# How to raise a purchase order and get it approved in Sage 100 Contractor

In Sage 100 Contractor, create a purchase order with the vendor, lines and prices. Submit it for approval and send it to the vendor only after it is approved.

Raising a purchase order means writing down what you are buying, from whom and at what price and getting sign-off before you order.

## Before you start

- Purchasing authoriser inside your own business who signs off the order before you type the Approved date

## The Sage 100 Contractor way

Where to find it: 6-Project Management > purchase orders for jobs

1. Create the purchase order against a job; it uses the Invoice Defaults tab of the vendor record for accounts.
2. After the purchasing authoriser signs off, type the date in the Approved box.
3. Set the PO Status.
4. Open 6-6-1 Purchase Orders. Leave the Order# box blank to assign the number automatically. On a network, do not type a number, because the program assigns one when you save.
5. Fill in Order Date, Vendor, Attention, Description, Job and Phase (if the job uses phases). You can also enter Equipment and Task, a Tax District, the Scheduled and Delivery dates, Via and Terms.
6. Pick the Status. The statuses are 1-Open (approved by someone with authority), 2-Review, 3-Dispute, 4-Closed, 5-Void and 6-Master.
7. In the grid enter the Part#, Description, Unit, Quantity, Price, Cost Code and Cost Type for each item, then choose File > Save.
8. When goods arrive, enter the receipt in 12-4 Purchase Order Receipts or create a payable invoice that references the order. The program updates the To Date cells with the quantity received.

## Limits in Sage 100 Contractor

- Approval is a date field, not a routing workflow.
- You can enter an invoice against an order with status 2-Review, but the program warns you.
- The entire purchase order is subject to sales tax for the tax district you pick.

## Good to know in Sage 100 Contractor

- A master purchase order (status 6-Master) tracks all materials to be bought from a vendor for a whole project, and you create individual orders from it.
- A separate Over PO warning on the vendor (4-4 Vendors, Options > Set Over PO Warning) can warn about or block invoices that exceed the order balance plus a tolerance, which acts as a second control after approval.

## The Pulsify way

1. Raise and approve the purchase order in Sage 100 Contractor as usual.
2. When the invoice arrives, Pulsify links it to the purchase order and matches the lines.
3. Differences in quantity or price are flagged for review before approval.

Pulsify connects to Sage 100 Contractor. We set up the connection for you.

What Pulsify does not do here:

- Raising and creating POs in Pulsify works with Xero only today. For Sage 100 Contractor, Pulsify matches bills to the POs you raise there.

## Common mistakes

- Typing the Approved date before the authoriser has signed off.
- Forgetting to set the PO Status.

## Common questions

### How is a purchase order approved?

After the purchasing authoriser signs off, type the date in the Approved box.

### Is there a routing workflow?

No. Approval is a date field, not a routing workflow.

### Where do the PO accounts come from?

The PO uses the Invoice Defaults tab of the vendor record. Set the PO Status as well.

### Does Pulsify email the PO to the supplier?

No. Send the approved PO yourself.

## Sources

- https://help-sage100contractor.na.sage.com/Sage100Contractor/US/25_1/Content/Modules/6-Project_Management/Creating_purchase_orders_for_jobs.htm
- https://help-sage100contractor.na.sage.com/Sage100Contractor/US/25_1/Content/Modules/6-Project_Management/About_purchase_order_status.htm
- https://help-sage100contractor.na.sage.com/Sage100Contractor/US/24_1/Content/Modules/4-Accounts_Payable/Entering_settings_for_the_Vendor_Invoice_Over_Purchase_Order_Warning.htm

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/raise-a-po-and-get-it-approved-in-sage-100-contractor/ (last checked 2026-10-19)