Overview
Users want more flexibility and automation when creating and managing Purchase Orders (POs) from purchase requests. Specifically, they are looking for the ability to automatically group requests by vendor, merge open requests into existing POs, and prevent unintended updates to associated tasks when modifying PO quantities.
Current Limitations
• Purchase requests for the same vendor generate separate POs without an option to merge them
• No ability to consolidate open/unordered purchase requests into a single PO dynamically
• Adding items to an existing PO incorrectly updates linked task quantities
• No bulk option to add all unstaged/unsticked parts from the same vendor into an open PO
General Example
A technician submits multiple purchase requests for parts from the same vendor at different times. Instead of consolidating into one PO, multiple POs are created. Later, when a manager tries to add more items to one PO, it unintentionally updates the quantity on the original task, causing confusion and data inaccuracies.
Requested Enhancements
- Automatic Vendor-Based PO Merging
- When creating a purchase request, if an open PO exists for the same vendor, allow automatic or suggested merging into that PO
- Manual PO Consolidation Option
- Provide a way to select multiple open purchase requests and merge them into a single PO before ordering
- Decoupled Task Quantity Logic
- When modifying PO quantities, prevent automatic updates to associated task quantities unless explicitly intended
- Bulk Add to Existing PO
- Add functionality to pull in all unstaged/unsticked parts for a selected vendor into an already open PO
Business Value
• Reduces duplicate POs and improves purchasing efficiency
• Minimizes manual reconciliation and administrative overhead
• Prevents data inconsistencies between tasks and purchasing records
• Streamlines vendor communication and order management
• Enhances scalability for teams handling frequent or bulk purchasing workflows
