Create a Purchase Order
Important
Information and features vary according to the roles to which you belong and the permissions associated with those roles. For more information, contact your module manager or your campus support team.
Use the Create Purchase Order page to add purchase orders to the system. The page can be accessed directly from the Procurement Hub options, from the Purchase Order List page by clicking the Create button, and from the Purchase Order Header and Details page Hub options.
You can also create purchase orders from the Desktop Create/Edit Purchase Orders window.
Purchase order (PO) header information is saved in the PurchaseOrder table and the line item details are saved in the TRANS_HIST_EXT table.
For schools configured for inventory management, inventory details are saved to the INV_MASTER table.
To create purchase orders (POs), you must be in a Procurement - Purchasing role with "All purchase orders" and "Can create purchase orders" permissions. Additionally, you must be in one of the General Ledger Accounting GL Account access roles with the "Can view only GL accounts enabled by associations (restricted)" permission and at least one GL account enabled on the Associations tab. For additional permissions information, see Roles and Permissions to Work with Purchase Orders.
Schools configured to manage inventory can use the Inventory Item column to select or add an inventory code. When an existing inventory code is selected, several fields autofill with pre-defined details. If you enter a new inventory code, you can decide whether to save the code and its details to the system so it is available for future use. After adding inventory items to the details spreadsheet, you can also check for lower cost vendors and switch vendors for inventory items.
Note
The inventory features are available only when your system is configured to manage inventory. Available functionality depends on your configuration selections on the Desktop Purchasing Module Setup window. See the following Desktop topics for more details about the inventory configuration options.
The split line item functionality lets you allocate line item totals for requisitions and POs across multiple GL accounts. When a single line item is selected from the details spreadsheet, the Split Line Item button opens a pop-up to select a GL Allocation Code. Each GL Allocation Code has been defined with two or more GL accounts. Different percentages of the line item quantity and total amount are allocated to each account. After an allocation code is selected and applied to the line item, the system adds rows to the details spreadsheet. Each row is associated with a GL account number and a percentage of the original line item quantity and total.
Notice
The OFFSUP allocation code has two GL accounts. Forty percent is allocated to Account 1; sixty percent is allocated to Account 2. When a line item for 100 packages of cleaner totaling $500 is associated with the OFFSUP code, the details spreadsheet is updated to include 2 lines, one associated with Account 1 for 40% of the quantity ($200) and the other associated with Account 2 for the other 60% ($300).
Note
The split line item feature is available when your system has defined allocation codes from the Desktop Purchasing Module Setup window. See the following Desktop topics for more information about setting up allocation codes for requisitions and POs.
The table below describes the fields in the purchase order (PO) header section.
The table below describes the columns in the PO details spreadsheet.
On the Create Purchase Order page, enter or select information in the PO header.
The PO Date is today's date by default, and you can update it as needed. Required.
Enter the Date to Order. Required.
Enter a Vendor name and select it from the drop-down. You can also enter the full ID number and press Tab to move to the next field. The system fills in vendor information. Required.
Select an Address Code from the drop-down options.
If you're submitting the PO on someone's behalf, enter an optional Requested For name and select an option from the drop-down.
Enter optional PO Text. This text doesn't appear on any printed reports, but can be helpful for people viewing the PO details.
Enter an optional Purchasing Agent name and select it from the drop-down options.
Enter an optional Requested By name and select it from the drop-down options.
Click the Expand details button to enter the following optional information:
Expiration Date
Desired Ship Date
PO Terms
Carrier to use
Shipping Options
Shipping Goods Here
Send Invoice Here
To add comments to the PO header, click the Comment icon next to the Create Purchase Order title. The Comments pop-up opens.
Click New comment.
Enter your comment text.
Click the Attach button if you want to add an attachment.
Click Add.
Enter or select information in the PO details spreadsheet. The following columns are required:
Item
Quantity
Cost Per Unit
GL Account Number
Note
Schools configured for inventory management can select an inventory code or add a new one from the Inventory Item column. The following columns are autofilled when an existing inventory code is selected.
Item
Unit
Cost Per Unit
Catalog #
Part
To add comments to line items, click the Comment icon for the row. The Comments pop-up opens.
Click New comment.
Enter your comment text.
Click the Attach button if you want to add an attachment.
Click Add.
Use the spreadsheet toolbar to undo, redo, cut, or copy rows. Right-click in the spreadsheet to insert or remove rows.
Click Create purchase order. The Purchase Order Created. Generate PDF & Create Another? pop-up opens.
Select from the following checkbox options:
Create Another Purchase Order. Selected by default. Deselect the checkbox if you don't want to create another PO.
Generate PDF of Purchase Order. Selected by default. Deselect the checkbox if you don't want to generate the PDF.
Purchase Order Layout. Enabled and required when the "Generate PDF . . . " checkbox is selected.
Group Split PO Line Items. Select the checkbox if you want to show line items that were split across multiple GL accounts as a single line item on the PO.
Note
Schools can use the Desktop Purchasing Module Setup window to configure the system to allocate the PO line item amount to different GL accounts. For more information, see the online help for the Purchasing Module Setup window.
