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Regional Availability: Australia, India, Indonesia, Singapore, United States/
Overview
The Procurement module in Volopay streamlines the purchase order lifecycle—from request creation to approvals, fulfillment, and billing. This document serves as a step-by-step guide for internal teams to understand the core functionalities, configurations, and user roles necessary to manage procurement effectively.
Procurement Approval Policies
Approval policies define the workflow that a purchase order (PO) follows before it is approved. These workflows can be set at the company level or customized for departments and projects.
Use Cases
Establish hierarchical approvals for purchase orders.
Customize workflows for specific departments or projects.
Step-by-Step
Approval Policy Type | Steps |
Company-Level Approval Policy: |
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Department/Project-Level Custom Approval Policy: |
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Procurement Submission Policies
Submission policies enforce mandatory fields that need to be completed while creating a PO.
Use Cases
Ensure complete and accurate data collection.
Customize requirements for different departments or projects.
Step-by-Step
Submission Policy Type | Steps |
Company-Level Submission Policy |
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Department/Project-Level Custom Submission Policy: |
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Procurement Categories
Create and manage product categories and subcategories to better organize the product catalog.
Use Case
Simplifies tracking and reporting by categorizing products.
Step-by-Step
Navigate to Procurement > Settings.
Under General Settings, select Manage Category.
Add a new product category and define subcategories.
Note: Categorization is optional, but it helps improve product organization.
Billing & Shipping Addresses
Add billing and shipping addresses that can be attached to POs.
Use Case
Streamlines fulfillment and billing logistics.
Step-by-Step
Navigate to Procurement > Settings.
Under Address, manage Billing Address and Shipping Address.
Click Add New Address and fill in the details.
Add nicknames to identify addresses easily.
Product Catalog
Before creating POs, products must be added to the catalog and associated with vendors.
Use Case
Centralized product management linked to vendor pricing.
Step-by-Step
Add New Product:
Navigate to Procurement > Product Catalog.
Click Add New Product.
Fill in product details and vendor information.
Click Save.
Add Vendor Pricing to Existing Product:
From the product slider: Edit Product > Add Vendor.
From the vendor slider: Go to Vendors > Select Vendor > Add Products.
Creating Purchase Orders
Initiate a PO from the inbox and submit it for approval.
Step-by-Step
Navigate to Procurement > Inbox.
Click Create PO.
Select vendor, products, billing & shipping details.
Fill mandatory fields based on the submission policy.
Submit the PO for approval or save as a draft.
Approving Purchase Orders
Review and take action on submitted POs based on the approval policy.
Step-by-Step
Navigate to My Volopay > Action Center.
Go to the Procurement tab.
Click the PO line item to review.
Approve via the approval button or at the bottom of the page.
Reject via the 3-dot menu (comment is mandatory).
Editing Purchase Orders
POs can be edited if they are in draft or under approval.
Step-by-Step
Draft POs:
Go to Procurement > Inbox.
Select and edit the draft PO.
Save or resubmit for approval.
POs in Approval:
Go to Procurement > Approvals.
Edit and resubmit (this resets the approval flow).
Active Purchase Orders
POs move to "Active" status after approval. Goods Received Notes (GRNs) and invoices can be attached.
Step-by-Step
Navigate to Procurement > Active.
View approved POs.
Attaching GRNs
Track goods received against active POs.
Step-by-Step
Go to Procurement > Active.
Select the PO and click Receive.
Add GRN: date, number, memo, and quantity.
Save to update receiving status (Partially/Fully Received).
Creating Bills
Attach vendor invoices to POs for payment.
Step-by-Step
Go to Procurement > Active.
Select the PO and click Add Invoice.
Fill in invoice details and item lines.
The system performs a 3-way match (PO, GRN, Invoice).
Save to submit the invoice for approval.
Completed Purchase Orders
POs that are fully received and billed automatically move to "Completed".
Step-by-Step
Go to Procurement > Completed.
View and export completed POs.
To manually complete a PO: Go to Procurement > Active, select the PO, click the 3-dot menu, and select Complete.
Roles & Permissions
Specific roles streamline responsibilities in the procurement cycle.
Roles
Role | Description | Steps to Add: |
Procurement Clerk | Can create POs. | Navigate to Procurement > Settings > Add Procurement Clerks or via Company Settings > Roles and Permissions. |
Procurement Manager | Oversees procurement, item receipts, and billing. | Assign via Procurement Settings or Company Settings. |
GRN Manager | Oversees Goods Received Notes (GRN) data and can attach GRNs to orders. | Assign via Company Settings > Roles and Permissions. |
Inventory Manager | Manages the product catalog and vendor pricing. | Assign via Company Settings > Roles and Permissions. |
Vendor Management
Vendors must be added and configured to enable POs and payments.
Statuses
Status | Description |
Procurement Ready | Vendor address is added. |
Bill Pay Ready | Vendor bank details are added |
Step-by-Step
Add Vendor:
Navigate to Vendors.
Click Add Vendor.
Enter the vendor details and save.
Modify Vendor:
Go to Vendors.
Select the vendor, click Edit to modify details, and Save.
Delete Vendor:
Go to Vendors.
Select the vendor, click Delete (must meet pre-conditions).
On confirmation, the vendor will be deleted from the Volopay platform.