Step 1. Create the PO, SC, or Bill
Start by filling in the required fields on the PO, Subcontract, or Bill, such as the vendor or subcontractor, item name, and cost code.
👉 Learn more about how to create a Purchase Order
👉 Learn more about how to Create a Bill
Once the required fields are filled in, you have two ways to save it:
Option A: Choose a Save Option from the Save Button Dropdown
ℹ️ Note: The Save button dropdown options are available for Purchase Orders and Subcontracts only. Bills only have a standard Save option.
Click the dropdown arrow next to the Save button and choose one of the following options:
Save – saves the transaction in Draft status. Only the PO/SC name is required.
Save and Add Another – saves the current transaction in Draft status and immediately opens the creation page for a new PO/SC. Only the PO/SC name is required.
Submit for Approval – saves the transaction and immediately submits it for internal approval. Status changes to Awaiting Approval.
Save and Approve – saves the transaction directly in Approved status.
Save and Confirm – saves the transaction directly in Confirmed status.
Approve and Next – approves the transaction currently open and moves on to the next non-approved PO/SC in the list.
ℹ️ Note: Submit for Approval, Save and Approve, Save and Confirm, and Approve and Next all require every required field to be filled in, such as vendor, item name, and cost code. If any required information is missing, the action will not go through.
💡 Tip: To approve a batch of POs quickly, filter the transaction list by Draft and Awaiting Approval statuses, open the first one, and use Approve and Next repeatedly. The button becomes disabled once there are no more non-approved transactions left in the list.
Option B: Use the Send Button
Instead of saving through the dropdown, you can click the Send button directly. This sends the PO or Subcontract straight to the assigned vendor or subcontractor and automatically marks it as Approved, changing its status to Pending.
ℹ️ Note: The Send button is available for Purchase Orders and Subcontracts only. Bills are never sent to vendors.
Step 2. Take Further Action from the Three-Dot Action Menu
Once a PO, SC, or Bill has been created, you can manage it further using the three-dot Action menu, available both next to the transaction in the Purchase Orders and Bills transaction list, and on the transaction’s edit page. Here’s how to perform each action:
👉 Learn more about how to Manage Purchase Orders
To Submit a PO, SC, or Bill for Approval
Find the PO, SC, or Bill in the transaction list, or open its edit page.
Click the three-dot Action menu.
Select Submit for Approval.
The status changes to Awaiting Approval.
To Approve a PO, SC, or Bill
Find the PO, SC, or Bill in the transaction list, or open its edit page.
Click the three-dot Action menu.
Select Approve.
The status changes to Approved. Only users with the Can Approve permission will see this option available to them.
To Send or Resend a PO or Subcontract to the Vendor
Find the approved PO or Subcontract in the transaction list, or open its edit page.
Click the three-dot Action menu.
Select Send (or Resend if it was already sent once).
The vendor or subcontractor receives the PO/SC and can confirm or reject it.
To Reject a PO or Subcontract
Find the PO or Subcontract in the transaction list, or open its edit page.
Click the three-dot Action menu.
Select Reject.
The status changes to Rejected. The transaction remains in the system and can be reviewed or updated if needed.
To Confirm a PO or Subcontract
Find the PO or Subcontract in the transaction list, or open its edit page.
Click the three-dot Action menu.
Select Confirm.
The status changes to Confirmed.
To Revert a PO, SC, or Bill Back to Draft
Find the PO, SC, or Bill in the transaction list, or open its edit page.
Click the three-dot Action menu.
Select Revert to Draft.
The transaction returns to Draft status from whatever status it was previously in.
ℹ️ Note: Reject and Confirm are actions intended for vendors or subcontractors specifically, performed once they receive the PO/SC. Internal users can also perform these actions on the vendor’s behalf from the three-dot Action menu when needed.
ℹ️ Note: Reverting a PO to Draft does not automatically remove its watchers. All existing watchers will still be notified when the status changes. If this isn’t wanted, watchers need to be removed manually.
ℹ️ Note: Bills are never sent to vendors. Once a Bill is approved, internal users record the payment directly; there is no Send step for Bills.
👉 Learn more about how to view and manage Bill statuses
Permissions
A new Can Approve permission has been added under Roles and Permissions for both Purchase Orders and Bills.
Only users with this permission can approve a PO, Subcontract, or Bill.
Users with Edit permission can still send a PO/SC to a vendor, but only after it has been approved. Attempting to send a non-approved PO/SC will return an error.
Recording a payment on a Bill also requires the Can Approve permission, since adding a payment automatically marks the bill as approved in the background. Without this permission, the user will see the error: *“You do not have permission to approve this Bill, so you cannot record a payment for it.”*
In upcoming articles, we’ll explore more features and tools to help you get even more out of Buildern.
Happy Building!