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Order Management

Managing purchase orders and procurement in the DATAR inventory system

What you'll learn in this guide: How to create, track, and manage purchase orders, handle receiving, and streamline your procurement process in the DATAR platform.

Overview

The Order Management system in DATAR provides comprehensive tools for creating and tracking purchase orders, managing approvals, receiving inventory, and maintaining procurement records. This guide will show you how to effectively manage your ordering process from requisition to receipt.

Key Features

Order Management
  • Create and track purchase orders
  • Requisition workflow
  • Vendor management
  • Order approval process
  • Order status tracking
Benefits
  • Streamlined procurement process
  • Better cost control
  • Improved vendor relationships
  • Enhanced inventory planning
  • Reduced stock-outs and overstocking

The Order Lifecycle

Each order in the DATAR system goes through a defined lifecycle:

  • Draft: Initial creation of the purchase order
  • Pending Approval: Awaiting authorization
  • Approved: Ready to be sent to supplier
  • Sent: Transmitted to the supplier
  • Confirmed: Supplier has acknowledged the order
  • Partially Received: Some items have been delivered
  • Fully Received: All items have been delivered
  • Closed: Order is complete with all items received and invoices processed
  • Cancelled: Order has been voided

Creating a Purchase Order

To create a new purchase order:

  1. Navigate to the Inventory module
  2. Select "Orders" from the sidebar
  3. Click the "Create Order" button
  4. Select a supplier from your supplier list
  5. Add line items (inventory items, quantities, prices)
  6. Set delivery date and shipping information
  7. Add any special instructions or notes
  8. Submit for approval or save as draft

Approval Workflow

DATAR supports flexible approval workflows for purchase orders:

  • Threshold-based Approvals: Different approval levels based on order value
  • Role-based Approvals: Specific roles required for certain types of purchases
  • Sequential Approval: Orders move through a predefined approval sequence
  • Parallel Approval: Multiple approvers can review simultaneously
  • Delegation: Approval authority can be temporarily delegated

Approving an Order

When you receive an order for approval:

  • Review the order details, items, and prices
  • Check budget allocation and necessity
  • Add comments or request changes if needed
  • Approve or reject the order
  • If approved, the order progresses to the next stage

Receiving Inventory

When items arrive from suppliers, the receiving process includes:

  • Goods Receipt: Recording what items have arrived
  • Quantity Verification: Confirming the correct quantities
  • Quality Inspection: Checking for damage or defects
  • Batch Recording: Capturing batch numbers and expiry dates
  • Inventory Update: Automatically updating stock levels
  • Document Attachment: Linking delivery notes and other documents

Invoice Matching and Payment

The system supports streamlined invoice processing:

  • 2-way Matching: Purchase order to invoice
  • 3-way Matching: Purchase order, goods receipt, and invoice
  • Invoice Recording: Capturing invoice details and due dates
  • Discrepancy Handling: Managing price or quantity variances
  • Payment Tracking: Recording payment status and history
Best Practice: Review open orders weekly to identify any delays or issues with suppliers. Follow up on any orders that are overdue for delivery.

Automated Reordering

DATAR can help automate your procurement process with:

  • Reorder Point Monitoring: Automatic alerts when stock falls below thresholds
  • Order Suggestions: System-generated order recommendations
  • Draft Order Creation: Automatic creation of draft orders for review
  • Scheduled Orders: Regular recurring orders for frequently purchased items
  • Preferred Supplier Selection: Automatic selection of the best supplier based on performance

Reporting and Analytics

The Order Management system includes comprehensive reporting:

  • Order Status Report: Overview of all open orders
  • Supplier Performance: Delivery times and order accuracy by supplier
  • Procurement Spend: Analysis of spending by category, supplier, department
  • Price Variance: Tracking of price changes over time
  • Lead Time Analysis: Average time from order to delivery
  • Budget Tracking: Monitoring spend against allocated budgets
What's Next

Now that you understand Order Management, you might want to explore: