How to control purchase orders when deliveries arrive in parts
Keep supplier orders clear when only some cartons, bags or pieces arrive at the shop.
A supplier delivery is not always a complete delivery. A hardware order may arrive across several trips, with a few items delayed or substituted. Treating each arrival as the whole order makes it difficult to know what is still owed. A purchase order with an explicit received quantity gives the shop a practical trail from request to shelf.
1. Make the order specific before sending it
List the product name, unit, requested quantity and agreed price or price note. Include the supplier, expected delivery window and any details that affect receiving, such as colour, size or grade. A description like ‘pipe’ is not enough when the shop carries several diameters.
Keep the order's unit consistent with the way the team will receive it. If the supplier quotes cartons but the shop sells pieces, record the carton conversion before the first delivery arrives.
2. Receive what arrived, not what was ordered
At the receiving point, count the physical delivery against the order line by line. Record the quantity received and note short, damaged or substituted items. A partial delivery should reduce the remaining balance; it should not close the order unless the team has confirmed that the balance will not come.
Separate paperwork for delivered and outstanding items. Put received stock into its storage location only after the quantity and unit have been checked, especially when one carton contains individually sellable items.
- Confirm the product and unit before counting quantity.
- Record shortages and substitutions while the driver or supplier contact is present.
- Keep a note of delivery date and any reference on the supplier document.
3. Follow up from the remaining balance
The open balance is your follow-up list. Contact the supplier with the original order reference, the quantity received and the quantity still expected. If a substitute was accepted, update the order note so the counter team knows what will be available and at what unit.
Do not create a new order just because one delivery was incomplete unless the supplier has confirmed the original order is cancelled or closed. Duplicate orders are easy to make when several people buy for the same branch.
4. Close the loop at the shelf
Once the final items arrive, check the remaining balance again and close the order with a short receiving note. Compare the delivered quantity with the supplier document and the stock record. This keeps purchasing, inventory and branch reporting aligned without claiming that an order was complete before it was.
A purchasing workflow that supports partial receipts is especially useful for a shop serving contractors: the team can see what is available now, what is promised and what still needs a supplier call.