Purchase order automation software, from request to supplier
A purchase order goes through a dozen small manual steps: copying the request, looking up the supplier address, assigning a number, attaching terms, emailing the PDF, chasing confirmation, updating the spreadsheet, checking the invoice, closing it out. None of them needs judgment most of the time. Procurer is purchase order automation software that does those steps by rule and brings a person in only when something is out of the ordinary.
Twelve PO steps Procurer handles automatically
Creates the PO from the approved request, with lines, coding and attachments carried over.
Assigns the next number from the right sequence for the legal entity.
Fills supplier address, contact, payment terms and currency from the supplier record.
Applies your terms and conditions and generates the PDF.
Emails the PO to the supplier contact and stores the sent copy on the record.
Moves the PO amount into committed spend on the budget.
Groups approved requests for the same supplier into one PO, if you choose.
Flags POs the supplier has not confirmed within the days you set; on Scale, suppliers confirm in the supplier portal.
Lists POs past their delivery date for the requester and purchasing.
Updates the status when receipts are recorded, fully or partially.
Matches the supplier invoice to the PO and receipt on Business and above.
Closes the PO when every line is received and invoiced, and releases any leftover commitment.
The rules behind purchase order automation
Automation is only as good as its rules. These are the settings that decide which POs flow straight through and which stop for a person.
- Auto-issue: approved requests for catalog items from preferred suppliers can be issued as POs without purchasing review. Others wait in the purchasing queue.
- Price tolerance: if purchasing changes the price after approval by more than the tolerance you set (for example 5 percent or 200 USD, whichever is smaller), the PO goes back for approval.
- Consolidation: requests for the same supplier approved on the same day can be combined into one PO per delivery address.
- Follow-up timing: the number of days without supplier confirmation before a PO is flagged.
- Auto-close: the number of days a fully received PO waits for its invoice before it appears on the accrual list.
With these rules in place, a routine reorder of printer toner goes from approved request to supplier inbox without anyone touching it, while a first order from a new supplier still gets a careful look.
One ordinary Tuesday, with and without automation
| Task | Manual | With Procurer |
|---|---|---|
| 14 approved requests to turn into POs | Retyped into a template, one by one | 11 issued automatically, 3 reviewed by purchasing |
| PO numbers | Next number taken from a spreadsheet | Assigned on issue |
| Sending | Attached to emails from a personal mailbox | Sent from Procurer with the copy stored |
| Two POs not confirmed from last week | Noticed when someone complains | On the follow-up list this morning |
| Budget updates | End of month, from invoices | At the moment each PO is issued |
- 14 approved requests to turn into POs
- ManualRetyped into a template, one by oneWith Procurer11 issued automatically, 3 reviewed by purchasing
- PO numbers
- ManualNext number taken from a spreadsheetWith ProcurerAssigned on issue
- Sending
- ManualAttached to emails from a personal mailboxWith ProcurerSent from Procurer with the copy stored
- Two POs not confirmed from last week
- ManualNoticed when someone complainsWith ProcurerOn the follow-up list this morning
- Budget updates
- ManualEnd of month, from invoicesWith ProcurerAt the moment each PO is issued
The numbers in this table are an illustration of a typical day, not a measured result. What changes is where purchasing spends time: on the three requests that need judgment, not on the eleven that do not.
Automation that reaches your other systems
Purchase order automation does not stop at the PO. Approved POs and matched bills sync to QuickBooks Online and Xero on every plan and to NetSuite and Sage Intacct on Scale. Approvers get requests in Slack and Microsoft Teams on Business and above. On Scale, the API and webhooks let other systems react to PO events, for example creating an asset record in your IT inventory when a laptop PO is received. See integrations.
Plans
Team at 149 USD a month (1 488 USD yearly) automates PO creation, numbering, sending and receiving for up to 250 POs a month and up to 25 user accounts. Business at 299 USD a month (2 988 USD yearly) adds invoice matching, consolidation rules, Slack and Teams approvals and 1 500 POs a month for up to 100 user accounts. Scale at 699 USD a month (6 948 USD yearly) adds supplier confirmation in the supplier portal, API and webhooks and unlimited POs for up to 300 user accounts. Enterprise covers custom matrices, SSO with SCIM and an SLA.
What is purchase order automation software?
It is software that performs the routine steps of the purchase order process by rule: creating POs from approved requests, numbering, sending, follow-up, receiving updates, invoice matching and closing.
Can a PO be sent without anyone reviewing it?
Yes, if you allow it. You decide which POs are issued automatically, typically catalog items from preferred suppliers, and which wait for purchasing to review.
Does automation bypass approvals?
No. Only approved requests become POs, and a price change above your tolerance sends the PO back for approval before it is sent.
Can suppliers confirm POs automatically?
On Scale, suppliers confirm POs and update delivery dates in the supplier portal, which updates the PO status. On other plans, purchasing records confirmations and sees a list of unconfirmed POs.
How is this different from procurement automation?
Purchase order automation focuses on the PO itself. Procurement automation software covers the wider process, including request intake, approvals, budget checks, invoice capture and supplier onboarding.
Let routine POs send themselves
Create your account, set your automation rules and keep purchasing's time for the orders that need it.