| name | odoo-purchase-workflow |
| description | Expert guide for Odoo Purchase: RFQ → PO → Receipt → Vendor Bill workflow, purchase agreements, vendor price lists, and 3-way matching. |
Odoo Purchase Workflow
Overview
This skill guides you through the complete Odoo Purchase workflow — from sending a Request for Quotation (RFQ) to receiving goods and matching the vendor bill. It also covers purchase agreements, vendor price lists on products, automated reordering, and 3-way matching controls.
When to Use This Skill
- Setting up the purchase flow for a new Odoo instance.
- Implementing purchase order approval workflows (2-level approval).
- Configuring vendor price lists with quantity-based discounts.
- Troubleshooting billing/receipt mismatches in 3-way matching.
How It Works
- Activate: Mention
@odoo-purchase-workflow and describe your purchasing scenario.
- Configure: Receive exact Odoo menu paths and field-by-field configuration.
- Troubleshoot: Describe a billing or receiving issue and get a root cause diagnosis.
Examples
Example 1: Standard RFQ → PO → Receipt → Bill Flow
Step 1: Create RFQ
Menu: Purchase → Orders → Requests for Quotation → New
Vendor: Acme Supplies
Add product lines with quantity and unit price
Step 2: Send RFQ to Vendor
Click "Send by Email" → Vendor receives PDF with RFQ details
Step 3: Confirm as Purchase Order
Click "Confirm Order" → Status changes to "Purchase Order"
Step 4: Receive Goods
Click "Receive Products" → Validate received quantities
(partial receipts are supported; PO stays open for remaining qty)
Step 5: Match Vendor Bill (3-Way Match)
Click "Create Bill" → Bill pre-filled from PO quantities
Verify: PO qty = Received qty = Billed qty
Post Bill → Register Payment
Example 2: Enable 2-Level Purchase Approval
Menu: Purchase → Configuration → Settings
Purchase Order Approval:
☑ Purchase Order Approval
Minimum Order Amount: $5,000
Result:
Orders ≤ $5,000 → Confirm directly to PO
Orders > $5,000 → Status: "Waiting for Approval"
A purchase manager must click "Approve"
Example 3: Vendor Price List (Quantity Breaks on a Product)
Vendor price lists are configured per product, not as a global menu.
Menu: Inventory → Products → [Select Product] → Purchase Tab
→ Vendor Pricelist section → Add a line
Vendor: Acme Supplies
Currency: USD
Price: $12.00
Min. Qty: 1
Add another line for quantity discount:
Min. Qty: 100 → Price: $10.50 (12.5% discount)
Min. Qty: 500 → Price: $9.00 (25% discount)
Result: Odoo automatically selects the right price on a PO
based on the ordered quantity for this vendor.
Best Practices
- ✅ Do: Enable Purchase Order Approval for orders above your company's approval threshold.
- ✅ Do: Use Purchase Agreements (Blanket Orders) for recurring vendors with pre-negotiated annual contracts.
- ✅ Do: Set a vendor lead time on products (Purchase tab) so Odoo can schedule arrival dates accurately.
- ✅ Do: Set the Bill Control policy to "Based on received quantities" (not ordered qty) for accurate 3-way matching.
- ❌ Don't: Confirm a PO before prices are agreed — use Draft/RFQ status to negotiate first.
- ❌ Don't: Post a vendor bill without linking it to a receipt — bypassing 3-way matching creates accounting discrepancies.
- ❌ Don't: Delete a PO that has received quantities — archive it instead to preserve the stock and accounting trail.
Limitations
- Does not cover subcontracting purchase flows — those require the Manufacturing module and subcontracting BoM type.
- EDI-based order exchange (automated PO import/export) requires custom integration — use
@odoo-edi-connector for that.
- Vendor pricelist currency conversion depends on the active currency rate in Odoo; rates must be kept current for accuracy.
- The 2-level approval is a binary threshold; more complex approval matrices (department-based, multi-tier) require custom development or the Approvals app.
