An empty shelf is lost revenue. An extra purchase is frozen cash. Planning exists to land between those two mistakes.
Purchasing in a small business rarely looks like a neat ERP diagram. It is usually intuition, WhatsApp to the supplier, spreadsheets, and memory. The problem is not effort — it is the missing link between “what ran out”, “what we already ordered”, and “what actually arrived”.
Handler treats purchasing as a document chain with distinct jobs. First the system proposes what to buy. Then you record the supplier commitment — the purchase order. Only when goods physically arrive does a receipt change stock and supplier payables. Each step does its own work and does not pretend to be the next one.
Handler’s core principle: if information already entered the system once, you should not type it again. PO lines can flow into a receipt in one action — you review, adjust, and post instead of re-keying SKUs.
What to remember
- Planning starts in the catalog: stock context, supplier, optional thresholds and pack rules.
- The Fill panel nets shop demand, production materials, and open POs, then creates one draft PO per supplier.
- A supplier order is a commitment; a receipt is stock truth. Handler connects them without double entry.
Why purchase planning matters
Without planning, buying reacts to pain that already happened: empty shelf, missing raw material, supplier “on the way”, while cash is already stuck in slow movers.
Handler is not pretending to be SAP. It offers a practical weekly loop: what to buy for roughly 7–14 days of cover, considering sales, open orders, and materials for live production. You still approve drafts — the system does not auto-send POs or auto-post receipts.
- Fewer shelf stockouts — fewer lost sales.
- Fewer duplicate orders for the same SKU — open PO quantities are subtracted.
- Production materials are visible separately from shop demand.
Why this matters financially
Good planning is not “more spreadsheets”. It is fewer emergency supplier calls and less cash frozen in the wrong place.
What to configure before suggestions appear
The system does not guess purchases from thin air. It needs anchor data. Cleaner master data means calmer Monday mornings for whoever buys.
- Each SKU you want to plan needs a preferred supplier on the product card. Without it, the line lands in gaps — need exists, but no supplier to order from.
- For threshold mode: reorder point and reorder target quantity. If thresholds are empty, auto shop demand uses POS sales velocity.
- Default warehouse — store setting inventory.default_warehouse_id. Fill and the dashboard card rely on it.
- Optional: lead time, MOQ, and pack size on supplier or item — for rounding to case packs and minimum order quantities.
- POS sales must flow into the system — without sales history, auto shop mode stays quiet.
Manager move
Before the first Fill run, walk top SKUs: supplier, thresholds if you use them, and default warehouse.
How the Fill panel works
On Supplier Orders, Fill opens one panel — no extra sidebar item. This is the main planning workspace.
- Shop — sales-driven need: daily velocity × cover days, minus on-hand and minus open PO qty.
- Production — materials for open production orders (draft / released / in progress).
- All — both drivers combined.
- Manual thresholds — SKUs with reorder point only, Phase 1 rules.
- Preview shows lines and gaps (missing supplier). Create drafts builds one draft PO per supplier.
Manager move
Weekly rhythm: Fill → source All → review preview → fix catalog gaps → create drafts.
Supplier order = commitment document
A purchase order is not a receipt and not a payment. It is your commitment to the supplier: what, how much, and at what price you intend to buy.
- Draft — editable lines, supplier, expected delivery.
- Sent — communicated to the supplier.
- Confirmed — supplier confirmed.
- Received — closed after goods are accepted.
- Cancelled — voided.
Why this matters financially
While a PO stays draft/sent/confirmed, its lines count toward open PO qty — the next Fill run will not suggest ordering the same SKU again.
Receipt from PO — Handler’s reuse principle
When goods arrive, only a posted receipt should change stock. Re-typing the same SKUs is double work and a divergence risk.
On the supplier order card, Create receipt calls rpc_po_create_receipt_from_po: a draft receipt is created from PO lines and linked via purchase_orders.receipt_doc_id.
- Lines transfer automatically — you verify quantities and costs, not re-key the catalog.
- Receipt stays draft until you post — stock and supplier AP change only on post.
- Supplier payment is separate, via cash transfer / bank document, after a posted receipt.
Manager move
The main path: Fill → draft PO → sent/confirmed → receipt from PO → post receipt.
Other places that surface purchase signals
Planning is not hidden in one screen — it is wired into screens you already open.
- Dashboard — “To order” card: SKU and supplier counts; click opens Fill.
- Insights — stockout risk with action to open replenishment Fill.
- Production planning — “Materials to buy” opens Fill with source=production.
- AI Ordering Agent — same RPCs as Fill; drafts only after human approval.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Fill empty when stock is low?
Common causes: missing preferred supplier, no POS sales for auto mode, wrong warehouse, or need already covered by open POs. Check gaps in preview.
How is a supplier order different from a receipt?
PO is plan and commitment. Receipt is warehouse fact and payables basis. A PO does not change on-hand stock by itself.
Can I order without Fill?
Yes. New order creates a PO manually — Fill only accelerates bulk planning.
From signal to purchase
Handler connects sales, stock, production, supplier orders, and receipts in one operating loop.
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