Changing the Status of a Purchase PO

• Overview
• Using Workflow Actions to Change the Status of a Purchase PO
• Manually Changing the Status of a Purchase PO
• Status Option Definitions

Overview

Each Purchase PO has a status applied to it. You can track the progress of a Purchase PO based on its status (Awaiting Approval, PO Received, etc.).

Using Workflow Actions to Change the Status of a Purchase PO

1. Open the Purchase PO for which you want to change the status.
2. Find the  Workflow section in the Workbench Menu (right-hand menu).
3. Click any available workflow action to change the status.

Because the Purchase PO workflow can be modified, the options you see in the  Workflow section of the menu might be different than the default options. By default, a Purchase PO in the PO - Tentative status will show the following option:

• Submit for Approval: Will send an email to a manager (emails set up in settings) informing them that the PO is awaiting approval.

As you set a Purchase PO to a new status, new workflow actions will be made available. Additionally, Purchase POs can have their status changed by receiving the PO using the receiving screen (on the  Warehouse menu).

These workflow actions, statuses, and workflow jobs (email templates, element generators, etc.) can be modified. Learn how on the Flex5: Workflow page.

Manually Changing the Status of a Purchase PO

You can bypass using workflow actions to change the status of a Purchase PO by manually changing the status.

To enable manual status changes, you will have to change the Purchase PO element settings.

1. On the  Projects menu, click Element Definitions.
2. Double-click Purchase PO.
3. Click the Status Options tab.
4. Change the Status Edit Mode option to Manual Changes Permitted. 
   (changes are automatically saved)

With the setting changed to Manual Changes Permitted, you can click Edit Header from a Purchase PO and manually change the Status field using the drop-down menu.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with enabling manual status changes, it often leads to problems with accountability (since anybody can change to any status they want), and eliminates workflow jobs (like sending email templates, automatically creating child elements, etc.).

Status Option Definitions

When a Purchase PO is set to a status, the Purchase PO will inherit the attributes of that status. Status option attributes can be viewed on the  System Settings menu under Status Options. Double-click a status name to view its attributes and settings. The attributes associated with a status option include the following:

• Name: The name of the status (PO - Tentative, PO - Confirmed, PO - Received, etc.).
• Creates Conflicts: Determines whether or not an element in this status creates conflicts.
• Closed Status: Determines whether or not an element in this status will be closed, which means the element cannot be edited, and will not show up in searches unless "show closed" settings are applied.
• Locked Status: Determines whether or not an element in this status is locked, which means the element cannot be edited. The element will still show up in searches, and it not considered closed.
• Locks Availability: Determines whether or not an element in this status will control availability. For example: A Pull Sheet (as a child to a Quote) might be in a status that locks availability, and it will control availability as opposed to the Quote.
• Probability: A percentage value representing the likelihood that a job will happen when it is in this status.
• Background Color: Determines the default background color that will be used when an element enters this status.
• Text Color: Determines the default text color that will be used when an element enters this status.