> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ombamanual.ombaerp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Purchasing in OMBA: orders, receipts, and supplier costs

> Raise purchase orders, receive goods, record supplier invoices, track pricing history, process transporter claims, and keep product costs current.

The Purchasing module covers the full procurement cycle from order placement to stock receipt. When you receive goods, OMBA automatically updates the relevant inventory location, applies landed costs including VAT and levies, and posts the transaction to the general ledger. The module also provides tools for tracking what suppliers have charged over time and for managing transport costs associated with deliveries.

## Purchase orders

Navigate to **Purchases > Purchase Order** to create and manage purchase orders.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a new purchase order">
    Click **Add New** in the Purchase Order screen. The form panel slides open with all required fields enabled.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the order header">
    Enter the **date** and an **order number**. Then select the **depot** (the originating depot for the order), the **transporter** (carrier responsible for delivery), the **driver**, the **vehicle**, the **supplier** (referred to as BDC — Bulk Distribution Company for fuel-related businesses), and the **destination**. Optional flags let you mark whether the price includes taxes and levies, or whether this is a cell-site order.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add products to the order">
    In the **Product Build** panel, select the product, enter the **unit price**, and specify the **weight before** and **weight after** loading (for bulk products, the net volume calculates automatically from the weight difference). Enter the **total volume** directly if weight dipping is not applicable. OMBA adds the product line to the order grid.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Allocate to clients (optional)">
    If the order is being fulfilled on behalf of specific clients, use the **Client Allocation** panel to select each client and enter the volume allocated to them. This builds a breakdown grid that carries through to the goods receipt.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the order">
    Click **Save Order** to record the PO. You can retrieve any existing PO later by entering its number in the search bar and clicking **Search**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  To load an existing PO for review or amendment, enter the PO number in the search field on the Purchase Order screen and click **Search**.
</Tip>

## Goods receipt (goods-in)

Navigate to **Purchases > Goods Receipt** to record the physical arrival of goods against a purchase order.

Fill in the **date**, **waybill number**, **destination location**, and **supplier**. If the delivery involved a transporter, you can also capture the **depot**, **transporter**, **driver**, and **vehicle** to match the PO details.

Configure the tax treatment for this receipt:

* **VAT inclusive** — toggle on if the supplier price already includes VAT, then enter the **VAT %** rate.
* **Levies %** — enter the combined levy rate (e.g. NHIL + GHF + COVID levies) that applies to this product type.

Add each product line by selecting the **product**, entering the **quantity**, **pack size**, **unit price**, and an optional **expiry date**, then click **Add To List**. The grid shows each line with its price, other levies, VAT, and total cost calculated. Totals are summarised in the footer row.

You can upload a PDF attachment (such as the supplier's delivery note or invoice) before processing. Once ready, click **Process Data** to post the receipt. OMBA credits the supplier account, debits the inventory account at the destination location, and updates stock quantities immediately.

<Note>
  Any client allocations recorded on the originating PO are visible in the goods receipt screen. You can set the ex-pump price for each allocated client before posting.
</Note>

## Expense recording (purchase invoices)

Navigate to **Purchases > Expense Recording** to capture supplier invoices and other purchase-related costs that are not inventory receipts.

Each expense entry requires:

| Field           | Description                          |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Date            | Invoice or transaction date          |
| Due date        | Payment due date                     |
| Invoice #       | Supplier's invoice reference number  |
| Supplier        | Supplier account                     |
| Expense account | G.L. expense account to debit        |
| Description     | Narrative describing the expense     |
| Total amount    | Gross invoice amount                 |
| Withheld amount | Any withholding tax deducted         |
| VAT amount      | VAT portion                          |
| Levies amount   | Any applicable levies                |
| Net amount      | Calculated net payable (auto-filled) |

Click **Add To List** to stage the line. You can add multiple lines under a single voucher before posting. A totals row at the bottom of the grid accumulates all staged amounts. You can upload a PDF attachment for the invoice. Click **Process** to post the expense voucher to the ledger.

## Supplier price history

Navigate to **Purchases > Supplier Price History** to review what suppliers have charged for each product over time.

Set a **From** and **To** date range and click **Load**. The results grid groups pricing records by product so you can see the price progression for each item across multiple deliveries. The grid supports export to CSV, Excel, PDF, or Word.

## Transport claims

Navigate to **Purchases > Transporter Claims** to review delivery claims and calculate transport dues.

Select a **month/year** period and click **Search** to load all deliveries for that period. The grid shows each delivery with columns for date, order number, transporter, supplier, invoice number, client, destination, depot, location, product, rate, volume, distance (in km), and the amount due.

You can edit the **rate** and **distance** for any delivery line directly in the grid before processing. Set the **tanker owners subscription %** to apply a deduction for tanker owner association levies. Click **Process** to finalise the claims for the period.

<Info>
  Transport claim rates are tied to item type and route distance. When you update a rate, set an effective date so OMBA can correctly apply historical versus new rates across the reporting period.
</Info>

## Product pricing update

After receiving goods, you may need to update selling prices to reflect the new landed cost. Use **Purchases > Product Pricing Update** to apply price changes to products following a goods receipt. This keeps your selling prices aligned with the actual cost of the stock on hand.

## BDC pricing and invoices

For organisations operating in fuel distribution, OMBA includes dedicated screens for **BDC Pricing** (upstream bulk distributor price management) and **BDC Invoices** (processing invoices from the bulk distributor). These tools follow the same workflow as expense recording but are scoped specifically to BDC transactions and include fields relevant to fuel distribution such as ex-refinery pricing.