Purchase order and goods received tracker

What the purchase order and goods received tracker does

A purchase that is ordered, delivered and invoiced should agree at every step. This tracker lists each purchase order with the supplier, item, quantity and cost, records the quantity received and whether the supplier's invoice has been matched, and shows the status, the quantity and value still outstanding and the orders that need attention.

Who it is for

Shop owners, stores clerks, accountants and procurement staff who order goods and want to stop paying for things that never arrived or paying twice.

How to use the workbook

1. Enter each purchase order with its number, date, supplier, item, quantity and unit cost.
2. When goods arrive, type the quantity received.
3. When the supplier invoice arrives and agrees, mark it matched.
4. Chase the orders marked Open or Partial and pay only matched invoices.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Order value worked out
• Quantity and value outstanding
• Status: open, partial or received
• Invoice matched yes or no
• Totals for open orders

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Orders, Summary. The main table has the columns PO no.; Date; Supplier; Item; Qty ordered; Unit cost; Order value; Qty received. Yellow cells are for you to fill in and grey cells calculate by themselves, so leave the grey cells alone. The example rows show how it works; type over them with your own entries.

Tips for getting it right

• Check goods against the delivery note when they arrive.
• Do not pay an invoice that is not matched to a purchase order and receipt.
• Chase late deliveries before they hold up sales.
• Keep the order, delivery note and invoice together.

Why keep this record

Accounting records let you answer three questions at any time: what came in, what went out and who owes whom. Kept consistently they also make tax returns, loan applications and the sale of a business much easier, because the evidence is already organised. Entering transactions the day they happen is far cheaper than reconstructing them at year end.

Questions people ask

Do I need to know Excel formulas? No. Type into the yellow cells and the rest is worked out for you. The formulas are visible if you want to see how a figure is reached.

Can I add rows or change the layout? You can add your own columns to the right and your own notes. If you insert rows inside a table, copy the grey formula cells down so the new rows calculate too.

Will it work on my phone or in Google Sheets? Yes for viewing and typing, but dropdown lists and the charts look best in desktop Excel or LibreOffice.

Keeping it safe and up to date

Good accounting records are a legal duty as well as a management tool: keep the supporting receipts and invoices with the workbook, and keep each year's copy for at least five years. Work on a copy, never on your only file, and back it up.

Read how to keep business records for KRA for the wider picture. See more accounting templates or ask us for a custom one.

The workbook works in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets. It is a tool to help you work out and record figures, not tax, legal or accounting advice, and it is not affiliated with the Kenya Revenue Authority. If something does not work as described, contact us and we will put it right.

Related guides, calculators and templates

• Guide: How to keep business records for KRA: what to save and for how long
• Guide: Bank reconciliation step by step: match your books to your bank
• Guide: Fixed assets and capital allowances explained for small businesses
• Another template: Balance sheet template
• Another template: Bank reconciliation statement
• Another template: Chart of accounts and general ledger

Need something different? Request a custom template, browse all guides or see every Excel template.