How do I manually add items to a Purchase Order?

Adding Items to a Purchase Order

Purpose

Adding items to a Purchase Order (PO) is a core function in Contractor Foreman that enables accurate budgeting, billing, and vendor communication. Whether you’re ordering materials, scheduling services, or allocating labor costs, the Items section allows you to build a precise breakdown of what’s being purchased, complete with cost tracking, quantities, discounts, and more.

Contractor Foreman provides multiple flexible methods to populate a PO based on where your information originates: from preloaded item libraries, estimates, project billing structures, or through manual entry.

Navigation Steps

1. Access the Purchase Order Module

• Click on the Main Menu (☰).

• Scroll down and select “Purchase Orders.”

You will be directed to the Purchase Order dashboard, where all POs are listed and sortable by:

• Project Name
• Vendor
• PO Status (Draft, Submitted, Approved, etc.)
• Date
• PO Number

2. Locate and Open the Specific Purchase Order

• Use the filters (e.g., Project Name, Vendor, Status) to locate the PO you want to add items to.
• Click on the PO entry to open its Details View.

3. Navigate to the Items Section

• Within the PO, scroll or tab over to the Items Section.
• Click the “Add Item to Purchase” button to begin.

This opens up a selection of methods for adding items to your PO.

4. Choose Your Method for Adding Items

You have multiple ways to populate a PO depending on your workflow:

Option 1: Import from Cost Items Database

Pull items directly from your company’s internal Cost Items Library, a repository of commonly used materials, labor types, and service entries.

• Opens a searchable interface.
• Filter or search by item name, category, or code.
• Select one or more items, and they will be added with default or editable pricing and quantities.

Best For:

• Consistently ordered materials
• Predefined services or labor types
• Standardized pricing control

Option 2: Import from Schedule of Values (SOV)

Brings in line items from the Schedule of Values created for the associated project. This maintains alignment between POs and the project’s budget/phased billing breakdown.

Best For:

• Progress billing
• Phase-specific cost alignment
• Matching vendor invoices to budget categories

Option 3: Import from Estimate

This option pulls in items that were defined during the Estimating phase of the project. If vendors, quantities, and costs were already assigned in the estimate, the system can automatically map these details into the PO.

• Select estimate items based on vendor association.
• Quantities and prices carry over from the original estimate.
• Streamlines the workflow from estimating to purchasing.

Best For:

• Large, itemized estimates
• Bid-tracking and vendor-specific cost allocation
• Creating POs directly from bid packages

Option 4: Add Manually

If your order includes custom items, ad hoc services, or unique project needs, manual entry gives you full control over each line item.

Manual entry options include:

1. PO Item
   • Enter material, product, or service name.
   • Set quantity, unit price, and optional markup or tax.
   • Add item-specific notes if needed.
2. Freight Charge
   • Add delivery or logistics costs as a separate line item.
   • Helpful when dealing with third-party freight or variable delivery rates.
3. Tax Total
   • Enter a fixed tax amount if it’s not automatically calculated.
   • Useful in jurisdictions with variable or project-specific tax rates.
4. Discount
   • Apply a flat amount or percentage-based discount.
   • Reduces the subtotal of the PO for negotiated pricing, rebates, or vendor promotions.

Importing from Cost Items DB – In Depth

• Launches a modal with access to your preloaded cost database.
• Use filters like item type, category, or code.
• Items will be pulled in with default values, which you can adjust before submission.
• Supports bulk selection for speed.

Importing from Estimate – In Depth

• Matches PO creation with vendor and item assignments in the Estimate.
• If vendor assignments were already made (using “Assigned To”), the system knows which vendor should receive which items.
• Automatically populates price, quantity, and item description.
• Reduces double entry and human error.

Manual Entry – In Depth

For each custom line item:

• Select an Item Type (Material, Labor, Service, etc.)
• Enter Description
• Input Quantity
• Set Unit Cost
• Add Markup %, if applicable
• Enter Line Notes (optional)

Manual entry is ideal for:

• Project-specific items
• One-off purchases
• Freight, tax, or incentive breakdowns

Summary

Contractor Foreman provides multiple paths to build accurate and complete Purchase Orders, whether through imports from structured data or manual entry for unique cases. Choose the method that matches your project’s structure and your organization’s workflow preferences.

Menu > Purchase Orders > Select PO > Add Item > Choose Method (Import or Manual).

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