Purchase
Purchase order status workflow
What draft, pending, approved and completed each mean for a purchase order, what you can edit at each stage, and when it converts into a bill.
Updated 12 September 2026
A purchase order moves through four stages: Draft, Pending, Approved, Completed. Each stage controls what you can change and what you can do next. If a button is missing, check the order’s status first. The status is almost always the reason; it is rarely a fault.
Draft
The order has been created but not submitted.
- It stays fully editable.
- It is not in the approval queue.
- You can change the supplier, items and pricing.
Use Draft while you are still agreeing the order with the supplier.
Pending
The order has been submitted and is waiting for approval.
- Normal editing is closed.
- Only authorised users can review and verify it.
- The approval action appears for users whose role allows it.
Approved
The order has been verified and approved.
- It is locked from editing.
- It can now be converted into a purchase bill.
- Duplicate and void may be available, depending on permissions.
Completed
The order is finished.
- It is out of the active workflow.
- It stays available for reference and reporting.
- The related purchase bill and transactions are final.
Converting to a purchase bill
Once an order is Approved, you can convert it into a purchase bill. The bill copies the supplier and product details from the order, so you do not type them again. Financial and inventory processing starts from there. Usually you first receive the goods with a goods received note, then create the bill from that note.
The rules in one place
- Only Draft orders can be fully edited.
- Only Pending orders can be approved.
- Only Approved orders can be converted into purchase bills.
- Role permissions control status changes.
- Every status change is recorded for tracking and audit.
Skipping the pending stage
Smaller businesses often do not want a separate approval step. To remove the pending stage for purchase orders and other document types, go to Configuration, then Inventory configuration, then Inventory validation settings. A submitted order then moves straight on. This is faster, but nobody checks the order first, so an unchecked order can become a payable (an amount you owe).