Creating a Blanket Order

Blanket Orders allow Buyers to purchase goods and services without the need to raise a new Purchase Order each time. For example, staff out in the field may pickup items from the store and provide the Blanket Order number as authorization. The Supplier then invoices against the Blanket Order.

Blanket Orders can also be used for services where the exact amount of the service is not known up front. For example the total cost of mechanical repairs will not be known until the work is complete. In this scenario a Blanket Order can be raised for an estimated amount which authorizes the Supplier to complete the work. The Supplier then invoices the actual amount against the Blanket Order.

Blanket Orders must be enabled for your Community.

Create a Blanket Order

Once enabled, Users with the Create Blanket Order role can create Blanket Orders by selecting Blanket Order from the Create button in the top right of the Marketplace dashboard or on any selected supplier.

The Order Details will need to be completed. The fields included are as follows:

• Description: The name of the Blanket Order.
• Details: Details of the products or services are optional.
• Supplier: The Supplier you would like to create a Blanket Order for (Community Administrators can disable/enable Blanket Orders for individual Suppliers. Only Suppliers that have this enabled will appear).
• Amount: The maximum amount you would like approved for the goods or services. You can choose to withhold this from the Supplier and set up an Alert Amount if you want the system to send you an alert when this amount is reached from the Notifications section further down the page
• Valid From: The date the Order becomes effective.
• Valid To: The date the Blanket Order closes and users will no longer be able to draw down on it. An Alert Date can also be set in the Notifications section.
• Default Account Code: The default Account Code all Release Orders will use - this can be split between multiple account codes if Split Account Codes are enabled for your community.
• Allow Release Order Coding: If checked, Release Orders can use different account codes than the one entered here.
• Billing and Shipping Locations: Where the Order is billed to and shipped to.
• Available To: You can choose which users can draw down and approve invoices on the blanket order.

You can set an array of notification settings for the Blanket Order described below:

• Send to Supplier: Click to send the Supplier an email notification when the Blanket Order is Approved. When uncheck they will still be able to find the order through the Supplier Portal.
• Hide Amount from Supplier: If this checkbox is checked the Supplier will be unable to see the amount of the Blanket Order or the Funds Remaining.
• Alert Amount: When the funds on the Blanket Order go below this amount an Alert will be sent to the Buyer.
• Alert Date: If you set an Alert Date a notification is sent to the Buyer at this date to remind them of the Expiry Date of the Blanket Order. If you leave this blank no notification is sent regarding the expiry.
  

Once finished click Create at the bottom of the page and the Blanket Order will be sent for approval using your standard approval work-flow. The resulting Blanket Order can be viewed on the View Orders page (you can narrow the results by selecting the filter Order Type: Blanket).

Save Option for a Blanket Order

Since a high amount of information is required when creating a Blanket Order, you can save your work as needed. Saved Blanket Orders can be completed later from the View Requisitions screen and will also generate an Incomplete Requisition task.

For more on blanket orders see Blanket Orders.