# Create a purchase order

Raise a purchase order in Tooling Metrics, add line items, send it to a vendor, and confirm it.

Source: https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/purchasing/guides/create-purchase-order/
Updated: 2026-10-29

**Prerequisites:** At least one vendor is set up. Items have purchase information (Order Code, Purchase Price) filled in.

**Required permission:** Purchase → Purchase Orders — User or above. Admins can send and confirm any purchase order; Managers and Users only the orders they created.

## Create a purchase order manually

1. In the sidebar, click **Purchase → Purchase Orders**.
1. Click **+ Create**.
1. Select the **Vendor** and the **Deliver To** warehouse.
1. Set the **Currency** if the order is in a currency other than your base currency — see [Create a purchase order in a foreign currency](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/purchasing/guides/create-po-in-foreign-currency/).
1. Click **Create** to create the order in Draft status.
1. Click **⊕** to add an order line. Select the **Item** — its **Order Code** and **Unit Price** pre-fill from the item's purchase information — then enter the **Quantity** and confirm the **UoM**.
1. Repeat for each item you're ordering.

## Send the order to the vendor

1. With the purchase order open, click **Send** in the bottom toolbar. This opens an email preview.
1. Review the pre-filled recipient, subject, and body — confirm the recipient address matches the vendor's contact.
1. Click **Send** in the preview to actually email it. The order status changes to Sent.

Sending isn't required before confirming — you can go straight from Draft to Confirmed if you've already agreed the order by other means.

## Confirm the order

1. Open the purchase order.
1. Click **Confirm Order**. The status changes to Confirmed.

What happens next depends on your organization's [Automatic Purchase setting](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/purchasing/guides/configure-auto-receipt-restock/): if it's on, a **Purchase Receipt** (and, depending on the setting, a **Purchase Restock**) is created for you automatically. If it's off, open **New Receipt** from the order yourself once the delivery is confirmed with the vendor.

Once the PO is confirmed, the next steps are handled in separate guides:
- [Process a purchase receipt](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/purchasing/guides/process-purchase-receipt/) — validate incoming goods
- [Process a purchase restock](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/purchasing/guides/process-purchase-restock/) — place items into their storage locations

If no vendor exists yet, see [Add a vendor](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/purchasing/guides/add-vendor/) before starting this guide.