The order said zinc plated, the quote said powder coated
The purchase order arrives as a PDF. The office keys it into the job system: part numbers, quantities, prices, delivery date. The job goes to the laser. Three weeks later the customer's goods in rejects the parts: their PO said zinc plated, you powder coated them to match the quote. Or the PO price was from last year's quote, and the invoice is now disputed. Or the revision on the PO was newer than the drawing you cut from.
In each case, the difference was on the PO from the start. Nobody compared it line by line.
Why PO errors slip through
Customers' buying systems generate POs from their own records, which are often out of date: an old price, an old revision, a finish from a previous supplier. The PO looks official, so it gets entered as it is. Checking every line against the quote is tedious, so it is skipped when the office is busy.
- POs are keyed in rather than compared with quotes.
- Customer part numbers do not always match your records.
- Prices, revisions and finishes on the PO are not checked.
- Quantities that differ from the quoted breaks are not flagged.
- Delivery dates are accepted without checking capacity.
What mismatched orders cost
Parts made to the wrong spec and remade. Invoices disputed and paid late. Margins lost when an old price is accepted. And delivery promises made without checking, which then have to be walked back.
The order checking we build
- POs arriving by email are read automatically: customer, PO number, lines, part numbers, revisions, descriptions, quantities, prices, finish notes and dates.
- Each line is matched to the quote and to your parts library by customer part number, description and price.
- Differences are highlighted: price, revision, material or thickness, finish, quantity break and delivery date.
- Someone reviews the differences, and either accepts them, updates the job, or sends a query to the customer from the tool with the differences listed.
- Only when every line is resolved does the job get created in your system, with the PO references stored for invoicing.
- An acknowledgement confirming the agreed details can be sent to the customer.
| Difference found | Typical action |
|---|---|
| Price differs from quote | Query or accept with a note |
| Newer revision on PO | Request the drawing before cutting |
| Different finish | Confirm with the customer |
| Quantity outside quoted breaks | Reprice or confirm |
| Delivery date shorter than lead time | Check capacity and reply |
What changes at order entry
Differences are found on day one, when a quick email to the customer sorts them out, rather than at dispatch or on the invoice. Orders are entered without retyping. Acknowledgements confirm exactly what you are making, which gives you something to point to if there is a dispute later. And invoices match the PO, so they get paid.
Patterns appear over time. If one customer's buying system keeps sending last year's prices, or always drops the finish from the order, you can raise it with their buyer with examples in hand. Many of these problems are fixed once at the customer's end, rather than caught every time at yours.
Sales can use the same checks. An order that arrives against a quote you do not recognise, or for a part you have never made, is flagged, which protects you from accepting work that was priced by someone else.
Do customer POs catch you out?
- POs are keyed in without checking against the quote.
- Parts have been made to the wrong finish or revision.
- Invoices are disputed over prices.
- Old prices have been accepted by mistake.
- Delivery dates on POs are accepted without checking.