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Creating a purchase order

In Retail POS, purchase orders are used to order stock, track orders across suppliers, and help ensure that your inventory numbers stay accurate. You can create purchase orders manually in Retail POS or generate a purchase order draft from a supplier document.

You can manage your purchase order and replenishment settings on the Setup > Inventory page.

Creating a purchase order manually

To create a purchase order in Retail POS:

  1. Navigate to Inventory > Stock control > Orders.
  2. Click Order stock.

    The Stock control page showing the Order stock button.

  3. If prompted, click Continue without document.
  4. Enter the purchase order details:

    • Supplier: Select a supplier for the order. This selection determines which supplier code and cost price will be used for products added to the order if there are multiple suppliers recorded. Supplier info can be edited after the purchase order is saved or sent.
    • Ordering for: Select the outlet or outlets where the stock will be delivered. The outlet can be edited after the purchase order is saved or sent.
    • Deliver to: Select the outlet where the order will be received.
    • Delivery date (Optional): Select the expected order delivery date.
    • Order number: The order number will be automatically generated by Retail POS when you select the outlet. You can edit this number to make it easier to identify the order.
    • Supplier invoice number (Optional): If you have a supplier invoice number, you can enter it for your supplier’s reference.
    • Supplier currency (Optional): Select the currency of the purchase order if it differs from your account’s default currency, then enter an Exchange rate. Learn more about managing multi-currency purchase orders.
    • Note (Optional): Add custom information to your orders, like personal reminders or approval notes.

      The New purchase order page.

  5. In the Products and costs section, select Choose products or Import via CSV.
    •  

      1. If you selected Choose products, enter the product name in the search bar, or scan the product barcode. If you’re scanning products, toggle on Quick scan mode to automatically add the SKU of a variant product so you don’t have to manually select the variant from the parent product.

        The Quick scan mode option highlighted.

      2. Enter the Quantity of the product you’re ordering for each location.

        An expanded product row with with the Quantity field highlighted.

      3. If a product has variants, select the variants to order, enter the appropriante quantities for each variant, then click Add variants to order.

        The Select variants to add to the order pop-up.

      Adding new products

      1. To add a new product, enter the product name in the search bar, then click + Add “(product name)” as a new product to your local catalog.

        The Add as a new product to your local catalog option.

      2. Fill out the product details in the Add a new product pop-up. You can add either a standard product or a product with variants.

        The Add a new product pop-up.

      3. Click Add product.

      Adding products from recommendations

      If you have set reorder points for products, including minimum and maximum quantity levels, you can add products from recommendations for multiple outlets. This feature automatically suggests products that are at or below their set reorder point and can also be used to order stock for unfulfilled sales.

      1. Click Add products from recommendations.

        The Products and costs section with the Add products from recommendations button highlighted.

      2. (Optional) From the Show products from dropdown, select All recommendations, Replenishment methods, or Unfulfilled sales and services, then click Apply filter.

        The Choose recommended products to add to this order pop-up with the Show products from dropdown open.

      3. Check the boxes for all products you want to add to the purchase order. You can click the product row to view more information about why a product is being recommended for reorder.

        The Choose recommended products to add to this order pop-up with the Recommendation details tab selected.

      4. Click Add products to order.

        If a product is in another open or sent purchase order or transfer for the same outlet, it will not be added to the recommended reorder list. If there is a supplier attached to the purchase order, only products from that supplier will be recommended and added to the purchase order.

    •  
      1. If you selected Import via CSV, download the stock order template and open it in Excel or Google Sheets.
      2. Fill out the columns:

        • Handle: The product handle must match an existing product in Retail POS.
        • SKU (Required): The product SKU must match an existing product in Retail POS.
        • Supply price: The per-item supply price.
        • Quantity (Required): The quantity of each item ordered.

          If you selected a supplier when you created your purchase order, all the products imported via CSV must have the same supplier as the supplier selected.

      3. Save your spreadsheet as a CSV file.
      4. In Retail POS, click Import CSV.

        The Products and costs section with the Import via CSV option selected.

      5. Select the file from your computer and click Open.
  6. (Optional) Record order-related costs and discounts:

    1. Next to Discount, click % (Percent) or $ (Currency) and enter a discount amount for your purchase order. If the purchase order is in another currency, select the appropriate currency from the dropdown next to the value field.
    2. Enter Total shipping and/or Total import duty values, using the dropdowns to select the currency if applicable.

    The Subtotal of products, Discount, Total shipping, and Total import duty fields.

  7. When you’re finished adding products, click Save to save the order with an Open status. Alternatively, you can click the dropdown arrow beside the Save button, then select Save as Sent or Save as Dispatched.

    The New purchase order page with the Save button dropdown open and highlighted. The dropdown shows the Save as sent and Save as Dispatched options.

Generating a purchase order from a supplier document

  • Available on Plus, or as an add-on for Basic and Core plans
  • Available in Retail POS for web browser

You can upload a supplier invoice or packing slip to prompt the AI-powered document import tool to generate a draft purchase order. The document import tool will automatically match line items to products in your local catalog. If a match isn’t found, you’ll have the option to create a new product directly from the purchase order, manually match to an existing product, or remove the product from the order. You can review matches, remap columns, and modify details on the draft purchase order page before saving.

