My Vendor can't supply everything I need. What should I do?
When a Vendor can't supply everything on a Purchase Order (PO), Hoops gives you several actions on the Purchase Order item. They look similar, but they leave different things on the Purchase Order and send different quantities back to the Purchasing Queue. This article helps you choose. For the full definition of every action, see Purchase Order Ordering Actions.
⚠️ Important
In Supplier Backorder and Remove and Backorder, Quantity Ordered Now starts at the item's full quantity. If you confirm without changing it, Hoops simply marks the full quantity as Ordered. Change the quantity first if the Vendor can't supply it all.
The one question to ask
Has the supplier accepted the full order, including the items that are out of stock?
Yes — the supplier will fulfill the rest later. Use Supplier Backorder. The items stay on the existing Purchase Order, marked as backordered. The Purchase Order itself doesn't change, and the supplier will fulfill the outstanding items when stock becomes available.
No — the supplier only lets me order what's in stock. Use Remove and Backorder or Partial Order. Order what's available now and return the remaining quantity to the Purchasing Queue, ready to be ordered when stock becomes available.
No — and I don't need the remaining items. Use Partial Order and mark the remaining quantity as No Purchase.
A quick example
You need 100 T-shirts, but your supplier only has 50 in stock.
If the supplier accepts an order for all 100 and agrees to supply the remaining 50 later, use Supplier Backorder. All 100 stay on the original Purchase Order, with 50 marked as backordered.
If the supplier's website only allows you to order 50, use Remove and Backorder or Partial Order. The other 50 return to your Purchasing Queue, where you can order them once the supplier makes more stock available.
Which action should I use?
Find the situation that matches what your Vendor told you.
What your Vendor told you | Use | Result |
"We'll ship all of it, but not until it's back in stock." | Supplier Backorder | Everything stays on this Purchase Order. |
"We can ship some now and the rest later on this order." | Supplier Backorder, with Quantity Ordered Now set to what ships now | Everything stays on this Purchase Order. Hoops tracks the quantity still outstanding. |
"We can ship some now. You'll need to buy the rest later." and they gave you a date | Remove and Backorder | The quantity you enter stays on the Purchase Order. The rest returns to the Purchasing Queue with the date. |
Same, but there's no date | Partial Order, then Send Unordered Items to the Queue | The quantity you enter stays on the Purchase Order. The rest returns to the Purchasing Queue. |
"We can't supply any of it." | Remove and Backorder with Quantity Ordered Now set to | The whole item leaves the Purchase Order and returns to the Purchasing Queue. |
"We can ship some now, and you don't need the rest." | Partial Order, then Mark Unordered Items as No Purchase | The quantity you enter stays on the Purchase Order. The rest doesn't return to the Purchasing Queue. |
You'll find these actions in More Actions (⋯) > Ordering Actions on the Purchase Order item.
Example: the Vendor can ship 16 of 24
You ordered 24 Classic Zip Hoodies from Pacific Apparel Supply. The Vendor can ship 16 now. This is what each action does.
Action | On the Purchase Order | In the Purchasing Queue |
Supplier Backorder (Quantity Ordered Now | 24, marked Backordered. Hovering over the red calendar icon shows 16 ordered and 8 outstanding. | Nothing |
Remove and Backorder (Quantity Ordered Now | 16, marked Ordered | 8 |
Partial Order (Quantity Ordered | 16, marked Ordered | 8 |
Partial Order (Quantity Ordered | 16, marked Ordered | Nothing. The 8 aren't purchased. |
The Purchasing Queue shows only the quantity you still need to buy, so it shows 8, not the original 24. Point to the quantity to see how much was required and how much is on a Purchase Order.
Keep everything on the Purchase Order
Choose Supplier Backorder when this Vendor has accepted the order and will deliver when stock arrives. Nothing returns to the Queue.
Enter an Expected Delivery Date if you have one. With a date, the item shows Backordered and the Purchase Order's status shows BACKORDER. Without a date, the item is simply marked Ordered.
When the items arrive, record what came. If only part of the line arrived, or you select Mark Received on a backordered line, Hoops opens the Partially Received dialog so you can choose what happens to the quantity still outstanding. See Handle Partial or Missing Deliveries.
Return the rest to the Purchasing Queue
Choose Remove and Backorder when you'll need to buy the unavailable quantity later and you want to record when the Vendor expects it.
On the Purchase Order, open More Actions (⋯) for the item.
Under Ordering Actions, select Remove and Backorder.
In Quantity Ordered Now, enter the quantity the Vendor can supply now. Hoops calculates Quantity Returned to Queue.
Optionally, pick an Expected Availability Date from the calendar.
Select Remove and Backorder.
The quantity you entered stays on the Purchase Order and is marked Ordered. The rest returns to the Purchasing Queue, with a red icon showing the expected date. Enter 0 if the Vendor can't supply any of it.
Choose Partial Order when you don't have a date. It's available when you select a single item with a quantity greater than 1, and it asks what should happen to the rest:
Send Unordered Items to the Queue returns the rest to the Queue so you can order it later.
Mark Unordered Items as No Purchase removes the rest from the Purchase Order without returning it to the Queue. Use this when you no longer need it.
Items marked as no purchase are listed in the No Purchasing Needed section of the Job's Purchasing tab. To change your mind, see Order Later or Mark Items as No Purchasing Needed.
To take a whole item off the Purchase Order and put all of it back in the Queue, with no date, use Remove from PO. For example, use it when you'd rather buy the item on a different Purchase Order.
What the dates mean
Expected Delivery Date (Supplier Backorder): when this Vendor expects to deliver the rest on this Purchase Order.
Expected Availability Date (Remove and Backorder): when the Vendor expects to have stock for a later order. It's recorded against the quantity that returns to the Queue, and it shows on the new Purchase Order line as a reminder until you mark that line Ordered.
When the delivery arrives short
If you've already ordered the item and the Vendor then delivers less than you ordered, that's a receiving decision rather than an ordering one. See Handle Partial or Missing Deliveries.
Your Purchase Order and Job names may be different depending on your organization's Hoops settings.