E-commerce operations · Purchasing
Purchase order and goods receipt
Reorder stock with an approval before the order goes out, a ship date the supplier confirms and a check of every delivery before the invoice is paid. The supplier confirms through a shared link, so nobody chases ship dates by email.
- Duration: 2 to 8 weeks, depending on lead time
- How often: For every purchase order
- Steps: 8 steps
- AI agents: 1 AI agent
- Approvals: 2 approvals
Free plan, no credit card needed.
What changes with this template
Without it
Large orders go out on a buyer's estimate without a second look.
Ship dates live in the buyer's inbox, and deliveries surprise the warehouse.
Short deliveries are noticed, but the claim is never sent.
Invoices are paid in full for goods that never arrived.
With it
Every purchase order waits for the e-commerce lead's approval.
The supplier confirms the ship date through the shared link, on the run.
An AI agent drafts the claim from the count, and the buyer checks and sends it.
Finance pays only after matching the invoice with the order and the delivery.
The template, step by step
Each step says who does it: someone on your team, an AI agent, or the client through a shared link. An approval keeps every later step locked until it is given.
- Done by your team
- Done by an AI agent
- Done by the client, through a shared link
Starts when
Stock of one or more products falls to the reorder point. The buyer starts a run with the supplier, products and quantities.
- 1
Prepare the purchase order
Day 1Buyer · Team
Work out quantities from current stock, recent sales and the supplier's lead time, and record the order and its value.
Checklist
- Quantities based on sales and lead time
- Prices match the agreed price list
Fields to fill in
- Purchase order number (required)
- Supplier (required)
- Order value (required)
- Link to the purchase order (required)
- 2
Approve the purchase order
Hidden from the shared linkDays 1 to 2E-commerce lead · Team
Check quantities and value against the budget and the sales plan, and approve or send back with changes.
Checklist
- Within the purchasing budget
- Quantities fit the sales plan
Approval: The purchase order does not go to the supplier until the e-commerce lead approves it.
- 3
Send the order to the supplier
Day 2Buyer · Team
Email the approved purchase order to the supplier together with the shared run link, so they can confirm it and enter the ship date.
Checklist
- Purchase order sent
- Shared link sent to the supplier contact
- 4
Confirm the order and the ship date
Within 3 daysSupplier contact · Shared link
Through the shared link, the supplier confirms quantities and prices and enters the ship date. They complete the step when the goods leave, with the tracking number and a link to the packing list.
Checklist
- Quantities confirmed
- Prices confirmed
Fields to fill in
- Ship date (required)
- Tracking number
- Link to the packing list
- 5
Receive and count the delivery
On arrivalWarehouse lead · Team
Count cartons and units against the packing list and the purchase order, spot-check quality and book the stock in. If the delivery is late, mark the run blocked and note the new date.
Checklist
- Cartons counted
- Units counted against the order
- Quality spot check done
- Stock booked in
Fields to fill in
- Units received (required)
- Shortages, damage or wrong items
- 6
Draft the supplier claim
Same daySupplier claim writer · AI agent
The supplier claim writer compares the units received with the order and drafts a claim for every shortage, damaged or wrong item, using the claim terms in its instructions. If nothing differs, it records that no claim is needed.
Fields to fill in
- Draft supplier claim (required)
- Claim value
Checked by: The buyer checks the claim against the warehouse count before sending it in step 7.
- 7
Check and send the claim
Within 2 daysBuyer · Team
Check the draft claim against the warehouse count and send it to the supplier, or note that no claim is needed.
Checklist
- Claim matches the count
- Claim sent or not needed
Fields to fill in
- Claim reference
- 8
Match the invoice and approve payment
When the invoice arrivesFinance manager · Team
Match the supplier invoice with the purchase order and the units received, deduct any claim, and approve the amount to pay.
Checklist
- Invoice prices match the order
- Invoice quantities match the units received
- Claim deducted or credited
Fields to fill in
- Invoice number (required)
- Amount approved for payment (required)
Approval: The invoice is not paid until the finance manager approves the match.
Done when
The stock is received, checked and available to sell, any shortage is claimed, and the invoice is matched and approved for payment.
Make it yours. Rename steps, change owners and add checklist items, fields or approvals. The template is a starting point for the way your team works.
The AI agents in this template
An agent only works on its own steps, and a person on your team checks what it did. Anything an agent writes to a connected app waits for approval unless you allow it.
Supplier claim writer
Turns the differences found at receiving into a claim the buyer can send to the supplier.
What it does
- Reads the order, the units received and the differences the warehouse noted
- Applies the claim terms in its step instructions
- Writes the draft claim and its value into its step
- Completes its step, so the buyer can check it
Checked by: The buyer checks the claim against the warehouse count before sending it in step 7.
Questions this template answers
Decide who approves orders, and check value and quantities against the budget before anything is sent. Step 2 is an approval gate: the purchase order cannot go to the supplier until the e-commerce lead approves it.
Give the supplier one link to confirm the order and enter the ship date, and see at a glance who has not. In step 4 the supplier confirms quantities, prices and ship date through the shared link, and completes it with the tracking number when the goods leave.
Count cartons and units against the purchase order and spot-check quality before booking stock in. Step 5 gives the warehouse lead that checklist and records units received and any shortage, damage or wrong item.
Claim every difference right after receiving, while the count is fresh. In step 6 an AI agent drafts the claim from the warehouse count, and in step 7 the buyer checks it and sends it to the supplier.
Compare the invoice with the purchase order and the goods actually received, and deduct any claim before paying. Step 8 is an approval gate where the finance manager ticks off all three and approves the amount to pay.
Record the confirmed ship date and make late deliveries stand out. The supplier enters the ship date in step 4, and in step 5 the warehouse lead marks the run blocked with the new date when a delivery is late.
Run this workflow in OKiDO
Set up the steps, owners and approvals once, then start a run for every new case.