To automatically generate a draft purchase order from a supplier document:

  1. Navigate to Inventory > Stock control > Orders.
  2. Click Order stock.

    The Stock control page showing the Order stock button.

  3. Drag and drop your JPG, PNG, or PDF file. Alternatively, you can click to upload to locate the file on your computer.

    The Order stock with a document pop-up.

  4. Click Use document. The upload process may take a few moments, depending on the size of the file.
  5. On the New purchase order page, review and adjust the Delivery details fields as needed.

    The New purchase order page showing several imported product rows.

    Purchase orders generated from a supplier document use your default currency. To include a supplier currency, edit the purchase order after you save it.

  6. Review the product table showing the list of products in the document, the associated products in your catalog (if found), and the status of the match:

    • Match: An existing product match was found in your catalog.
    • Existing variant product: An existing variant match was found and matched to the product on the line below it.
    • New: No existing product match was found in your catalog, and a new product will be created.
    • New variant product: A new variant was matched to the product on the line below it, and a new variant product will be created.

    If you need to correct product matches or remap the columns, follow the instructions in the sections below.

  7. At the top of the page, click Save as open. Alternatively, you can click the dropdown arrow beside the Save as open button, then select Save as Sent or Save as Dispatched.

Remapping columns

To remap columns in the generated purchase order:

  1. Click Map columns at the top of the product table.
  2. Review the Lightspeed field list, then select the columns to be matched using the Document column dropdowns.

    The Map your columns from document pop-up.

  3. Click Apply.

Correcting product matches or new product names

To correct a product match or update a new product name:

  1. Click the product name in the Product in catalog column.
  2. Enter a product name.

    A product row in hover state showing icons to find a match, update variants, or delete the product.

    If it’s an existing product, click to select the correct match from the list of existing products that appears under the product name field. You can also hover over the end of the product row (under the Total price column), then click the magnifying glass icon (Find match) to find a match in your catalog.

  3. Press Enter or click away to save the update.

Converting a product match to a new product

To unmatch a product and create a new product:

  1. Hover over the end of the product row (under the Total price column).

    A product row in hover state showing icons to unlink or delete the product.

  2. Click the broken link icon (Unmatch and create as new).

Updating variant product matches

To add the product to an existing variant product or as a new variant:

  1. Hover over the end of the product row (under the Total price column).

    A product row in hover state showing icons to find a match, update variants, or delete the product.

  2. To add the product to an existing variant product, click the stack with an arrow icon (Add to an existing variant product) > enter a variant product name in the search field > click to select > select a Variant name from the dropdown > click Next.

    To add the product as a new variant, click the stack with a plus sign icon (Add as a new variant product) > enter a variant product name in the search field > click to select > add a Value > select a Variant name from the dropdown > click Next.

    The Add to an existing variant product pop-up.

Creating a new variant group

To create a new variant family:

  1. Hover over the product name.
  2. Check the boxes beside the products you want to add to a new variant family.

    The product table showing multiple variants selected, as well as the Create a new variant product button.

  3. At the top of the product table, click + Create a new variant product.
  4. Enter a product name and select an attribute. Click + Attribute to add additional attributes.

    The Create a new variant product pop-up.

  5. Enter the attribute values per product line.
  6. Click Create.

Converting a variant to a standard product

To convert a variant to a standard product:

  1. Hover over the end of the product row (under the Total price column).
  2. Click the + icon (Add as a new standard product).

    A product row in hover state showing icons to find, add, or delete a product.

Removing a product from a generated purchase order

To delete a product row from the product table:

  1. Hover over the end of the product row (under the Total price column).
  2. Click the trash icon (Remove from purchase order).

Adding products to a purchase order from your catalog

You can import products into a purchase order directly from your catalog:

  1. Navigate to Catalog > Products.
  2. Check the boxes next to any products you want to order.

    The Products page with multiple products selected.

  3. Click Choose an action > Add products to purchase order.

    The Choose an action dropdown with the Add products to purchase order option highlighted.

  4. Select Add to an existing purchase order or Create a new purchase order.

    If adding to an existing order, select the order.

    The Choose a purchase order pop-up with the Add to an existing purchase order option selected.

    If creating a new purchase order, select a Supplier and Delivery recipient from the dropdowns. The order number will auto-populate.

    The Choose a purchase order pop-up with the Create a new purchase order option selected.

  5. Click Next.
  6. Enter quantities for the products that you want to order.

    The Choose quantity of products to add pop-up showing Quantity fields for several products.

    If your cost price has changed from your product’s default value, it’s important to enter the new value to correctly calculate your average cost and cost of goods sold.

  7. Click Add products to order.

After creating a purchase order, you can manage purchase orders from the Stock control > Orders page, including:

  • Editing an open purchase order after it’s been saved
  • Sending a purchase order to a supplier
  • Marking an existing order as Dispatched
  • Printing a purchase order

What’s next?

Managing and sending purchase orders

Edit, send, and print purchase orders.

Learn more

Receiving purchase orders

Receive full or partial stock orders through a purchase order.

Learn more

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