Record purchases and receptions
Enter a supplier purchase; the reception updates stock, cost (weighted average) and deductible VAT.
Presentation
A purchase records what you order and receive from a supplier. It is the entry point of your goods into the application.
Key point to understand: a purchase does NOT add a new product, it adds STOCK to a product that already exists in "Products". So you create the product once, then buy it as many times as needed, from any supplier.
When you receive the purchase, three things happen automatically: (1) product stock increases; (2) the cost actually paid feeds the weighted average cost, which is then used to compute your margin; (3) the VAT paid to the supplier is recorded as deductible VAT (it is deducted from the VAT you collect on your sales).
Purchase life cycle: it is first created as a "Draft" (you can still edit it), then set to "Received" when the goods arrive. It is this switch to "Received" that triggers the stock entry and the calculations above.
Access
Administrator dashboard, Purchasing section, "Purchases" card.
Interface
- Purchase list with status: Filters by supplier, period and status (e.g. draft).
- New purchase: Enter a purchase (supplier, products, quantities, prices).
- Product field (search by name): On each line, tap the product field: a search window opens. Type the product name and pick it from the list (with image, price and stock). You do not need to know any number.
- Barcode scan (scanner gun or camera): Scan a product barcode: it is added to the lines automatically. Scanning the same product again increases its quantity. The camera button at the top right is for devices without a scanner gun. The purchase cost still has to be entered manually (the scan does not know it).
Step-by-step procedure
- Action: First make sure the product exists in "Products". If not, create it first (a purchase does not add a product, it adds stock to an existing product). Result: The product will be findable in the purchase form search.
- Action: Open "Purchases" then tap "New purchase". Result: The purchase form opens, with a first empty line.
- Action: Choose the supplier from the dropdown (only active suppliers appear). Result: The supplier is attached to the purchase.
- Action: Add the products: either by tapping the product field and searching by name, or by directly scanning the barcode (the product adds itself). Result: Each product appears on a line.
- Action: For each line, enter the received quantity and the real unit cost (excl. tax) paid to the supplier. The VAT rate is already pre-filled with your company default VAT: change it only if this item has a different rate. Result: Totals (excl. tax, VAT, incl. tax) are computed by the server; you have nothing to calculate.
- Action: Save the draft, then set the purchase to "Received" when the goods arrive. Result: On reception, stock increases automatically, the average cost is updated and deductible VAT is recorded. Check: Check received quantities against the delivery note, and the new stock in "Products".
Examples
[simple] Restocking: A product is out of stock: you create a purchase from the supplier, and on reception the stock rises above the threshold.
[intermediate] Reception by scanning: The delivery arrives: you open "New purchase", choose the supplier, then scan each item one by one. Each scan adds the product; if you scan the same one twice, its quantity becomes 2. You then enter the costs and receive.
Edge cases
The product must exist BEFORE the purchase. If you cannot find it in the search, it is not created yet: create it first in "Products".
Scanning the same product twice does not add two lines: the quantity of the existing line is simply increased.
Scanning does not pre-fill the purchase cost (the server does not return the cost on the scan path, for margin confidentiality). You enter the real cost manually.
As long as the purchase is a "Draft", it has no effect on stock. The effect only happens when it is set to "Received".
Each line VAT is pre-filled with the company default VAT (set in Settings > Company). You can change it line by line if an item falls under a different rate. To understand it fully, see the "Understanding VAT" article.
Error messages
Tips
- Enter the real purchase price: it feeds the cost of goods sold and margin in accounting.
- For a fast reception, scan items one by one: it is the safest way not to forget anything and to avoid typing errors.