Overview
When a Purchase Request is created in Limble, it goes through a mandatory approval process. After a Purchase Request is approved, it automatically becomes a Purchase Order (PO). This streamlines the entire purchasing flow by removing the need to create a separate PO.
The Purchase approval process has four major components:
Purchase Request Notifications
When a technician submits a Purchase Request, the person designated as the approver in the Purchasing Budget gets a notification (learn how to designate approvers). The approver can open the PO from the email link or push notification that is automatically sent to them.
The approver can also view the request in the POs tab by going to Purchasing > POs in the left navigation column. This tab shows all Purchase Requests and POs and their status (e.g., “Setup – Requested” or “Closed”).
Status meanings
Setup: A PO has been created and is in the initial setup stages.
Setup – Requested: A Limble user has submitted a Purchase Request that needs approval.
Ready to Receive: A Purchase Request or PO has been approved and sent to the Vendor.
Partially Received: The PO has been partially fulfilled and you are waiting on the remaining parts or services.
Fully Received – Pending Payment: All items on the PO have been received and the PO has now become a Bill.
Closed: Payment has been sent to the vendor and the PO / Bill has been marked as paid.
Closed – Disapproved: Applies only to Purchase Requests. This status appears when a Purchase Request has been disapproved.
When the approver receives a notification and opens the request, they can see who submitted it, the reason for the request, and the associated task. (See the red rectangle in the image below.)
Disapproving a Purchase Request
If the Purchase Request is not approved (e.g., it’s not in the budget for this month or it’s too expensive, etc.), the approver can click on the red “Disapprove Purchase Request” button.
Clicking on the “Disapprove Purchase Request” button will require the approver to document why the request is disapproved.
The approver can set a reminder to review the request at a later time. This is commonly used when additional funds will be available in the budget at a future date.
Once a Purchase Request is disapproved, the status changes to “Closed – Request Disapproved.” A notification will be sent to the requester letting them know why the Purchase Request was disapproved. The requester can also see the reason why it was disapproved in the associated Task.
Reopening a Disapproved Purchase Request
If circumstances change, or a purchase is deemed critical, a Purchase Request can be reopened. This can be done by opening the Purchase Request and selecting the green “Reopen Purchase Request” button.
In the pop-up card, the requester will be required to document why the Purchase Request was reopened. This changes the Request status back to “Setup - Requested.”
The approver will receive a notification that the Purchase Request was reopened, and will have the option to approve it, or disapprove it again.
Approving a Purchase Request
Once the decision to approve a Purchase Request is made, the approver can make edits to the Request (e.g., adding a Vendor or completing blank fields), after which they can click on “Start Next Step: Ready to Receive.”
Once a Purchase Request is approved, it automatically becomes a PO and moves into a “Ready to Receive” phase. At this stage, the approver can generate a PDF of the PO and email it directly to the Vendor.
