Purchase Numbering Rules

Purchase Numbering Rules

Purchase numbering is a crucial aspect of professional procurement management. EquiBillBook provides flexible numbering options for purchase documents, including custom prefixes, automatic sequencing, and branch-specific or supplier-specific numbering.

Understanding Purchase Numbering

Purchase document numbers serve several important purposes:

• Unique identification of each purchase document
• Sequential tracking of purchase transactions
• Professional appearance for supplier communication
• Compliance with accounting and audit standards
• Easy reference and search capabilities
• Traceability of purchase orders, quotations, and bills

Purchase Document Types

EquiBillBook supports numbering for various purchase document types:

• Purchase Bill: Numbering for purchase invoices/bills
• Purchase Order: Numbering for purchase orders placed with suppliers
• Purchase Quotation: Numbering for purchase quotations requested from suppliers
• Purchase Return: Numbering for purchase return documents

Purchase Number Format

Purchase numbers in EquiBillBook typically consist of:

• Prefix: Optional text/numbers before the sequence number (e.g., PUR, PO, PURCHASE)
• Sequence Number: Auto-incrementing number (e.g., 0001, 0002, 1001)
• Suffix: Optional text/numbers after the sequence (less common)

Example formats:

• PUR-0001
• PO-2024-001
• PURCHASE-0001
• PUR/24/0001
• PB-0001 (for Purchase Bill)
• PQ-0001 (for Purchase Quotation)

Configuring Purchase Numbering

To set up purchase numbering rules:

1. Navigate to Settings → Other Settings → Prefix Settings
2. Select the purchase document type you want to configure (Purchase, Purchase Order, Purchase Quotation)
3. Click "Add New" to create a new prefix rule or "Edit" to modify existing rules
4. Configure the following settings:
• Prefix: Enter the text prefix (e.g., PUR, PO, PB)
• Number of Digits: Set the number of digits for the sequence (e.g., 4 digits = 0001, 5 digits = 00001)
• Starting Number: Set the initial counter value
• Branch/Supplier Assignment: Assign the prefix to specific branches or suppliers
5. Click "Save" to apply the settings

Prefix Options

You can use various prefix formats for purchase documents:

• Simple prefix: PUR, PO, PB, PQ (Purchase Quotation)
• Year-based: PUR-2024, PO/24, PB-2024
• Month-based: PUR-2024-01 (for January)
• Branch-based: BR1-PUR, MAIN-PO, WAREHOUSE-PUR
• Supplier-based: Assign specific prefixes per supplier
• Document type-based: PB (Purchase Bill), PO (Purchase Order), PQ (Purchase Quotation)
• Custom format: Any combination that suits your business

Supplier-Specific Numbering

EquiBillBook supports supplier-specific numbering:

• You can assign different prefixes to different suppliers
• Each supplier can have their own numbering sequence
• Useful for businesses that want supplier-specific tracking
• System falls back to branch-level numbering if supplier prefix is not set
• Configure supplier prefix in supplier settings or branch settings

Automatic Numbering

EquiBillBook can automatically generate purchase numbers:

• Auto-increment: Each new purchase document gets the next sequential number
• Gap prevention: System ensures no duplicate numbers
• Year reset: Optional reset of sequence at the start of each year
• Month reset: Optional reset of sequence each month
• Document type separation: Separate sequences for purchase bills, orders, and quotations

Starting Number Configuration

Set your starting purchase number:

• Starting fresh: Usually begin with 1 or 1001
• Migrating from another system: Set to continue from your previous system's last number
• For new year: Reset to 1 or continue from last year's sequence
• Business requirement: Some businesses start from 1000 or 10000 for professional appearance

Multi-Branch Numbering

For businesses with multiple branches:

• Each branch can have its own prefix (e.g., BR1-PUR, BR2-PUR)
• Separate numbering sequences per branch
• Branch-specific numbering settings
• Unified reporting while maintaining separate sequences
• Prevents numbering conflicts across branches

