A purchase order (PO) is a buyer-generated document that authorizes a purchase and outlines the items or services being purchased, quantities, prices, discounts, payment terms, shipment or performance dates and other conditions. It becomes a binding agreement once accepted by the seller. 

Generally, a purchase order should be used when products or services are not available through Show-Me-Shop, cannot be purchased with a One Card and the price exceeds $5,000. 

Within the University鈥檚 financial systems, purchase orders go through an approval process that matches the purchase order to the supplier鈥檚 invoice and, if applicable, a receipt of goods or services. This process creates a PO voucher, which validates the transaction and enables payment to the supplier.

PO Voucher Process

The PO voucher process ensures that purchases are properly approved, documented and paid by matching what was ordered, billed and received:

  1. Create a requisition
    • A staff member in the requesting department creates a requisition in PeopleSoft. This is a detailed list of the items or services they want to purchase, including descriptions, quantities, and prices.
  2. Approval and budget check
    • The requisition is sent to one or more approvers for review.
    • After approval, it goes through a budget check (either during the day or nightly scheduled process).
  3. Select a supplier (sourcing)
    • Procurement uses the requisition to select the supplier(s) who will provide the requested items or services.
  4. Create the purchase order (PO)
    • A purchase order is generated with a unique PO number.
    • The PO goes through an additional approval and a second budget check.
  5. Dispatch the PO to the supplier
    • Once approved, the PO is sent to the supplier so the order can be fulfilled, delivered and invoiced.
  6. Receive goods or services (optional)
    • The department may create a receipt in PeopleSoft to confirm that items ordered were received.
  7. Submit the PO invoice
  8. Create a PO voucher
    • Shared Services creates the PO voucher to match:
      • PO (what was ordered)
      • PO Invoice (what was billed)
      • Receipt (what was received, if applicable)
    • The voucher then goes through a daily or nightly process to verify the match.
  9. Supplier payment
    • If the match is successful:
      • Suppliers paid by ACH are paid nightly based on negotiated pay terms and should receive funds within 2-3 business days.
      • Suppliers paid by check are paid weekly on Tuesdays based on negotiated pay terms.
Creek running through Capen Park

Training & Support

Shared Services provides a variety of training resources to support faculty and staff, including self-paced guides and instructor-led workshops covering purchase order (PO) and Non-PO vouchers, travel and expense reporting and supplier management. Whether you're a first-time user or need a refresher, explore training options to get the most out of the University鈥檚 tools and systems.

Explore Training & Support