Purchase Orders
is only available on the following plans:
Momentum
Go
Essentials
What is Zigaflow Purchase Orders?
Managing supplier orders shouldn't feel like juggling spreadsheets, emails, and sticky notes. When you're running a busy service business - whether you're installing office furniture, fitting out commercial spaces, or delivering promotional products - keeping track of what you've ordered, from whom, and when it's arriving is critical to delivering on time and protecting your margins.
Zigaflow Purchase Orders gives you a central place to create, send, and track every supplier order your business generates. The real power comes from how purchase orders connect to everything else in Zigaflow. When a job or sales order is confirmed, you can generate purchase orders for multiple suppliers with a single click. Each PO stays linked to the original job, so you always know exactly why you ordered something and which customer it's for.
Your suppliers can acknowledge orders and enter tracking information directly through Zigaflow, eliminating back-and-forth emails asking for delivery updates. When goods arrive, receiving them updates your inventory automatically and feeds cost information back to the job for accurate profit tracking. If your supplier sends an invoice, Zigaflow can match it against the original PO and flag any discrepancies before you approve payment.
This connected approach means no more lost orders, no more surprise costs, and no more wondering whether that critical component has shipped. For businesses that rely on suppliers to fulfil customer orders - from construction companies ordering materials to promotional merchandise distributors sourcing branded products - Zigaflow Purchase Orders transforms procurement from a constant headache into a streamlined, trackable process that actually helps you deliver better results for your customers.
70%
Teams using integrated purchase order management reduce time spent chasing supplier updates by 70%, freeing staff to focus on customer-facing work instead of endless follow-up emails.
85%
Businesses that link purchase orders directly to jobs report 85% fewer cost surprises, with actual supplier costs feeding back automatically for accurate profit calculations.
50%
Automated supplier acknowledgement and tracking pages cut goods receipt processing time by 50%, getting orders received and inventory updated without manual data entry.
Lost in Email Chaos
Problem:
When supplier orders live in email threads, things get lost. You send a purchase order, then spend the next week wondering if the supplier received it, whether they've confirmed availability, and when they plan to ship. Your inbox becomes a maze of 'RE: RE: RE: Order confirmation?' threads that nobody can follow. When a customer asks for a delivery update, you find yourself forwarding requests between three different people, hoping someone remembers the current status. Meanwhile, urgent orders slip through the cracks because nobody can see the full picture of what's been ordered and what's still outstanding.
Solution:
Zigaflow centralises every purchase order in one trackable system. Create POs directly from jobs or quotations, send them to suppliers with one click, and see their status update in real-time. Your suppliers can acknowledge orders and provide tracking information through dedicated portal pages, so you always know where things stand without sending a single chaser email. Team members can see order status instantly, and automated notifications keep everyone informed when statuses change.
Disconnected from Jobs
Problem:
Most businesses create purchase orders in one system and manage customer jobs in another. This disconnect creates endless problems. You order materials without remembering which job they're for, or you forget to order something critical because there's no link between what you've promised the customer and what you need from suppliers. When margins get squeezed, you can't easily see which supplier costs ate into profit because there's no connection between what you bought and what you sold. Reconciling supplier costs at month-end becomes a detective exercise that nobody enjoys.
Solution:
Every Zigaflow purchase order links directly to the job or sales order that generated it. Click 'Create Purchase Order' from any job, select items and suppliers, and Zigaflow generates the POs while maintaining the connection. Supplier costs flow automatically back to the job for real-time profit tracking. When you're reviewing job profitability, you can drill down to see exactly which purchase orders contributed to costs. This connected approach means you always understand the full financial picture of every customer project.
Manual Order Creation
Problem:
Creating purchase orders manually wastes valuable time. You copy item descriptions from customer quotes, look up supplier contact details, re-type quantities, and hope you don't make errors along the way. For complex jobs with multiple suppliers, this means creating several POs from scratch, each requiring the same tedious data entry. When you need to reorder commonly purchased items, you start from zero every time because there's no template or history to draw from. Staff avoid creating proper POs because it takes too long, leading to informal orders that never get documented properly.
Solution:
Zigaflow generates purchase orders automatically from job line items. Select the items you need to order, choose suppliers from your database (or let Zigaflow suggest preferred suppliers based on item history), and create multiple POs for different suppliers in one go. Pre-builds let you configure default settings for different order types, so POs come out correctly formatted every time. The item database remembers supplier pricing, so costs populate automatically. What used to take thirty minutes now takes thirty seconds.
