Managing Purchases

The Purchases module allows you to record, track, and manage all your vendor bills and purchase invoices in one centralized location. This guide covers how to navigate the purchase dashboard, create new purchase records, add vendor details, manage payments, and submit invoices for approval.

1. Navigating the Purchases Dashboard

To access your purchase records, navigate to the left-hand sidebar, click on the Purchases dropdown, and select Purchases. The main dashboard provides a complete overview of your purchase history with several tools to help you find specific records.

**[Image: Purchases dashboard showing the main list, pagination, and filter options]**

• Pagination: Use the arrows at the top or bottom of the list to flip through pages. You can change the number of rows displayed per page (10, 25, 50, 100, or All) using the Show dropdown.
• Branch Filter: Use the Branch dropdown to view purchases for a specific location (e.g., Abu Dhabi, Sharjah) or select "All" to view everything.
• Date Filter: Click the calendar icon to filter records by time. You can choose preset options like Yesterday, Last 7 Days, This Month, Financial Year, or apply a Custom Range by selecting specific start and end dates.
• Status Filter: Filter the list to see only "Approved" bills or bills that are currently on "Hold".
• Search Bar: Use the search input to quickly locate a specific bill by typing the purchase number, invoice number, or vendor details.

2. Creating a New Purchase Record

To record a new vendor bill, click the blue + Add New button in the top right corner of the dashboard.

1. Select Branch: Choose the applicable branch from the dropdown menu.
2. Select Vendor (Party A/c): Choose the vendor you are purchasing from.
   • If the vendor is new and not in the list, click + Add New Vendor.
   • Fill in the Company Details (Name, City, Location, Email, Telephone).
   • Add Contact Details (Contact Name, Mobile).
   • Enter Tax Information (TRN No. and TIN No.) if applicable, then click Save.
3. Purchase Account & Currency: Select the relevant purchase account ledger and confirm the currency and exchange rate.
4. Invoice Details: Fill in the supporting details from the physical bill:
   • Date: The date the entry is being created.
   • Order Number & GRN No: Enter the internal order number and Goods Receipt Note number if applicable.
   • Party's Name & Invoice Date: Enter the name as it appears on the bill and the date the vendor issued the invoice.
   • Party's Inv No & Invoice Total: Critically, input the vendor's invoice number and the final total amount shown on their bill.
   • Remark 1: Add any internal notes or references.
   • Tax Billing: Keep this checked if VAT or taxes apply to this purchase.

**[Image: Top section of the new purchase form detailing vendor and invoice data]**

3. Adding Products to the Purchase

Once the header details are filled, move to the Product tab to line-item the bill.

1. Scan or Search: You can either scan a barcode directly into the Barcode field or type the product name into the Name field to search the database.
2. Enter Quantities and Pricing: Input the purchased Qty (Quantity) and the unit Cost.
3. Set Selling Price & Discounts: Define the S.Price (Selling Price). If the vendor provided a specific discount for this item, enter it under Sp.Disc % or Sp.Disc Amt.
4. Apply Tax: Ensure the correct VAT (%) is applied. The system will automatically calculate the Tax Amount, Net Amount, and Margin %.
5. Save Item: Click the green Checkmark (✓) icon on the right side of the row to save the item to the purchase list. Repeat this process for all items on the invoice.

4. Adjustments, Payments, and Settings Tabs

Use the additional tabs to fine-tune the accounting and record the payment method.

The Adjustment Tab

If you need to make ledger-level adjustments (like rounding off, applying a global discount, or factoring in purchase returns):

• Select whether to Add or Less the value.
• Choose the appropriate ledger account (e.g., VAT on Purchase, Discount in Sales).
• Provide a brief Narration (reason) and enter the Amount. Click the green checkmark to apply.

The Payments Tab

To record how this bill was settled:

• Select the Mode of Payment (Cash, Cheque, Credit Card, CAREEM, etc.).
• If paying by Cheque, fill in the specific details: Cheque No, Date, Bank/Cash Account, and Expiry/Clearance Date.
• Enter the exact Amount paid and click the green checkmark to save the payment record.

**[Image: Payments tab showing cash and cheque entry fields]**

The Settings Tab

The Settings tab provides toggle switches to customize the columns and behaviors visible in the Product entry grid. For example, you can turn on/off options like "margin_percentage", "update_sale_price_with_tax", or "show_brand_name_in_product_search" based on your daily workflow needs.

5. Saving, Editing, and Approvals

Saving the Invoice: Once all tabs are completed and totals match, click the blue Save button at the bottom of the screen. A green notification will confirm "Purchase Updated Successfully".

Editing an Existing Purchase:

1. From the main Purchases dashboard, double-click on any record to open its details view.
2. Click the Edit button in the top right corner.
3. Make your necessary changes across the tabs and click Update at the bottom.

Adding Attachments and Notes: When viewing an invoice's details, you can navigate to the Notes & History tab to log internal comments. More importantly, use the Attachments tab to drag and drop or upload scanned copies/photos of the physical vendor bill for digital record-keeping.

**[Image: Attachments tab showing the drag and drop area for uploading digital bills]**

The Approval Workflow

By default, newly entered purchases are saved in a "Hold" status. If you are operating under a cashier or standard user account, you must request management review:

• Open the saved purchase details.
• Click the Submit for Approval button in the top right corner.
• This alerts administrator accounts to review the transaction. Once an admin reviews and approves the document, its status on the main dashboard will update from "Hold" to "Approved", officially committing the financial entry.