Confirm there is a valid purchase order

Understand why valid purchases orders are important.

A purchase order (PO) is created once a requisition has been approved. It is sent by us to the supplier to authorise a purchase.

Purchase orders outline what the buyer would like to purchase and how much of it they would like to receive. These agreements help both the buyer and supplier document transactions.

When a purchase order is created in My Oracle, the supplier is notified so they can review and fulfil the order. 

What is in the purchase order

The purchase order sent to the supplier contains all the important information they need, including:

  • the goods or services description
  • quantities
  • prices
  • expected date for delivery
  • shipping address to deliver to
  • the billing instructions for how to invoice the council
  • our terms and conditions of trade

The supplier will also see the requestor name and contact information should they need to clarify anything.

Check for a valid purchase order

The council has a ‘no purchase order, no pay’ policy. This means a payment cannot be processed to your supplier without a valid purchase order number quoted on their invoice.

There must be a valid purchase order and invoice before we can pay your supplier.

Retrospective ordering, where a purchase order is raised after goods or services have been supplied, is not compliant with the council’s financial regulations or supported in My Oracle.

As the council’s payment terms state that payments will be made 30 days from receipt of a compliant invoice, retrospective ordering can delay payment to your supplier.