No Supplier Visibility
Problem:
When you send a purchase order, you enter a communication black hole. Did the supplier receive it? Have they confirmed stock availability? When will they ship? The only way to find out is to call or email, wait for a response, then update your records manually. Multiply this by dozens of open orders across multiple suppliers, and you've created a full-time job just managing supplier communication. When deliveries are late, you often don't know until the customer complains, because you have no visibility into what's actually happening at the supplier end.
Solution:
Zigaflow provides dedicated supplier acknowledgement and tracking pages. When you send a PO, suppliers receive a link where they can confirm receipt, acknowledge the order, and later enter dispatch and tracking information. Each action automatically updates the PO status in Zigaflow, so your team sees progress without chasing. Set up automated follow-ups to prompt suppliers who haven't acknowledged orders, and receive instant notifications when orders ship. Your suppliers appreciate the professional portal, and you get visibility without the phone tag.
Receipt and Inventory Gaps
Problem:
Goods arrive, but getting them properly received into your system is another story. Someone signs for a delivery, puts it in the warehouse, and forgets to update any records. Your inventory counts don't reflect what you actually have. Jobs show items as 'on order' when they're sitting on the shelf. When you create delivery notes for customers, you're guessing what's available rather than working from accurate stock data. The gap between physical reality and system records grows wider every day, creating stockouts, over-ordering, and frustrated customers waiting for items you didn't realise you had.
Solution:
Zigaflow connects purchase order receipt directly to inventory. When you receive goods against a PO, click the 'Receive' button, confirm quantities, and your stock levels update automatically. For businesses using serial numbers or batch tracking, capture these details during receipt so items are fully traceable. The PO status moves to 'Received,' and linked jobs update to show items in stock. Stock release functionality handles scenarios where you're calling off inventory already at a supplier location. Every movement is tracked, so inventory counts stay accurate.
Invoice Matching Nightmares
Problem:
Supplier invoices arrive, and the reconciliation begins. Does this invoice match what we ordered? Did they charge the price we agreed? Did we receive everything they're billing for? With POs in one place, invoices in another, and delivery receipts somewhere else, matching everything up takes hours. Discrepancies slip through because checking requires pulling information from multiple sources. You pay invoices without proper verification, or you delay payments because matching takes too long, damaging supplier relationships. Finance spends month-end buried in paperwork instead of providing meaningful analysis.
Solution:
Upload supplier invoices to Zigaflow and let the system match them against purchase orders automatically. Zigaflow reads invoice PDFs, extracts totals and PO numbers, and compares them against what you ordered and received. When everything matches, create the supplier invoice record instantly. When there are discrepancies, Zigaflow flags them for review before you approve. The matched invoice attaches to the original PO, creating a complete audit trail. Sync with Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent to push verified invoices to your accounting system without duplicate entry.
No Procurement Insights
Problem:
You know you're ordering from suppliers, but you have no idea whether you're doing it efficiently. Which suppliers deliver on time? Where are you spending the most money? Are costs increasing over time? How long does it typically take from order to delivery? Without aggregated data across your purchase orders, you can't answer these questions. Negotiations with suppliers become guesswork because you don't have spending history. You can't identify problem suppliers until small issues become major disruptions. Strategic procurement decisions happen by gut feel rather than data.
Solution:
Zigaflow provides comprehensive reporting across your purchase order activity. See spending by supplier, track delivery performance, identify trends in costs over time, and spot suppliers who consistently under-deliver. Filter reports by date range, supplier, or job type to answer specific questions. The cash flow forecasting tools use purchase order data to predict upcoming supplier payments, helping you manage working capital. Export data for deeper analysis or use the insights directly to negotiate better terms with your top suppliers.
.png)
How it Works
Create POs from Jobs
Start from any confirmed job or sales order. Click 'Create Purchase Order' and select the items you need to order. Zigaflow shows quantities from the job and lets you assign suppliers to each item - either use the default supplier from your item database, select a preferred supplier, or choose a different one for this order. Create multiple POs for different suppliers in one action, and each PO automatically links back to the originating job.
1
Configure and Send
Review each generated purchase order before sending. Adjust quantities, update prices, add notes for the supplier, or attach supporting documents. Select the appropriate pre-build to apply your standard terms and formatting. When ready, send POs directly from Zigaflow - suppliers receive professional PDF orders with all relevant details including delivery addresses, required dates, and any special instructions you've specified.
2
Track Supplier Response
Suppliers acknowledge orders and provide updates through dedicated portal pages. Watch PO statuses change from 'Sent' to 'Supplier Acknowledged' to 'Supplier Dispatched' automatically as suppliers interact with the system. If acknowledgements are slow, automated follow-up messages prompt suppliers without your team lifting a finger. Track shipping information suppliers enter directly against each PO, eliminating manual status updates.
