Purchasing questions
The questions clients actually ask about Purchasing. Each answer is short and ends with the page that goes further. Every message the purchasing screens refuse with is in the table at the end.
Does a purchase order post anything?
No. Nothing in Purchasing posts to the accounts or to stock. The receipt moves the stock and the vendor invoice books the liability. See What posts.
Can I reverse a purchase order?
No Purchasing screen has Reverse. Edit or delete the order. Deleting is refused once a receipt, a shipment, a picking list or a return has used it; close the rest with Purchase Order Closure.
Where does the price on an order line come from?
From a valid Purchase Agreement for the vendor, currency, item, unit and project; otherwise from the purchase price list and its discount. Price Origin on the line says which. You can always type over it.
Can one order go to one vendor and be invoiced by another?
Yes. Vendor Account is who you buy from; Vendor for Invoice is who bills. The vendor invoice only offers orders whose Vendor for Invoice is the vendor being invoiced. Set it before Create.
How do I return goods?
A purchase order with Purchase Type RO, negative quantities, copied from the original order. See Return goods to a vendor.
Can I back-date an order?
Yes, unless Backdate Entries is ticked in Procurement and Sourcing Setting: then a new order cannot be dated before today less Backdate Limit (Days). With Required Financial Year Validation, a closed period is refused on Create.
Can I buy from any vendor?
When an item is set to take only approved vendors, the order's vendor must be on the item's list and valid on the Posting Date. The order's vendor list also follows the Purchase Group and Organization.
How do I buy something that is not an item, like a service?
Use a line of kind procurement category (PRC) from Procurement Category, or a cost element line (CST). Neither needs a warehouse.
How do I record free goods from the vendor?
Mark the line with a free-of-cost special indicator: its price must be zero and it stays out of the order totals, shown apart as Free of Cost Amount and Quantity. For schemes, use Promotions & Rewards.
Do quotations need a requisition?
No. A Purchase Quotation can be made with its own lines. The award of a Quotation Compare is written back only to lines that came from a requisition.
Can I order more than the requisition asked for?
No. Orders copied from a requisition line together cannot exceed its quantity. Generate Purchase Order takes only what is left.
Does the purchase agreement stop over-ordering?
No. Its quantities and minimum amount are recorded, not checked. It only supplies the price.
How do I see what is still to be received?
Open Purchase Orders and Open Purchase Order Lines, or the Open Purchase Order reports by date, item, vendor or delivery date. See Lists and reports.
Can the order use a different currency?
Yes, pick it before Create. The import shipment uses its own exchange rate and a separate clearing rate for customs.
If something looks wrong
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor Account cannot be empty | No vendor on the order | Pick the vendor |
| Vendor Account for Invoice cannot be empty | No invoicing vendor | Pick it |
| Back date not allowed | Posting Date older than the backdate limit | Use a later date or raise the limit in the setting |
| The Financial Period is closed for the Purchase Order posting date. | Required Financial Year Validation and a closed period | Use a date in an open period |
| Required date cannot be less than Posting date | Required Date before the order date | Move it |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Required date cannot be less than Posting date | The same, on a line | Move it |
| Purchase Order Lines cannot be empty | No lines | Add a line |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Account cannot be empty | No account on the line | Pick one, or set the vendor's purchase account in the posting profile |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Gross Price cannot be zero | No price | Type the price, or mark it free of cost |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Gross Price should be zero | A free-of-cost line has a price | Clear the price |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Subcontracting Warehouse cannot be empty | A subcontracting line | Pick the vendor's warehouse |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Quantity cannot be zero or less then zero | Quantity not positive on a PO | Type a positive quantity |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Quantity cannot be zero or greater then zero | Quantity not negative on an RO | Type a negative quantity |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Inventory Unit cannot be Empty | The item has no inventory unit for this purchase unit | Fix the item's units |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Factor cannot be zero | The unit conversion is missing | Fix the item's units |
