Once you know what you need to buy, you turn it into a Purchase Order (PO) for your Vendor. Most POs start in the Purchasing Queue, where Hoops has already gathered what your Jobs need. You can also create a PO from a single Job, or start with a blank one.
After the PO exists, you can open it in the Purchase Order editor to change its details, items, quantities, and prices before you send it. This article shows you each way to create a PO and how to use the editor. For files and notes, shipping addresses, and sending, see the linked articles.
Ways to create a Purchase Order
Where you start | When to use it |
Purchasing Queue | The usual starting point. Hoops has collected what your Jobs need, and you can buy for one Job or several from the same Vendor. |
A Job's Purchasing tab | You only want to buy for one Job, and you're already looking at it. |
The Purchasing Board | You want to buy something that isn't tied to a Job, or you'd rather build the PO yourself from an empty document. |
Creating a PO from the Queue or a Job fills it in for you from the Job's requirements. Starting from a blank PO gives you more flexibility, but you add everything yourself.
From the Purchasing Queue
Go to Purchasing and select PURCHASING QUEUE.
Select the arrow next to the Vendor.
Select CREATE PO to create the Purchase Order and stay in the Queue, or CREATE & EDIT PO to create it and open it in the editor.
Both buttons create the Purchase Order straight away. Neither one sends it to your Vendor. See Create a Purchase Order from the Purchasing Queue for the details, and Choose Which Jobs and Items to Include on a Purchase Order and Choose How Items Are Grouped When Creating Purchase Orders to decide what goes on it.
From a Job
Open the Job and select its Purchasing tab.
Under Needs to be added to a PO, select the arrow next to the Vendor.
Select CREATE PO or CREATE & EDIT PO.
This creates a Purchase Order for just that Job.
From a blank Purchase Order
Go to Purchasing and select ADD PURCHASE ORDER.
Choose the Vendor and add the items you want to order.
Save the Purchase Order.
You start with a draft that already shows your company as the Bill To and Ship To address.
Open the editor
To open an existing Purchase Order in the editor:
Go to Purchasing and select the Purchase Order number.
Select ACTIONS, then Edit.
The editor opens with the title Edit Purchase Order, followed by its number. You can also reach it straight from the Queue or a Job with CREATE & EDIT PO.
How the editor works
The left side of the editor is a live, editable preview of your Purchase Order as a document. The right side is a toolbox. When you select part of the document on the left, the toolbox shows the options for that part.
Select this in the preview | The toolbox shows |
The top of the document | Document Details: Deadline, Reference, Owner, and a Show to vendor switch for the Deadline and the Reference. |
The Vendor block | Vendor & Notes: Choose Vendor, the Vendor's contact and shipping details, and Notes. |
A product | Catalog Product: the product, its description, Variant Pricing, and Tax. |
The totals | Document Footer: Terms. |
Below each item, a row of small buttons lets you add more to the group, including a catalog or one-off product, a decoration, an additional cost, shipping, a note, or an attachment.
To see the page your Vendor will open, use ACTIONS, then Preview. See Send a Purchase Order to a Vendor.
Change quantities and prices
In the preview, select the product you want to change.
In the toolbox, find Variant Pricing.
Change the Quantity or the Price for a variant, or select Add Another Variant to add one.
The preview updates as you type, so you can see the new Subtotal, tax, and Total straight away.
If you lower a quantity on a Purchase Order that's already saved, the difference goes back to the Purchasing Queue so you can buy it later or take it out of purchasing. See Handle Changes to Job Quantities After Purchasing Begins.
Save your changes
Use the buttons at the top right:
The save icon saves your changes and leaves you in the editor.
SAVE & SEND saves your changes and opens the window for sending the Purchase Order to your Vendor. Don't use it if you aren't ready to send.
The arrow beside SAVE & SEND has Save & Close, and Cancel to leave without saving.
You can only save once the Purchase Order has a Vendor, at least one item, a quantity on every product and add-on, an owner, and tax on every item. If the buttons are greyed out, point to them to see what's missing.
Saving doesn't send the Purchase Order. To send it, see Send a Purchase Order to a Vendor. Once it's saved, you'll find it on the Purchasing Board. See Understanding the Purchasing Board.