Purchasing
Purchasing follows a simple flow: Need it → Order it → Receive it. A request records what the lab needs; a Purchase List organizes items for a supplier; receiving records what physically arrived and adds tracked items to inventory.
Requests, lists, and stock
A Purchase Request represents planned demand. It can come from a Project Build requirement or from a manual request entered by a user. A request may link to a catalog Part, or keep its component name and identifying details as unresolved text until someone confirms the Part.
A Purchase List is a supplier order plan. Its lines record the supplier, component identity, and quantity to buy. Linking demand to a line tracks how much of a request that line covers. A line can also include extra units or be added without covering a request.
Requests and Purchase Lists describe planned purchasing. They do not add stock. When an Ordered Purchase List is received, ElecParts records the physical quantity and adds tracked Parts at the chosen location. The received quantity can differ from the quantity ordered, and non-inventory lines do not create stock.
Follow the workflow
- Start with Needs Purchasing, where you can review build demand, create a manual request, and see what remains to be sourced.
- Use Source Purchase Requests to choose a supplier and list destination, then review line coverage in Purchase Lists.
- Follow Receiving to record what physically arrived and Supplier Document Import to match supported order or invoice rows before confirming a receipt.