| Purchase Order - Line ID : ... - Site cannot be empty | No site | Fill it on the line or the header |
| Purchase Order - Line ID : ... - Warehouse cannot be empty | The item's storage needs a warehouse | Fill it |
| ... Selected Warehouse ... belongs to Site ... Please select the correct Site. | Site and warehouse do not match | Pick the warehouse's site |
| ... Selected Warehouse ... does not exist in Warehouse Master. | Wrong warehouse | Pick an existing one |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Item Variant Cannot be Empty | A variant item | Pick the variant |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Project Category cannot be Empty | The order has a Project | Fill Category |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Asset cannot be Empty | A fixed asset line that adds to an asset | Pick the asset |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Manufacturer cannot be empty | The item has manufacturers | Pick one |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Manufacturer ... is not an approved manufacturer ... | The warehouse needs approved manufacturers | Pick an approved one |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Vendor ... is not an approved vendor of Purchase No ... | The item takes only approved vendors | Add the vendor on the item or change vendor |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Vendor ... is not approved for Purchase No ... on posting date ... | The approval is not valid on that date | Change the date or the approval |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Catch Weight Unit cannot be empty (and Price Unit, Price Factor, Quantity) | A catch-weight item | Fill the weight fields |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Catch Weight Quantity ... cannot be less than / greater than ... | Outside the item's variation | Correct the weight |
| Purchase Order Lines - Line ID : ... Cost Element ... Allocation Base / Allocation Value / Currency cannot be Empty | Incomplete cost element | Complete it |
| Purchase Order - Line ID : ... Discount Line ... Discount Category cannot be Empty | Incomplete discount line | Pick the category |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... Delivery cannot be empty | Procurement area LOG needs delivery lines | Add the delivery lines |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Specialindicator cannot be empty | A special indicator without its type | Pick the indicator again |
| Duplicate Transaction No: ... found in the following lines | The same delivery is on two lines | Remove one |
| Line ID: ... - Account ... exceeds budget funds available by ... | Budget with action stop is used up | Raise the budget or lower the line |
| Pre Payment Amount cannot be greater then Net Amount | Advance above the order total | Lower it |
| Pre Payment Percentage cannot be greater then 100 % | Lower it | |
| Prepayment remaining Amount cannot be negative / Prepayment Amount cannot be less than Prepayment Cleared Amount | More already paid | Raise the advance to at least what is paid |
| Purchase Order - Line ID: ... - Remainder Quantity cannot be greater then ... | Open quantity above what is left | Lower it |
| Cannot split Line ... — ... quantity already received. | The line is received | Do not split it |
| Posting Date cannot be changed, already referred in Item Receipt: ... | A receipt exists | Keep the date |
| Line ID : ... - Purchase (...) cannot be removed. It was already referred in ... | Received, shipped or returned | Keep the line |
| Line ID: ... Purchase Quantity: ... cannot be less than Quantity: ... already ... | Below what arrived | Keep at least that |
| Line ID : ... Bom item ... cannot be removed / Quantity ... cannot be less than ... already Item Picking List | Components already sent to the subcontractor | Keep them |
| Line ID: ... Purchase Return Quantity: ... Quantity cannot be less than ... | Below what was already returned | Keep at least that |
| Interunit Order Item ... already delivered, you cannot change this Purchase Order | The sister company delivered | Leave the order |
| Inter Company Order: Purchase Organization is not Configure correctly / Sales Organization is not defined ... / Site is not defined ... | Inter-company setup incomplete | Complete the Purchase Organization |
| Cannot delete Inter Company auto generated Order | Made by the other side | Delete it there |
| Purchase Order: ... cannot be deleted. Following Item Receive / Picking List / Purchase Return Transactions has been raised against it | Used by later documents | Close instead |
| Sales Order: ... cannot be deleted. Following Incoming Shipment Transactions has been raised against it | An import order on a shipment (the message says Sales Order) | Remove it from the shipment first |
| Basic Data - Line ID: ... cannot exceed Balance Quantity ... in Purchase Requisition / Purchase Journal | Copied more than is left | Lower the quantity |
