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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arcuserp.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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When To Use This Workflow

Use purchase to pay when the business is buying stocked products, parts, supplies, or services from a vendor and the team needs a clean trail from ordering through payment. The PO controls what should be bought, receiving records what came in, AP records what the vendor invoiced, and Bill Pay records how the vendor was paid.

Purchase Orders list with status tabs, search, totals, invoice status, and receiving progress

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The Standard Flow

  1. Create the purchase order with the vendor, products, quantities, expected costs, and destination location.
  2. Submit for approval when purchasing approval rules apply.
  3. Receive the PO when products arrive so inventory increases in the correct warehouse or bin.
  4. Record the vendor bill from AP, either manually or from GRNI when goods were received but not invoiced.
  5. Pay the bill from Pay Bills using check, ACH file, wire, or cash, then reconcile the bank transaction.
The PO is the operating document Warehouse and accounting should work from the same PO whenever inventory is involved. That keeps received quantity, inventory value, vendor bill amount, and payment history connected instead of split across unrelated records.

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Create the Purchase Order

Go to Purchasing, click Create PO, and select the vendor. Arcus opens the PO detail page after the vendor is selected so the buyer can add products, quantities, expected unit costs, and any notes the vendor or receiving team needs.

Create Purchase Order modal with vendor search and Create PO button

Add stocked products to the PO from the vendor-linked product list. For kit sales, buy the component products that will be stocked and fulfilled, not the kit parent. The kit parent is the sellable bundle; the components are what purchasing receives and what inventory valuation tracks.

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Approve And Lock The PO

If purchasing approval settings are enabled, a PO can be locked while it waits for review. During that time Arcus can block edits, vendor email, receiving, cancellation, and other status-changing actions so the submitted buying decision does not drift after approval starts.

  • Draft: the PO is being prepared and can still change.
  • Pending approval: the PO is waiting for a manager or approver.
  • Open: the PO can be sent to the vendor and received.
  • Rejected or withdrawn: the buyer can correct the PO and resubmit.

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Receive Inventory

When goods arrive, open the PO and click Receive Items. Choose the receiving location, enter the quantity received for each line, and provide bin or serial information when those controls are enabled for the product or warehouse.

Receive Items modal with location, received quantities, and create vendor bill automatically option
Receiving affects inventory value A receipt increases on-hand inventory and creates cost history. Confirm the product, location, quantity, serial numbers, and unit cost before receiving. If the vendor shipped less than ordered, receive only what arrived and leave the remaining quantity open.

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Match Goods Received To Vendor Bills

When items have been received but no vendor bill exists yet, the value appears in GRNI: goods received, not invoiced. Accounting uses GRNI to decide which received POs need vendor bills and to keep inventory receipts from being forgotten.

GRNI report showing received purchase orders that still need vendor bills

If the vendor invoice matches the receipt, AP can create the bill from the GRNI row or from the AP bill entry workflow. If the vendor invoice does not match, review quantity, cost, freight, discounts, credits, or tax differences before posting the bill.

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Record The Vendor Bill

Go to Accounting > AP and Bill Pay to create or review vendor bills. A PO-linked bill gives accounting a direct reference back to what was ordered and received. The bill carries the vendor, bill date, due date, invoice number, line details, approval state, balance, and payment history.

AP Bills list filtered to PO-linked bills with open and paid statuses
Approval rules can block payment If a bill requires approval, pay it only after it is approved. That protects AP from paying invoices that still need manager review, quantity checks, or cost corrections.

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Pay The Bill

Go to Accounting > Pay Bills. Select the vendor bills to pay, choose the payment method, choose the bank account, set the payment date, and review the payment total before confirming.

Pay Bills page with vendor groups, payment methods, bank account, payment date, and selectable bills

Vendor credits can reduce the cash outlay when open credits exist for the vendor. Review the confirmation modal before posting so the team understands the bill total, credits applied, and actual amount leaving the bank.

Confirm Payment modal showing method, bank account, vendor credit applied, cash outlay, and bill paid

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After Payment

  • Check payments: print the generated check from the check register or payment flow.
  • ACH file payments: generate the NACHA file and upload it through the bank process your company uses.
  • Wire or cash payments: record the payment in Arcus, then complete the external bank or cash process.
  • Bank reconciliation: match the outgoing payment to the bank transaction once it clears.

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Common Blocks

  • Create PO is unavailable: confirm the user has purchasing permission and the vendor account is active.
  • A product is missing: confirm the product is active and linked to the vendor purchase catalog.
  • Receive Items is blocked: the PO may be draft, pending approval, cancelled, fulfilled, or missing line items.
  • Quantity cannot be received: receive only the remaining open quantity unless the entity allows over-receiving.
  • Serial fields appear: the product requires one serial number per unit received.
  • GRNI balance remains after billing: compare received value, billed value, freight, discounts, tax, and any partial bill decisions.
  • Bill cannot be paid: check bill approval status, void status, available balance, vendor hold, and bank account selection.
  • Payment total looks low: review whether vendor credits were applied before confirming payment.

Create and Manage Purchase Orders

Create POs, add vendor items, receive inventory, and handle approval, cancellation, billing, and close-short blocks.

GRNI and PO Bills

Create vendor bills from received purchase orders and clear received-not-billed balances.

AP and Bill Pay

Record vendor bills, approve them, post them, and track AP aging.

Pay Bills and Print Checks

Pay open vendor bills by check, ACH, ACH file, wire, or cash.

Purchasing Defaults

Set default vendor lead time, vendor credit expiration, bill revaluation behavior, and payment terms.