Purchase requirement to material received
Get the right material, in the right quantity, before production needs it, at the rate you agreed.
01
What starts this process
A requirement should be raised by stores or planning, not discovered by the line. One of these three things should trigger it.
- StoresStock falls below the reorder levelSet for each regular item, based on daily use and supplier lead time.
- Sales or planningA new order needs material you do not holdRaised the day the order is confirmed, not when production starts.
- PlanningNext week's plan needs more than you haveChecked every Friday against the following week's plan.
02
What should happen, step by step
Step 6 of 9 · SupplierSupplier confirms the dateAsk for the delivery date in writing, even a WhatsApp reply. Record it where stores and planning can see it.Done when: Confirmed date is in the shared tracker.
Where this usually breaksThe date is agreed on a call and only one person remembers it.
03
Where it usually breaks
- Step 2Stock in the system is wrongYou notice: You order something that is already on the shelf, or miss something that is not.Fix: Count the top 20 items weekly and enter issues the same day.
- Step 3Approvals wait for one personYou notice: POs sit for two or three days before anyone sends them.Fix: Pre-approve regular items up to an agreed amount.
- Step 6Delivery date is not written downYou notice: Stores and planning find out about a delay when the truck does not come.Fix: Ask for every date on WhatsApp and copy it into one tracker.
- Step 7No reminder before the due dateYou notice: The first follow-up call is after the material is already late.Fix: A reminder three days before, and a call on the due date.
- Step 8Material waits at the gateYou notice: The truck is unloaded but the line cannot use the material yet.Fix: Fixed inspection slots twice a day and a same-day GRN.
04
What the purchase person should check
Tick what you already do0/7
Every morning
Every week
05
What the owner should know
You do not need to approve every PO. Ask these five questions every Monday, and know what a good answer sounds like.
- Which materials could stop a line this week?Good answer: A short list with dates, already shared with planning.
- Which POs are past due, and what has been done?Good answer: Each one has a new date from the supplier and an escalation note.
- Which suppliers were late more than once this month?Good answer: Names, with what was agreed to fix it.
- Did we pay more than the agreed rate anywhere?Good answer: Either no, or a list of differences being resolved.
- What is waiting for my approval right now?Good answer: Only items above the agreed limit or from new suppliers.
06
The numbers that matter
- Supplier on-time rateDeliveries on or before confirmed date ÷ all deliveriesShows which suppliers need a second source.Aim forAbove 90%
- Requirement to PO timePO date minus requirement dateLong gaps usually mean approvals are stuck.Aim for2 days or less
- Open POs past dueCount of POs past confirmed date, not receivedThis is your list for today's follow-up.Aim forZero for critical items
- Days of coverStock on hand ÷ average daily useIf it is below lead time and nothing is on order, you are already late.Aim forMore than lead time
07
Template, checklist and tool
- CalculatorMaterial Shortage Risk CheckEnter stock, use and the next delivery. Get the shortage date and what to do today.Use calculator
- Excel and Sheets templateOpen Purchase Order TrackerOne row per requirement, from request to receipt. Promised date, follow-ups and actual date.Get the template
- PlannerSupplier Follow-up PlannerWhich supplier to call today and what to ask, ordered by days of cover.Open the planner
08
Related problems
Does your business handle this differently?Tell us what you do that is not on this page. We use it to improve the guide.
Tell us how09How lamp could help
lamp can handle the follow-up in steps 2, 6, 7 and 9.
- Step 2Check stock and open POs before anyone raises a new order.
- Step 6Ask suppliers to confirm dates on WhatsApp and record the replies.
- Step 7Send reminders before the due date and tell planning if a date slips.
- Step 9Match bills against the PO and GRN, and flag differences.