Connected record path
From purchase order to receiving
Buying creates an obligation before it creates a delivery. Recording the order and the receipt as separate documents is what makes a short or damaged delivery provable.
Each step keeps its own record. Retain the source document rather than editing it, and review dates, parties, references, and totals before the new document becomes part of your work history.
Issue the purchase order
Commit to quantities, agreed prices, and a delivery date. The purchase order number is the reference every later document in this path should quote.
Record what actually arrived
A goods received note records the delivered quantity, not the ordered quantity. Recording the difference is the point of the document.
Inspect before you accept
Where condition or specification matters, record the check separately so acceptance and inspection are not the same signature.