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Learning Path for Buyer and Supplier Workflow - Understanding the Tabs in the Purchase Orders Section

Erin
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The Mission

Items will flow from tab to tab in the Purchase Orders section depending on the actions that the buyers and suppliers take.  It may seem like magic at the beginning, but in this learning path we will walk through what each tab is for and what actions are needed or if an action is needed from PO lines in that tab.  

 

Where Can I See It?

You can get to the Purchase Orders tab by clicking on Purchase Orders at the top of your screen.  This is the section that will allow you to see the most details for your PO lines. 

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Note:  Suppliers also have access to a Tasks section that allows the supplier to just see the most important actions for the supplier to accomplish to keep the POs moving. 

 

Once on this page, you will see tabbed sections that will allow you to follow a PO from "Pending" (aka a new PO that has not been acknowledged by the supplier) through to completed (aka closed in the buyer's ERP)

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In this section we will just be looking at the high level, what are the different tabs for, they will each have a "Dive Deeper" section that will go into the details of what actions can be done on those tabs.

 

The Big Ticket Tabs

Once of the first things to understand about the Purchase Order section are the main high level tabs which are "Planned", "All Open", and "Completed"  These are the black and white sections - all PO lines will show in one of these tabs at all times.  Think of these as your high level view. 

 

Planned

This tab contains all POs in the planned status.  Only suppliers who have Planned orders with their customers will see this tab.  These are POs that have not been activated to create "real" POs, the buyer and supplier could still be working on possible cost, quantities, and dates at this point, but they have not been designated as an actual PO for the supplier to fulfil.  Note:  Some buyers will switch vendors during the planning process, if you were seeing a planned order and it is missing, it is best to ask the buyer if the lines have been allocated to another supplier.

 

All Open 

This tab contains any open PO lines, in other words any orders not in planned, or completed.  PO lines in this stat could show up in this and another tab if there are any of these scenarios:

  • There are updates in progress or updates needed (could also show in the Updates, Late, or Awaiting Response tabs)
  • They are an item designated as "Hot" by the buyer (will also appear in the "Hot" tab)
  • They are "Late", the date for being shipped or due is in the past (will appear in the "Late" and "Updates" tabs)
  • They are in danger of being late based on the radar set up by the buyer (will also appear in the Radar tab and the Late tab if they are late)
  • The item has been fully or partially shipped but not received by the Buyer (will also show up in the shipped tab, and if late on the radar and updates tabs)

All orders that are in this tab that are not in other tabs can be considered POs that are in good shape.

 

Completed

This tab contains all PO lines that have been "Completed", "Filled", or "Cancelled" in the buyer's ERP.  You can see historical information for these POs, but the available actions are limited.

 

The Working Tabs

These are the tabs to keep an eye on as there is usually something that needs your attention on these tabs.  You can use the number next to the tab name in order to see how many PO lines are in these views.

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Split Proposals (Buyer Side Only)

Split Lines gives your suppliers the option to propose splits to orders if they can't meet the entire quantity of an order by the requested date.  Split proposals are sent to the buyer as an Update that can be Accepted or Rejected just like any other proposed change.  When Split Lines are enabled, a new Split Proposals view will be visible on your SourceDay platform and all proposed splits will be accessible there.  Note:  While buyers have this new tab, suppliers will see these proposed splits in "Awaiting Response" while it it being reviewed, and once approved the new line will move to "Pending" for acknowledgement. 

 

Updates

The Updates view will display all orders where an action is needed in order to move the PO line forward.  This will typically fall under the guidance that the PO line will be in the "Updates" tab of whichever party did not make the request - because that party needs to agree to the change.  For the party requesting the change, the PO will be in their "Awaiting Response" tab.  Orders that are late and need to have a new date assigned will also end up in the "Updates" tab as the PO line needs an update from the supplier for the new, on time, date.  Think of this view as your inbox. Notes will be shown under the Flags column and proposed changes will be highlighted in Red under the Vendor Commit, Qty Prop, and Cost Prop columns.

 

Message

Communicate with the supplier to understand any comments, questions or concerns about the order.  You will be able to see all messages in the chain, but only messages added as part of an action will be saved in the PO history.

 

Awaiting Response

The Awaiting Response tab will display all PO lines where there is an action needed.  This is where you are confirming the update requested from the other party. 

  • If the supplier requested the change, it will show in the supplier Awaiting Response tab and the Buyer Updates tab
  • If the buyer requested the change, it will show in the buyer Awaiting Response tab and the Supplier Updates tab

This tab is your outbox. SourceDay will automatically notify buyers and suppliers when they have orders that require action to be taken. Once the other party responds or takes action these orders will be removed from the Awaiting Response tab and moved to the all open tab.

 

Pending

The Pending tab will display all new and unacknowledged orders by line or release. SourceDay will automatically notify suppliers when they have new orders that require acknowledgment. Once suppliers confirm/acknowledge these orders they will no longer appear under Pending and will appear under the All Open tab in an Ontime status unless the order is already past its Due Date/Ship Date.

 

Late

The Late tab will display all orders that are currently past their expected Due Date or Ship Date. SourceDay will automatically notify suppliers when they have orders that are currently late.

 

Radar

The Radar tab will display orders that have a Vendor Commit Date within a set time frame. The default time frame is 7 calendar days. Admin users with your buyer company can set a different radar range per supplier if an alternate time frame is needed, especially for international suppliers with longer transit times. The radar range can be set for 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 30, 45, and 60 days.

 

Hot

The Hot tab will display orders that have been marked as hot by your buyer. Orders that have been marked as hot will display a flame icon under the Flags column and typically signifies that the order is important, needs extra attention, or needs to be expedited. 

 

Shipped

The Shipped tab will display all orders that have been marked as shipped in full in SourceDay. Partial shipments will not appear under the Shipped tab and can still receive late order notifications.

 

Items to Help You Navigate These Tables

The available actions are slightly different depending on if you are a buyer or a supplier.  Each item below will let you know who has access to the functions:

 

 

 

 

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