# How to raise a purchase order and get it approved in SAP B1

In SAP B1, 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 authorisation
- Full authorisation for Administration > Approval Process > Approval Templates

## The SAP B1 way

Where to find it: Purchasing A/P > Purchase Order

1. Set up the rule first. Go to Administration > Approval Process > Approval Templates. Enter a name and tick Active.
2. On the Originator tab pick the users who need approval. On the Documents tab pick Purchase Order. On the Stages tab pick one or more approval stages.
3. On the Terms tab choose Always, or When the Following Applies and set a condition such as the document total or a user query. Any one condition being met triggers approval. Click Add.
4. Go to Purchasing - A/P > Purchase Order. Choose the vendor and items, then Add. The order is held as a draft and sent to the approver.
5. The approver opens the draft and chooses Go To > Approve/Reject. Approve & Add creates the purchase order from the draft when the approver is the last in line.
6. To approve many at once use Administration > Approval Process > Approval Decision Report.

## Good to know in SAP B1

- If a template has more than one stage with different approvers, they have the same level. The order of the stages does not give one approver priority.
- Tick Active when Updating Documents Not Generated by Approval Process to also require approval for edits to existing documents.
- Approvers get a message in SAP Business One and can also get an email. A decision can be made in the Request for Approval window from the message inbox.
- A purchase order posts no value to the accounts, but the ordered quantity shows in the Inventory Status report and Item Master Data.

## The Pulsify way

1. Raise and approve the purchase order in SAP B1 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 SAP B1. 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 SAP B1, Pulsify matches bills to the POs you raise there.

## Common mistakes

- Adding a purchase order before the approval template covers purchase orders, so it is never routed.
- Raising the order after the invoice arrives, which leaves nothing to copy from.

## Common questions

### Can purchase orders go through approval?

Yes, if approval is switched on. Add a template for purchase orders under Approval Templates and the order goes to the approver after you choose Add.

### Where do I raise a purchase order?

Purchasing A/P > Purchase Order. Choose the vendor and items, then Add.

### What can I copy from the purchase order?

It copies on to the goods receipt PO and the A/P invoice, so the vendor and item details do not need to be typed again.

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

No. Send the approved PO yourself.

## Sources

- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/44fd93db93202463e10000000a1553f7.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/4506da03d8696c30e10000000a114a6b.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/4506b8d47d720487e10000000a155369.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/3a10e6660d084fa9acd5360b37de3ef9.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/44fc22711d3c6c30e10000000a114a6b.html

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