Create and send a purchase order

This guide shows you how to create and send a purchase order to a supplier. Using purchase orders helps you control your spending and track expenses against specific Jobs for accurate cost reporting.

A purchase order (PO) is a document you send to a supplier to confirm an order for goods or services. It becomes a binding contract once the supplier accepts it. Within AtomicSam, POs help you formalize your procurement process and ensure all costs are captured and approved before you commit to payment.

Before you start

• Purchase orders are available on the Pro and Ultra plans.
• You need a permission level that allows you to create and manage purchase orders. Your administrator can adjust this in Settings → Staff Permissions.
• You must add the supplier to AtomicSam before you can assign a purchase order to them.

Create a new purchase order

You can create a purchase order from within a Job to directly link your costs, or create a standalone one for general overhead expenses like office supplies.

1. Navigate to Jobs and select the Job you are ordering for.
2. Select the Costs tab.
3. Under the Purchase Orders section, click New Purchase Order.

Fill out the purchase order

Once you create the purchase order, you need to add the details of what you are ordering.

1. In the Supplier field, select the supplier you are ordering from.
2. The Delivery Address defaults to your organization's address. You can change it to a client's site address if needed.
3. Add line items to the purchase order. For each item, fill in the Description, Quantity, and Unit Cost. The Total will calculate automatically.
4. For each line item, assign a cost Category to help with your financial reporting.
5. Add any relevant attachments, like a detailed spec sheet from the supplier, by clicking Upload File.
6. When you are finished, you can save it as a draft to finish later or issue it right away.

ℹ️ Good to know: Use Save as Draft if the order details are not yet final. Use Issue Purchase Order when the order is ready to be approved and sent to the supplier. An issued PO is considered a formal, committed expense.

Send the purchase order

After you issue a purchase order, you can send it directly to your supplier from AtomicSam. This keeps a clear record of when the order was sent.

1. Open the issued purchase order you want to send.
2. Click the Send button.
3. An email preview will appear. The supplier's primary contact email is automatically added. You can add other recipients in the CC field.
4. Review the email message and make any changes.
5. Click Send Email. The PO's status will update from Issued to Sent.

Good to know

• Purchase order numbers are generated automatically in sequence. You can edit the PO number before you issue it.
• To change an issued purchase order, you must first revert it to a draft. This helps maintain a clear approval history.
• A purchase order does not create a transaction in your accounting system. It is a record of a commitment to spend. Costs are only recorded when you convert the purchase order into a bill.

What's next

• Add a supplier
• Convert a purchase order to a bill
• Track Job costs