# PO matching in Business Central for manufacturers

Business Central has PO matching built in. Raw material orders have many lines and arrive in parts. A manufacturer cannot match a bill to the full purchase order without paying for stock still on the way.

## Why it matters for manufacturers

- Freight, pallets and surcharges come on the bill, but not on the order.
- Receiving is done at the plant dock, often by a different person from whoever raised the order, so the purchase receipt is the only proof of what came in.

## For manufacturers in Business Central

- Post the subcontractor's invoice against the subcontracting purchase order that was created from the released production order, so the invoice stays tied to the routing operation.
- Extra costs such as transport and packaging go on a separate invoice with Type set to Charge (Item). On Item Charge Assignment choose Get Receipt Lines. Subcontracting receipts show a Prod. Order No. so you can tell them apart. The cost links to the capacity ledger entries of the production order.

## Rules that matter for manufacturers in Business Central

- Turn on Enable GST (Australia) on General Ledger Setup and set GST in VAT Posting Setup. A missing setting shows up as wrong tax on the matched lines.
- A tax invoice is needed for the GST credit. Check the supplier invoice before the receipt lines are pulled in.
- With Payables Agent, a draft invoice matches an order number exactly. A typing slip on the order number leaves the draft unmatched.

## What Business Central does on its own

Get Receipt Lines and Get Order Lines and draft matching to orders and receipts.

With Payables Agent, a draft invoice can be matched to order lines and receipts. An order number is matched exactly, not by fuzzy matching.

What you need and the setup steps: https://www.pulsify.tech/po-matching-for-business-central/

## Example

Example Sensor Components has a purchase order for 500 sensors at $14.00. The plant posted a receipt for 300 on Monday and 150 on Thursday. The invoice arrives for 450 at $14.60.

- Receipt 1, 300 sensors: $4,200.00 (Pulled in with Get Receipt Lines)
- Receipt 2, 150 sensors: $2,100.00 (Pulled in with Get Receipt Lines. Same vendor and currency, so they combine)
- Invoice line, 450 sensors at $14.60: $6,570.00 (Quantity agrees. The price is $270 above the order. The help describes no tolerance check at posting)

The clerk compares the price on the invoice with the order before posting. The 50 sensors still due stay open on the order.

## Common mistakes

- Posting an invoice that was keyed with no receipt lines pulled in, so nothing is matched.
- Combining receipts from two vendors or two currencies.
- Assuming a price tolerance exists. Matching here is by pulling lines in.

## Step-by-step guides for Business Central

- How to match a purchase invoice to a purchase order in Business Central: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/match-a-bill-to-a-purchase-order-in-business-central/
- How to handle a partial delivery against a purchase order in Business Central: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/handle-a-partial-delivery-against-a-po-in-business-central/

## What Pulsify adds

Pulsify matches each bill line to a purchase order line and flags extra quantity, a different price or lines not on the purchase order. Pulsify connects to Business Central. We set up the connection for you. More: https://www.pulsify.tech/po-matching/

## Common questions

### How do I match a subcontractor's invoice to the production order in Business Central?

Use the Subcontracting extension. Order the operation from the released production order so the purchase order is linked to the routing. When the subcontractor's invoice arrives, post against that PO. Transport and packaging charges are assigned afterwards to the subcontracting receipt.

### How does a manufacturer match raw materials delivered in parts?

Match each bill to the purchase receipt lines booked in so far. The balance stays open on the order. This stops you paying for material that has not reached the plant.

### Can I match an invoice for part of an order?

Yes. Post the partial receipt using Qty. to Receive, then pick only those receipt lines on the invoice. The rest of the order stays open for the next delivery.

## Sources

- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/subcontract-order
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/subcontract-item-charges
- https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/gst-excise-and-indirect-taxes/gst/tax-invoices

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/po-matching-in-business-central-for-manufacturers/ (last checked 2026-10-19)