3
Receive Goods
When deliveries arrive, receive them against the original purchase order. Click 'Receive' on the PO, confirm quantities (recording any partial deliveries or variances), and inventory updates automatically. For stock releases from supplier-held inventory, use the dedicated workflow to manage the process without double-counting. Generate delivery notes directly from POs when shipping to customers, maintaining the link through the entire chain.
4
Match Invoices and Close
Upload supplier invoices and let Zigaflow match them against POs automatically. The system reads invoice details, compares against order and receipt records, and flags any discrepancies for review. Approve matched invoices to complete the procurement cycle, with costs flowing back to linked jobs for accurate profit calculation. Sync approved invoices to Xero or QuickBooks to keep your accounting records current without re-keying data.
5
Can I create purchase orders for multiple suppliers at once?
+
Yes, Zigaflow makes it easy to create purchase orders for multiple suppliers from a single job. When you click 'Create Purchase Order' from a job or sales order, you can assign different suppliers to different line items. Zigaflow then generates separate purchase orders for each supplier automatically, all linked back to the original job. This saves significant time compared to creating POs one by one, especially for complex projects where you're sourcing from several suppliers. Each generated PO can be reviewed and adjusted before sending, giving you full control while eliminating repetitive data entry.
How do suppliers acknowledge and update order status?
+
When you send a purchase order, suppliers receive an email with a link to their dedicated acknowledgement page. From this portal, suppliers can confirm they've received the order by clicking to acknowledge it - this automatically updates the PO status to 'Supplier Acknowledged' in Zigaflow. When they're ready to ship, suppliers access a separate tracking page where they enter dispatch date and tracking information. This moves the PO to 'Supplier Dispatched' automatically. You can include these portal links in your PO email templates using simple tags, and set up automated follow-ups to remind suppliers who haven't acknowledged within your preferred timeframe.
How does receiving goods update inventory?
+
Receiving goods against a purchase order updates your inventory automatically. When you click 'Receive' on a PO, you confirm the quantities delivered (noting any partial receipts or discrepancies). Zigaflow then adds those quantities to your stock at the specified location. For items tracked by serial number or batch, you capture these identifiers during receipt so they're linked to the specific PO and job. If you're using stock release functionality for supplier-held inventory, the workflow ensures items aren't double-counted. Every stock movement creates an audit trail, so you can trace exactly when items entered inventory and from which purchase order.
Can purchase order costs feed back to job profitability?
+
Absolutely - this is one of the most valuable aspects of Zigaflow's connected approach. When you create a purchase order from a job, the link between them is maintained. You can configure Zigaflow to calculate job costs either from the whole PO value or from specific line item matches (useful when you're combining orders for multiple jobs). As supplier invoices are matched against POs, actual costs flow through to the linked job, giving you real-time visibility into whether you're hitting your target margins. This eliminates the month-end scramble to reconcile supplier costs with customer jobs and lets you spot margin issues while there's still time to address them.
How do I match supplier invoices to purchase orders?
+
Zigaflow can automatically match supplier invoices to purchase orders. Upload a PDF invoice, and Zigaflow reads the document to extract key details including totals, invoice dates, and PO numbers. The system attempts to match against existing POs in your database - when it finds a match, you can compare invoice values against what you ordered and received. If everything lines up, create the supplier invoice record in one click. If there are discrepancies (different pricing, quantities, or charges), Zigaflow flags these for your review before approval. Matched invoices attach to the original PO for a complete audit trail and can sync to Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent.
Can I import existing purchase orders from spreadsheets?
+
Yes, Zigaflow supports importing purchase orders from spreadsheets, which is helpful when you're migrating from another system or have historical POs you want to bring into Zigaflow. The import process maps your spreadsheet columns to Zigaflow fields, letting you bring in supplier information, item details, quantities, prices, and status data. You can also import items into your item database with supplier pricing, so when you create new POs, preferred suppliers and costs are already configured. The help centre provides detailed guides for structuring your import files correctly, and you can preview imports before committing to catch any mapping issues.
What automation can I set up for purchase orders?
+
Zigaflow offers extensive automation options for purchase orders. Automated messages can notify your team when POs reach certain statuses, alert suppliers when orders need acknowledgement, or chase responses when timeframes aren't met. Workflow automations can trigger status changes on linked documents - for example, automatically moving a job to 'Awaiting Delivery' when its POs are sent, or updating it to 'Ready to Dispatch' when all POs are received. You can set up automations to create mentions for specific team members when high-value POs are raised or when supplier invoices have discrepancies. Pre-builds configure default behaviours for different PO types, ensuring consistent processes across your team.
.png)
