The full purchasing cycle: which document do I need, and when?

Six documents in the Purchasing menu, and how many you need depends on the size of your business. Only the supplier bill is essential; the rest add discipline where you want it — image 1.

The full chain

1. Purchase request — an internal department asking for items. No supplier, no binding price, no financial effect.
2. Purchase order — what you send the supplier: agreed items, quantities and prices.
3. Goods receipt — the goods arrived. This is where stock really enters.
4. Supplier bill — the supplier's financial claim. Approving it books the payable.
5. Supplier payment — you paid. The payable drops and cash goes out.
6. Purchase return — goods sent back to the supplier.

Which path fits you?

• A small business — a supplier bill and then a payment. No request, no order.
• A business holding stock — order → goods receipt → bill → payment. This is the common path.
• A business with departments and budgets — put a purchase request in front, so the approval is documented before you commit to a supplier.

What moves stock and accounts?

Notes

• A draft does nothing; every document is saved as a draft and no stock or account moves until you press Approve.
• Approving a goods receipt creates a draft supplier bill automatically — a welcome surprise that saves re-typing.
• One-button conversion between documents: request to order, order to receipt, receipt to bill.
• A purchase order tracks received and billed quantities per line, so it moves to partial and then completed on its own.
• Do not create a document you do not need; start simple and add a link when the work demands it.