After issuing a purchase order, obtain a supplier response identifying the PO and revision and specifying the lines, quantities and delivery dates they confirm. Compare it with the jobsite requirement, flag unanswered details or proposed changes, and assign follow-up. A message saying “received” alone does not specify what will arrive or when. A future delivery confirmation is also separate from goods actually received.
1. Separate dispatch, supplier response and jobsite receipt
Purchasing has three different questions to answer: was the PO sent to the right contact, did the supplier specify what they can fulfill, and did the material arrive and get checked on site? A single label such as “handled” does not answer all three. Retain the evidence and date for each event.
Set a response deadline based on the required-on-site date and the item’s urgency. There is no single response period that fits every supplier. No response means follow-up remains open; it does not establish availability, agreement or cancellation. This is an operational review, not a determination of the documents’ legal effect.
2. Review the response at purchase-order-line level
Link the response to the PO number, revision and relevant line. Compare item and specification, quantity and unit, required date versus the supplier’s stated date, and jobsite address. If the response changes a price or another PO term, flag it for review instead of treating the entire order as confirmed unchanged.
Clarify whether a date means dispatch from the supplier or arrival at the jobsite, and whether a partial confirmation leaves a balance without a date. A substitute item or different pack size needs a suitability check; a similar name or quantity is insufficient. Keep the supplier’s proposal separate from the buyer’s decision so it cannot be mistaken for an approved change.
Oracle’s documentation separates internal approval from supplier acknowledgement and describes a decision on supplier-proposed changes. SAP describes supplier confirmations in relation to quantity and delivery date. These sources explain their own systems’ workflows; they do not establish a supplier-confirmation portal or automatic reminders in Novapro.
Further reading: Oracle: managing purchasing documents requiring acknowledgement · SAP: managing supplier confirmations
3. Example: the full quantity is confirmed, but not for the required date
This is a fictional planning example, not customer data. For line A, the jobsite needs 100 units on November 2. The supplier proposes 60 that day and another 40 on November 5. The total offered is 100, but the required date still has a 40-unit gap. This is not yet an actual receiving shortage: the deliveries have not arrived.
Do not add the requested quantity to the supplier-confirmed quantities: 100 ordered compared with 60 plus 40 describes the same requirement, not 200 units. Record actual receipt later from the delivery check and its supporting documents.
| Requirement | Supplier response | Follow-up needed |
|---|---|---|
| A: 100 units on site November 2 | 60 on November 2; 40 on November 5 | 40 units miss the original required date; the project owner assesses impact and purchasing reviews an approved alternative. |
| B: 20 units on site November 2 | “We received the order” | Request an explicit quantity and date; the message alone does not confirm the planned delivery. |
| C: 10 units to specification | 10 packs, without pack contents | Clarify pack contents and specification before comparison; do not assume an undocumented conversion. |
4. Give each unresolved response an owner and follow-up date
For each open line, retain the original requirement, the supplier’s exact response, the gap, the follow-up owner and the next review date. Purchasing can coordinate communication while the project owner checks whether an alternative date fits planned work. A decision that changes the PO follows the company’s existing change and approval process.
Suggested wording: “For PO ___ revision ___, please confirm each line’s item, quantity and unit, arrival date at the jobsite, and any unconfirmed balance. Line ___ requires ___ units by ___, while your response states ___. Can you meet the requirement, or do we need to review an alternative?” This is a copyable template; the website does not send a message.
If the response deadline passes, escalate to the designated owner with the known planning impact. Your follow-up date is an action deadline, not a supplier delivery promise. Once the gap is resolved, retain the response and decision and update the jobsite team members who need the information.
5. Continue delivery tracking with the right evidence
The supplier response supports planning; a delivery ticket and the receiver’s check document the delivery event. Use the partial-deliveries guide when material starts arriving, the approved-PO change guide when a proposal alters the order, and the open-PO report guide for a view across unfinished orders.
Novapro brings purchasing work and documents into the project context. This checklist is a suggested team process, not a description of automated supplier acceptance, real-time availability or an existing connection to the supplier’s system. In a demo, review how your team would find the PO and related documents and follow up within a suitable workflow.
Practical checklist
- The supplier response identifies the PO and revision that were sent.
- Each line’s item, specification, quantity and unit were checked.
- Dispatch and arrival dates are distinguished and compared with the required date.
- Split quantities and unconfirmed balances remain separate from actual receipts.
- Each gap has an owner, follow-up date and decision evidence.
- Proposed changes passed the required approvals and the jobsite team was updated.
Bring a sample PO without sensitive information and explore its connection to project documents and follow-up work.
Request a procurement demoFrequently asked questions
Is “we received it” enough to confirm a purchase order?
For delivery planning, it is insufficient when item, quantity or date details are missing. Request a response referring to the PO and relevant lines. A general message does not establish that every detail was confirmed.
What if only part of the quantity is confirmed for the required date?
Record the quantity confirmed for each date and the remaining balance, assess the planning impact and obtain an authorized next-step decision. Partial confirmation is not actual receipt and does not erase the remaining requirement.
Should I immediately change the PO when the supplier proposes a new date?
Retain the proposal first and compare it with the jobsite requirement. If the PO needs changing, use the established approval process and preserve the link to the earlier revision. A supplier response alone is not the team’s approval of that change.
Keep reading
Changing a Purchase Order After Approval: Keep the Versions Clear →
How to Track Partial Deliveries and Delivery Tickets →
Open Purchase Order Report: What to Check Before Closing a PO →