How to Create Purchase Orders or Work Orders from the Vendor Orders Tab

Overview
Purchase orders (POs) and work orders (WOs) can be created directly from the Vendor Orders tab within a project's Production tools, or from the Budget tab using itemized budget entries. This article covers both methods.

Before You Begin

• Have the project open that you want to create a Vendor Order for.
  
  
• If you plan to use the Budget tab method, group your budget by vendor for the smoothest workflow.
  
  

Creating a Vendor Order from the Vendor Orders Tab

1. Within your project, in the left-hand sidebar under the Production section, click Vendor orders directly. Any Vendor Orders you've already created will display here, along with their status (for example, Unsent).

2. Click the plus Create New button.

3. Select the vendor for the order.

4. Choose the receipt option, selecting Received Bid if you received a bid through a different vendor.

5. Enter a description or attach files if needed.

6. Select the line items you want to include on this Vendor Order.

7. Optionally, open Advanced Settings to configure additional order options.

8. Click Save and Send to send the order now, or Save to store it and send later.

Creating a Purchase Order or Work Order from the Budget Tab

1. Open your project and navigate to the Budget tab from the Project Menu.

2. Locate the itemized budget item you want to include.

3. Click the checkbox next to the item.

4. Select Add new Purchase Order or Add new Work Order. This opens the order creation modal.

5. In the modal, review the pre-selected Vendor (based on the item) and the automatically determined Order type (materials become a PO, labor becomes a WO). Only items associated with the selected vendor are displayed.

6. Select one or more items from the filtered list.

7. Review the order details.

8. Click Save or Save and Send.

Overriding Line-Item Pricing (Budget Tab Method)
Line items use estimate pricing by default. If vendor pricing changes:

1. Click directly into the cost field for the item.

2. Enter the updated cost.

3. Click outside the field to apply the change.

4. Click Save.

The overridden price becomes the official order cost, and the new cost automatically updates in the Budget tab.

Display & Visibility Options

• Include item images on orders.
• Hide pricing (ideal for internal orders).
• Hide descriptions.
• Preview the order before saving or sending it.

Tips & Best Practices

• Group by Vendor: When using the Budget tab, grouping items by vendor makes it easier to build orders for a single vendor at once.
• Check Order Status: The Vendor Orders tab shows the status of every order (such as Unsent), so you can track what still needs to go out.
• Save for Later: Use Save instead of Save and Send if you're not ready to send the order to the vendor yet.

Why This Matters

• Lets you generate purchase orders and work orders directly from either the Vendor Orders tab or itemized budget entries, without leaving your project.

• Automatically filters items by vendor and pre-selects order type, reducing manual setup.

• Supports real-world pricing changes by allowing line-item cost overrides that flow back into the Budget tab.

Summary

You can create purchase orders and work orders either from the Vendor Orders tab under Production (selecting a vendor, receipt type, description, and line items before saving or sending) or from the Budget tab using itemized budget entries, which supports vendor filtering, estimate-based pricing, and cost overrides.