchase Orders’ sub-tab
  2. Then scroll down to the ‘Quotes ready to convert to a PO’ section of the page.  This displays a list of all accepted quotes in this job, which can be converted to a purchase order
  3. Choose the accepted quote you want to convert to a purchase order, click on the 3 dot dropdown to the right of the line, then click on ‘Add a Purchase Order’



In this example we have multiple categories selected; this allows you to create the purchase order and select whether you want to generate the purchase order for all categories or just one.

 

  • If you order items from just one estimate category, and click the ‘Include the scope of works on the PDF’ checkbox, it will only send the scope of works for that category – not both. 
  • If you want to create this purchase order for both items and you click the Include the scope of works on the PDF’ checkbox – it will send them the categories as multiple selected, and it will send both scope of works back to the supplier again. 


You can attach anything you need to send to the supplier for example, you may want to attach a copy of the suppliers quote.
 

Once you have decided what to order, you then need to select the delivery date, delivery address or pick up etc, and who the person/order is to be made attention to.

 

You can also edit item quantities (up or down), change pricing, and remove items that are not being ordered in full. Anything that you delete off this PO will still be waiting to be created on the next one until all item quantities have been ordered to 100%.

 

You can choose to hide the pricing from the supplier by ticking the ‘Hide Pricing’ checkbox.

  
Purchase Order Templates

 

We always suggest creating purchase order templates, with key comments like:

 

  • Please reference our purchase order number on any invoices that you send to us
  • No purchase order number, no payment of your invoice
  • Or, if a supplier/contractor receiving this purchase order is coming on-site, you can reference your health and safety policy, or your COVID-19 requirements – so that they have a document in writing that you’ve emailed, that not only confirms the pricing that you’ve accepted for this job but also your requirements when they are on site. 

 

You can create as many purchase order templates as you want – these are kept in the Site/Build, Templates, Financial Templates section. From here you can edit your saved comments, create new templates with new comments, and delete any old or obsolete purchase order (and quote request) templates.
 


 Next, you have the option to:

  • Approve and Send a Purchase order 
  • Approve and Save internally 
  • Or, Save as Pending. 

 

NOTE:  While you can send your Purchase Orders to XERO, if you are using XERO, we don’t recommend doing this, as all reconciliation is done in RAVE, and this will just add another unnecessary process in XERO.

 

 

 Creating a NEW Purchase Order from scratch

 

To create a new Purchase Order from scratch, that isn’t linked to a quote/price in the estimate:   

 

  1. Click on the ‘Purchase Orders’ sub-tab
  2. Then click on the ‘Add a Purchase Order’ button to the top right of the page


  3. You then need to:
    • Select a supplier or contractor
    • The category
    • And all of the relevant delivery information
    • The items will need to be loaded manually by clicking ‘Add Item’


  4. You would then follow the same process to create the items, as you did via the Quotes page – selecting:
    • The cost centre
    • Unit of measure
    • Pricing
    • Markup etc.
  5. Then carry on with using templates, and sending or saving your purchase order.


 
Creating a NEW Purchase Order – using a CSV File Import


To create a new Purchase Order using a CSV File Import:    

  1. We click on the ‘Purchase Orders’ sub-tab
  2. Then click the dropdown arrow to the right of the 'Add a Purchase Order' button

    This will take you to the Purchase Orders - Load from CSV File screen

     
  3. A CSV file template example can be downloaded from here, to ensure you have the right format for a successful upload - just copy and paste, or type your information into the right columns and save as a new CSV file. 

    Once your CSV file is saved and ready to go - you can upload your file, or drag and drop it to the 'Click to select file for upload or drag and drop them here' section of this page.



  4. This will show a 'Preview Purchase Order' display informing you of any data/file issues.  

    Any issues will be flagged by red triangle icons, which you can hover over to tell you what needs to be fixed.

    If the file is clean to load, you can complete the upload process by clicking on the 'Import Purchase Orders' button at the bottom right of the screen. 

    You now have your individual purchase orders loaded and can continue editing or sending these.

     


The Purchase Order CSV file template

The Purchase Order CSV file template has 15 columns to help you speed up your work and allow for better data management - these column headers are listed below.  Not all fields are mandatory however the more information included, means the less manual work needs to be done later. 

  • Purchase Order Name
  • Company Name
  • Category
  • Delivery Address
  • Delivery Phone
  • Delivery Attention (Person)
  • Product Code
  • Description
  • Unit of Measurement
  • Quantity 
  • Price
  • Tax Rate
  • Markup
  • Cost Centre
  • Purchase Order Date
  • Delivery Date

Purchase Order and Quote Request ‘Note Templates’

 

You can edit your saved Purchase Order (and Quote Request) message templates via the Site/Build - Templates page. From the Templates page, scroll down to the ‘Note Templates’ section, and click on the drop-down arrow beside the view button to the right-hand side of each purchase order/quote request template.
 

If you have multiple people sending quote requests and/or purchase orders, you can name your templates for the individual or specific situation.

 
 

Processing On/Off


The processing on button is used to flag the purchase order with a yellow mark so that you know not to call or email the supplier/contractor to chase up their invoice as its in “processing”. You can switch this on or off at any time by clicking on the purchase order and clicking the 3 dot drop-down button then Turn Processing On or Off.