Number of Digits Configuration

Configure how many digits to use for the sequence number:

• 4 digits: 0001, 0002, ..., 9999 (most common)
• 5 digits: 00001, 00002, ..., 99999 (for high-volume businesses)
• 6 digits: 000001, 000002, ..., 999999 (for very high volume)
• Choose based on your expected transaction volume
• More digits provide room for growth but may look less professional if not needed

Manual Purchase Numbers

Some businesses prefer manual purchase numbers:

• You can enter purchase numbers manually when creating documents
• System will validate for duplicates
• Useful for custom numbering schemes or external reference numbers
• Requires careful management to avoid duplicates
• Not recommended for regular use as it may lead to numbering conflicts

Document-Specific Numbering

Each purchase document type can have its own numbering scheme:

Purchase Bill Numbering

• Prefix type: "Purchase"
• Common prefixes: PUR, PB, PURCHASE, PINV
• Example: PUR-0001, PB-2024-001
• Used when goods are received and invoice is created

Purchase Order Numbering

• Prefix type: "Purchase Order"
• Common prefixes: PO, PORD, PUR-ORD
• Example: PO-0001, PORD-2024-001
• Used when placing orders with suppliers

Purchase Quotation Numbering

• Prefix type: "Purchase Quotation"
• Common prefixes: PQ, PQUOT, PUR-QT
• Example: PQ-0001, PQUOT-2024-001
• Used when requesting quotations from suppliers

Best Practices for Purchase Numbering

• Use meaningful prefixes: Choose prefixes that are easily recognizable
• Maintain consistency: Use consistent numbering across all purchase document types
• Plan for growth: Use sufficient digits to handle future volume
• Separate by document type: Use different prefixes for bills, orders, and quotations
• Document your numbering scheme: Keep a record of your numbering rules
• Avoid frequent changes: Changing numbering frequently can cause confusion
• Use year prefixes for long-term tracking: Helps in organizing purchase documents by year

Common Numbering Scenarios

Small Business

• Simple prefix: PUR-0001, PUR-0002
• 4-digit sequence
• Single branch
• Year-based optional: PUR-2024-0001

Multi-Branch Business

• Branch-specific: BR1-PUR-0001, BR2-PUR-0001
• 4 or 5-digit sequence per branch
• Separate sequences for each branch
• Unified reporting with branch identification

High-Volume Business

• 5 or 6-digit sequence: PUR-00001
• Year-based prefixes: PUR-2024-00001
• Document type separation: PB-00001, PO-00001
• Supplier-specific prefixes if needed

Resetting Purchase Numbers

If you need to reset purchase numbering:

• For new financial year: Create a new prefix with year suffix and reset counter
• For new branch: Create branch-specific prefix with new counter
• For new supplier: Assign supplier-specific prefix
• Important: Never delete old prefixes as they maintain historical numbering
• Use new prefixes instead of modifying existing ones

Troubleshooting

Duplicate numbers appearing?

• Check if multiple prefixes are active for the same document type
• Verify branch and supplier prefix assignments
• Ensure prefix settings are properly saved
• Check if manual numbers are conflicting with auto-generated ones

Numbers not incrementing?

• Verify that prefix is active and not deleted
• Check branch/supplier prefix assignments
• Ensure proper prefix type is selected (Purchase, Purchase Order, etc.)
• Contact support if counter is not updating

Wrong prefix being used?

• Check supplier-specific prefix settings
• Verify branch prefix assignments
• Ensure correct prefix is assigned to the branch or supplier
• Check prefix priority order (supplier > branch > default)

What's Next?

After configuring purchase numbering, you should:

1. Test the numbering by creating sample purchase documents
2. Verify numbering works correctly for all document types
3. Train your team on the numbering scheme
4. Document the numbering rules for future reference
5. Configure other purchase settings like approval and tax settings

Proper purchase numbering is essential for efficient procurement management and helps maintain professional documentation with your suppliers.