How to Create a Purchase Order from an Invoice

Generate a purchase order directly from an invoice to streamline procurement for invoiced items.

Once an invoice has been created and items are confirmed, you can generate a purchase order directly from it. This connects your billing and procurement workflows so you don't have to re-enter item details manually when ordering from vendors.

Creating a Purchase Order from the Actions Menu

1. Open the invoice you want to generate a purchase order from.
2. Click Actions in the top right corner.
3. Select Create Purchase Order from the dropdown menu.
4. The system will open a new purchase order pre-populated with the relevant items from the invoice.

What Gets Pulled Into the Purchase Order

When a purchase order is generated from an invoice, the following data is carried over:

• Product names and descriptions
• Quantities
• Associated project and client reference
• Vendor information (if linked to the product in your library)

You can review and edit any of these fields in the purchase order before saving or sending it to a vendor.

After the Purchase Order Is Created

The new purchase order will appear in your Purchase Orders module linked to the same project. The invoice and purchase order remain connected records, making it easy to cross-reference billing and procurement activity for the same items.

Managing the Purchase Order

Once generated, the purchase order can be edited, sent to vendors, and managed independently from the invoice. Changes made to the purchase order after creation do not automatically update the originating invoice.

Warning: Creating a purchase order from an invoice does not automatically place an order with a vendor or trigger any external communication. You will still need to review and send the purchase order manually.

Important Limitations

• Purchase orders must be manually created from the invoice Actions menu.
• Only product items are used for purchase order generation.
• Services and timelogs are not included in generated purchase orders.
• Products without assigned vendors will not generate purchase orders.
• Creating a purchase order does not automatically place an order with the vendor.

What Happens Next?

After creating purchase orders from an invoice:

• Indema groups eligible product items by vendor
• Separate purchase orders are created for each vendor
• The purchase orders remain linked to the invoice and project workflow
• Teams can review, edit, and send purchase orders to vendors

Related Articles

• How estimates convert to invoices and invoices convert to purchase orders
• How to Create an Invoice and Add Items from the Library
• Overview of Invoices