| Basic Data - Item ... is not defined in Purchase Invoice / cannot exceed Availiable Quantity ... in Purchase Invoice | A return copied from an invoice | Return at most what is left |
| You don't have rights | The copy button has no line on Purchase Origin | Add it |
| Purchase Requisition Lines Data cannot be Empty | No lines | Add a line |
| Purchase Organization Cannot be Empty | Required on the company | Pick it |
| Purchase Team Cannot be Empty / Purchaser Cannot be Empty | Required on the company but not on the requisition screen | Untick on the company |
| Purchase Requisition Lines - Line ID: ... - Quantity cannot be zero / Account cannot be empty / Inventory Unit cannot be empty / Item Variant Cannot be Empty / Asset cannot be Empty / Site cannot be empty / Warehouse cannot be empty / Catch Weight ... | Incomplete line | Complete it |
| Purchase Requition - Line ID: ... - Required date cannot be less than Posting date | Line date too early | Move it |
| Line ID: ... is duplicated with Line ID: ... | Same source line twice | Remove one |
| ... cannot exceed Balance Quantity ... in Item Request / Planned Order | Copied more than is left | Lower it |
| Posting Date cannot be changed, already referred in Purchase Quotation / Purchase Order | Already used | Keep the date |
| Line ID : ... - Requisition (...) cannot be removed. It was already referred in Purchase Order. / Requisition item ... cannot be removed ... Purchase Quotation | Already used | Keep the line |
| Line ID: ... Purchase No / Site / Warehouse / Project cannot be change, already referred in Purchase Order. | Already ordered | Keep it |
| Line ID: ... Requisition Quantity ... cannot be less than Purchase Order Quantity | Below what was ordered | Keep at least that |
| Purchase Requisition ... cannot be deleted ... | Orders exist | Delete them first |
| To Covert Purchase Requisition to Purchase order Required data is not complete. | No line with vendor and price | Fill them, or award a compare |
| Purchase Order Quantity not Available | All ordered | Nothing to do |
| At least one line with a selected vendor is required. | Publish to Portal with no vendor | Tick a vendor |
| Vendor cannot be Empty / Item cannot be Empty / Purchase Quotation Lines cannot be empty | Quotation incomplete | Complete it |
| Purchase Quotation - Line ID: ... - Item Variant Cannot be Empty / Purchase NO Cannot be Empty / Quantity cannot be zero or less then zero | Incomplete line | Complete it |
| Basic Data - Line ID: ...- Purchase Requisition Quantity ... cannot exceed Balance Quantity ... | More than the requisition line | Lower it |
| Price Offer Lines cannot be empty | Reply with no lines | Add the offer |
| Question:... is Mandatory | Unanswered mandatory question | Type the response |
| Vendor Scoring:... Score Cannot be greater than Range To | Score too high | Lower it |
| Basic Data cannot be Empty | Compare with no replies | Save replies first |
| Shipment Mode / Currency / Vendor Cannot be Empty, Exchange Rate Cannot be Zero | Shipment header incomplete | Complete it |
| Header Cost Element - Line ID: ... - ... | Header cost element incomplete | Complete it |
| Please apply header cost elements to line | Line-level charges not spread | Apply Cost Element To Lines |
| Item Information - Line ID: ... - Quantity / Assessable Price cannot be Zero or Negative. | Shipment line incomplete | Complete it |
| Item Information - Line ID: ... - Cost Element ... | Line cost element incomplete | Complete it |
| Purchase Order - ... Posting Date: ... cannot be smaller then Purchase Order Posting Date | Shipment before the order | Move the shipment date |
| Partial Delivery is not allowd on Purchase Order ... / ... Partial Delivery not allowed from Purchase Order | The order wants all lines in full | Take them all |
| Basic Data - Line ID: ... block from Purchase Order | Delivery Stop on the line | Leave it off the shipment |
| Basic Data - Item ... Cannot Over Deliver more then ...% / ... cannot exceed Balance Quantity ... in Purchase order | Too much on the shipment | Lower it |
| Inbound Shipment: ... cannot be deleted ... / Incoming Shipment ... cannot be deleted because it is already associated with your dimensions. | Received or booked | Keep it |
| Vendor is not mark as Foreign / No Vendor Found / Lotnumber is Required / purchase column is not matching ... | Shipment loaded from a file | Fix the file |
| Journal cannot be empty. / Name cannot be empty. / Same Journal already exists / Journal with the same name already exists / Date From cannot be greater than Date To. | Order Journal | Fix the journal |
| Purchase Organization Lines cannot be empty / ... can be marked default | Purchase Group | One default organization, at most one default purchaser |
| Program ... / Condition Rules ... / Reward ... | Promotions & Rewards | See Promotions & Rewards |
| Please select Current Stock View on. | Setting | Tick a view |
| Basic Data - Line ID: ... - Item Variant Cannot be Empty | Purchase Agreement line | Pick the variant |