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Purchase

Last Updated: February 2026

The Purchase module manages the full procurement cycle — from requesting quotes to receiving goods and processing vendor bills. At Scott Recycling, purchase orders are also linked to maintenance requests for parts and supplies.

What Purchase Does

  • Requests for Quotation (RFQ) — Send quote requests to vendors
  • Purchase Orders — Confirm and track orders with vendors
  • Receiving — Track goods received against purchase orders
  • Vendor Bills — Create bills from purchase orders for payment
  • Vendor Management — Track vendor pricing, on-time delivery, and terms
  • Maintenance Link — Connect POs to maintenance requests (Scott Recycling custom)
Purchase
├── Orders
│   ├── Requests for Quotation    (draft/sent RFQs)
│   ├── Purchase Orders           (confirmed orders)
│   └── Vendors                   (vendor list)
├── Products
│   ├── Products                  (purchasable items)
│   └── Product Variants
├── Reporting                     (managers only)
│   └── Purchase Analysis         (spend analysis)
└── Configuration                 (managers only)
    ├── Product Categories
    └── Units of Measure

Purchase Workflow

The full procurement cycle follows this flow:

RFQ (Draft) → RFQ Sent → Purchase Order → Received → Billed

Step by Step

Step What Happens State
1. Create RFQ Select vendor, add products, set expected dates Draft
2. Send RFQ Email the quote request to the vendor Sent
3. Confirm Order Vendor accepts — convert RFQ to Purchase Order Purchase
4. Receive Goods Record items received at the warehouse (Receipt validated)
5. Create Bill Generate vendor bill for payment processing (Bill created)

Creating a Purchase Order

  1. Go to Purchase > Orders > Requests for Quotation
  2. Click New
  3. Select the Vendor
  4. Add Order Lines:
    • Select a Product
    • Set Quantity and Unit Price
    • Set the Expected Arrival date
    • Apply Taxes as needed
  5. Review totals
  6. Click Send by Email to send the RFQ to the vendor
  7. When the vendor confirms, click Confirm Order

Purchase Order Form — Key Fields

Field Description Example
Vendor Who you're ordering from "ACME Supplies"
Vendor Reference The vendor's order/quote number "QT-2026-0128"
Order Deadline When the RFQ expires 03/15/2026
Expected Arrival When goods should arrive 03/25/2026
Source Document Reference to what triggered the PO "MNT-00042"
Payment Terms When payment is due Net 30
Incoterm Shipping terms FOB

Order Line Fields

Column Description
Product Item being purchased
Description Line item details
Expected Arrival Per-line delivery date
Quantity How many to order
Received How many received so far (auto-updated)
Billed How many have been invoiced
Unit Price Cost per unit
Taxes Applicable tax codes
Subtotal Line total

Receiving Goods

Once a purchase order is confirmed:

  1. Open the PO
  2. Click Receive Products (or the Receipt smart button)
  3. The warehouse receipt opens showing expected items
  4. Enter the received quantities (may differ from ordered)
  5. Click Validate to confirm receipt

Receipt Status

Status Meaning
Pending Nothing received yet
Partial Some items received, more expected
Full All items received

The Effective Arrival date is automatically set when the first receipt is validated.

Creating Vendor Bills

After goods are received:

  1. Open the PO
  2. Click Create Bill
  3. Odoo generates a vendor bill pre-filled from the PO lines
  4. Verify the amounts match the vendor's actual invoice
  5. Enter the vendor's Bill Reference (their invoice number)
  6. Click Confirm to post the bill
  7. Process payment through the Invoicing module

The PO's Invoice Status tracks billing progress:

Status Meaning
Nothing to Bill No received quantities to invoice
To Invoice Received items awaiting billing
Invoiced All received items have been billed

Maintenance Integration (Scott Recycling)

Purchase orders can be linked to maintenance requests:

  • Open a PO and see the Maintenance smart button showing linked requests
  • From a maintenance request, add related purchase orders
  • This connects parts procurement to the repair/maintenance that needs them

Approval Workflow

If configured, purchase orders may require manager approval:

  1. User clicks Confirm Order
  2. State changes to To Approve (instead of directly to Purchase)
  3. A manager reviews and clicks Approve Order
  4. State changes to Purchase and the vendor is notified

Reports

Purchase Analysis

Go to Purchase > Reporting > Purchase Analysis to see:

  • Spend by vendor — Who you're spending the most with
  • Spend by product — What you're buying
  • Delivery performance — On-time delivery percentage per vendor
  • Spend over time — Monthly/quarterly trends

Available in pivot table and graph views. Filter by date range, vendor, product category, or status.

Tips

Use Vendor References

Always enter the vendor's quote/invoice number in the Vendor Reference field. This makes it easy to cross-reference with vendor statements and catch discrepancies.

Check Expected Arrival Dates

Set realistic arrival dates on each PO line. Odoo uses these to track on-time delivery performance and send reminder emails to vendors.

Partial Receiving

If a shipment arrives with fewer items than ordered, validate the receipt with the actual quantities received. The PO will show a Partial receipt status and you can receive the rest later.

Security

Group Access
Purchase User Create RFQs and POs, receive goods, view reports
Purchase Manager Full access including approvals, configuration, and vendor management
Portal Users Vendors can view their POs through the portal (read-only)