Ordering from one store to another

If you run mSupply using virtual stores then you can place an order for goods with another store within mSupply. This is called making an “internal requisition” and this page describes the process.

Creating a purchase order (customer store)

For the most part, this is the same process as for creating a normal purchase order. There are, however, a few significant differences:

In the Name field of the purchase order, enter the name of the store which will supply your goods.

The names of Virtual Store suppliers will appear in RED in the pick list of suppliers. If the name of the store you select as a supplier is BLACK, then you have not chosen a Virtual Store as a supplier, and the instructions in the remainder of this section do not apply.

The Internal requisition label will appear after the name to indicate that this is going to be an internal requisition.

Enter the purchase order lines as normal and when you're finished, confirm the purchase order (at this point you may be prompted to enter budget and/or category information, depending on your preferences):

Once confirmed, a customer invoice for the purchase order is created in the supplying store (with your store's name in the Name field) and it will no longer be possible to modify the purchase order lines.

Processing the customer invoice (supplying store)

Now, in the supplying store, the customer invoice can be viewed via the Customers tab on the Navigator or via the Customer > Show invoices… menu item as usual. The new Customer Invoice will have Status = sg (suggested), Their ref = PO number: XXXX, and Comment = Invoice from internal requisition. Also, when it is opened, the customer invoice will have an Internal requisition label to highlight that it has originated from another store.

Each purchase order line will have a corresponding placeholder line in the customer invoice:

Now assign stock to each placeholder line in the usual way by double clicking on the first line to start the process.

When the Customer Invoice is ready, rather than just confirming the invoice (click on the button in the upper middle of the Customer Invoice window) Finalize the Customer Invoice by clicking the tick box on the bottom left of the Customer Invoice window, and then click on the OK button. This is important. If you only confirm the invoice then the next part of the process (creating a goods received note in the receiving store) will not happen.

Once the customer invoice has been finalised, a goods received note for the purchase order will be created back in the store where you created the purchase order which started this whole process off (called the customer or receiving store).

Handling partially fulfilled orders

If you have unfilled lines on the customer invoice (i.e. red placeholder lines), when you finalise the customer invoice you will be asked if you want to create a new invoice with the unfilled lines. This new invoice retains the link to the purchase order that created the original customer invoice, and can be used to issue further goods to the customer.

Note that you can also create a invoice that is linked to the original purchase order at any time by using the "Duplicate" button on the toolbar of the customer invoice list.

Receiving the goods (customer store)

Now, back in your store, where you created the purchase order which started this whole process off, you can view the goods received record via the Suppliers tab on the Navigator or via the File > Supplier > Show goods received menu item (or via the File > Supplier > Show purchase orders > Goods received tab)

Notice that on the goods received note the lines from the customer invoice will have been filled in automatically (and the purchase order lines updated with the stock received). Process the goods received note in the normal way and note that, as with all other goods received, the goods are not added to your store's stock and available for issue until the goods received note has been finalised and the resulting supplier invoice confirmed.

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