Mark as Sent To Vendor. Selected by default and disabled if the "Generate PDF . . ." checkbox isn't selected.
Click Yes, continue. The PO details page opens, and if you generated the PDF, it opens in a new browser tab.
Note
This option is available for schools configured to check for lower cost inventory items when POs are entered or when savings meet specified minimums.
On the Create Purchase Order page, add one or more inventory codes from the Inventory Item column in the details spreadsheet. If there are vendors with lower prices for the selected inventory codes, a Save Money alert displays above the spreadsheet.
Click the Check for lower cost vendors button. The Lower Cost Vendors pop-up opens with a list of vendors that offer all the PO's line items and at least one item has a lower cost than the current vendor.
Review the vendors and click the Use this vendor button for the vendor with the best price. The pop-up closes and the vendor in the header updates to the new selection.
Note
Available for schools configured to use inventory management.
In the details spreadsheet on the Create Purchase Order page, select an inventory code from the Inventory Item drop-down.
Make changes to any of the autofilled fields related to the inventory code.
Item
Unit
Cost Per Unit
Catalog Number
Part
Click Create purchase order. A Save Changes to Inventory Code? pop-up opens.
To save the inventory item changes in the PO and in the inventory master, click Yes, save changes. Your changes are visible on the Purchase Order Details page and wherever you select this inventory code in the system.
To save the inventory item changes only to the PO and not in the inventory master, click No, don't save. Your changes are visible on the Purchase Order Details page, but the original details from before your updates will be used when you select this code again.
Note
Available for schools configured to use inventory management.
In the details spreadsheet on the Create Purchase Order page, enter a new inventory code in the Inventory Item column.
Complete the remaining fields for the item, including the following.
Item
Unit
Cost Per Unit
Catalog Number
Part
Add additional line items to the PO as needed.
Click Create purchase order. A Create New Inventory Code? pop-up opens.
To create a new inventory code and add it to the inventory master, click Yes, create. The new code is available on the Purchase Order Details page and can be selected from the Inventory Item column for future POs.
To use the inventory code only in the current PO, click No, don't create. The code is visible on the Purchase Order Details page, but it won't be available from the Inventory Item column on future POs.
Select a single row in the details spreadsheet.
Click the Split Line Item button in the toolbar above the spreadsheet. The Split Line Item pop-up opens.
Select an option from the GL Allocation Code drop-down. A list of the accounts and allocation percentages is displayed below the field.
In the Line Item to be Allocated section, review and make updates as needed to the listed fields. Fields with existing values have been autofilled from the selected line item.
Quantity (required)
Inventory Item (visible only if your system is configured for inventory management)
Unit
Cost Per Unit
Project Code
Catalog Number
Part (visible only if your system is configured for inventory management)
Item
Deselect the Copy Comments & Attachments checkbox if you don't want the comments/attachments from the original line item to be copied to the line items generated during the allocation process.
Click Allocate. The pop-up closes and the details spreadsheet updates with additional line items created in accordance with the selected allocation code.
You might not be in a role with permission to access project codes. To work with project codes, you must be in a General Ledger Accounting Project Access role with the "Can view only projects enabled by associations (restricted)" permission.
For more information about project permissions, see General Ledger Accounting Project Access.
Shipping options are currently managed in the Desktop Purchasing Module Setup window, Create PO tab. To access this window, you must be in the appropriate Desktop user group.
To make changes to the Shipping Options:
In the Desktop application, open the Purchasing Module Setup window.
Open the Create PO tab.
Click the Define shipping terms link. The Ship Way window opens.
Make updates to the Description for existing options as needed.
Right-click and select Add row to add a new option.
To make changes to the Shipping Goods Here options:
In the Desktop application, open the Purchasing Module Setup window.
Open the Create PO tab.
Click the Define ship to locations on campus link. The Ship To window opens.
Make updates to the Ship to Point and Address fields as needed.
Right-click and select Add row to add a new location option.
Requisitions are associated with POs via the Copy requisitions to purchase orders process. They cannot be added to a PO from the Create Purchase Order page.
You may not have access to the GL accounts associated with those allocation codes. Contact your campus support team to ensure you have to correct access to GL accounts.
Your system must be configured to check for lower cost vendors with the options in the Desktop Purchasing Module Setup window. Contact your purchasing administrator for more information about how your school is configured for inventory management.
The system uses the Communication Management hub to send templated emails to the requester and purchasing agent when a PO is created, updated, deleted, or when comments are added or removed. These default communication templates are managed on the Interactions page, and the processes that initiate the emails are managed on the Automation Plans page.
For more information about how procurement communications are set up and customized in J1 Web, see Customizing System-Generated Emails for Procurement.
The notifications set up in the Desktop application are not honored in J1 Web because J1 Web uses the Communication Management hub to send emails and notifications. Default email templates are sent when system events occur (e.g., PO created or updated). If you are in a Communication Management Base role with permission to edit interactions and automation plans, you can customize the default templates according to your preferences.
For more information about how procurement communications are set up and customized in J1 Web, see Customizing System-Generated Emails for Procurement.