Procurement
Manage your organization's purchasing process from start to finish. Create tenders, collect bids, issue purchase orders, track budgets, and maintain vendor relationships — all in one place.
Overview
The Procurement module helps your organization buy what it needs in a structured, transparent way. Whether you are purchasing office furniture, hiring a service provider, or sourcing raw materials, Procurement gives you the tools to manage the entire process with proper approvals and record-keeping.
Tenders and bids
Publish tenders, collect bids from vendors, and select the best offer for your organization.
Purchase orders
Create and track purchase orders from approval through delivery and payment.
Budget control
Monitor spending against allocated budgets and keep purchases within approved limits.
Creating a tender
How to publish a tender and collect bids from vendors
A tender is a formal invitation for vendors to submit proposals or pricing for goods or services your organization needs. Here is how to create and manage one:
Step 1: Create the tender — Go to the Procurement page and click Create tender. Enter a clear title and description that explains what you are looking for. Set the closing date so vendors know when bids are due.
Step 2: Add requirements — List the specific items or services you need, including quantities, quality standards, and delivery timelines. The more detail you provide, the more accurate the bids will be.
Step 3: Publish the tender — Once you are satisfied with the details, publish the tender. It becomes visible to vendors who can then prepare and submit their bids.
Step 4: Collect and review bids — As bids come in, you can review them side by side. Compare pricing, delivery timelines, and vendor qualifications to find the best fit.
Step 5: Award the tender — Select the winning bid and award the tender. The selected vendor is notified, and you can proceed to create a purchase order.
Each tender displays a status so you can quickly see where it stands:
The tender is being prepared and has not been published yet. You can still edit all details.
The tender has been published and is accepting bids from vendors.
Bidding has closed and the submitted bids are being evaluated.
A winning bid has been selected and the vendor has been notified.
The tender was cancelled before a bid was awarded.
Managing purchase orders
How to create, track, and manage purchase orders
A purchase order (PO) is a formal document sent to a vendor to confirm a purchase. It lists exactly what you are buying, the agreed price, and when delivery is expected.
Step 1: Create the purchase order — From the Procurement page, click Create purchase order. You can create one from scratch or generate it directly from an awarded tender. Select the vendor and enter the items, quantities, and agreed pricing.
Step 2: Submit for approval — Depending on the amount and your organization's policies, the PO may need approval from a manager or finance team before it can be sent to the vendor.
Step 3: Send to vendor — Once approved, the PO is sent to the vendor. They will confirm receipt and begin fulfilling the order.
Step 4: Receive goods or services — When the delivery arrives, confirm that you received everything listed on the PO. Note any discrepancies such as missing items or damaged goods.
Step 5: Close the purchase order — After delivery is confirmed and any issues are resolved, close the PO. This updates your records and triggers payment processing if applicable.
Tracking budgets
Monitor spending and stay within approved limits
The budget tracking feature helps you keep a close eye on how much your organization or department is spending compared to what was planned. This prevents overspending and helps with financial planning.
Budget allocated
The total amount approved for spending during a given period. This is your spending ceiling.
Actual spending
The total value of all approved purchase orders and completed transactions so far.
The Procurement dashboard shows your budget overview at a glance. You can see:
Remaining balance — How much of your budget is still available. This is calculated by subtracting actual spending from the allocated budget.
Committed spending — The total value of purchase orders that have been approved but not yet paid. This amount is reserved from your budget even though the money has not left the account yet.
Spending by category — A breakdown of where your money is going, organized by item category or department. This helps identify areas where spending is higher than expected.
Working with vendors
Build and maintain your vendor database
The vendor database is where you store information about all the suppliers and service providers your organization works with. Keeping this information up to date makes it faster to create purchase orders and evaluate bids.
To add a new vendor, go to the Vendors section and click Add vendor. Enter the vendor's name, contact information, and the types of goods or services they provide. You can also add notes about payment terms, delivery reliability, or other relevant details.
Each vendor profile shows a history of all tenders they have bid on and all purchase orders you have placed with them. This gives you a complete picture of the relationship over time.
Over time, you can build a picture of how reliable each vendor is by reviewing their track record:
On-time delivery — Did the vendor deliver on or before the agreed date?
Order accuracy — Were the correct items and quantities delivered?
Quality — Did the goods or services meet the expected standards?
Pricing competitiveness — How do their prices compare to other vendors?
Compliance tracking
Make sure your purchases follow organizational policies and regulations
Compliance tracking ensures that all procurement activities follow your organization's policies and any applicable regulations. The system automatically checks purchases against established rules and flags anything that needs attention.
Policy checks
The system verifies that purchase orders follow your organization's procurement policies, such as getting multiple quotes for purchases above a certain amount.
Audit trail
Every action taken during the procurement process is recorded, from who created the tender to who approved the purchase order and when.
Approval thresholds — Purchases above a certain amount may require approval from a higher level of management. For example, purchases under R10,000 may only need a team lead's approval, while anything above R50,000 may need director-level sign-off.
Minimum quotes — Your organization may require a minimum number of vendor quotes before a purchase can be approved. The tender process helps satisfy this requirement automatically.
Vendor certification — Some purchases may require vendors to hold specific certifications or registrations. The system can flag when a vendor does not meet these requirements.
Reference matching — The system helps match invoices with purchase orders and delivery receipts. This three-way check ensures that you only pay for what was ordered and received.
If the system detects a compliance issue, you will see a warning on the affected tender or purchase order. Common issues include:
Not enough vendor quotes have been collected. You may need to gather additional bids before proceeding.
The purchase would exceed the remaining budget. Senior approval or a budget adjustment is needed.
The selected vendor does not meet a required certification. The purchase cannot proceed until this is resolved.
The invoice does not match the purchase order or delivery receipt. Review and resolve the discrepancy before authorizing payment.
Quick reference
Common questions answered at a glance
A tender is used to invite vendors to submit bids for something you want to buy. A purchase order is the actual confirmation of a purchase, sent to the vendor you selected. Think of a tender as "asking for prices" and a purchase order as "placing the order."
Not always. For smaller purchases or when you already know which vendor you want to use, you can create a purchase order directly. However, your organization's policies may require a tender process for purchases above a certain amount. Check with your manager or the finance team if you are unsure.
You will receive a notification when your purchase order is approved or rejected. You can also check the status on the Procurement page at any time. Look for the status indicator next to your PO: Approved means it is ready to go, while Rejected means you will need to review the feedback and make changes.
If you receive items that do not match your purchase order (wrong items, wrong quantities, or damaged goods), do not close the PO. Instead, note the discrepancies when confirming delivery. This creates a record that can be used to resolve the issue with the vendor. Contact the vendor directly or reach out to your procurement team for assistance.