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PO Company Parameters

Company Tracker action: implementation-setup-po-company-parameters Milestone: Purchase Order / Module Setup (milestone_id=11, core_milestone_id=2) Order: 1 Estimated duration: 0.5 hours Typical owner: Controller

Purpose​

Set Purchase Order company parameters so PO numbering, estimate/budget enforcement, and receipt expense timing (three-way match) match how the client will buy and receive.

Prerequisites​

  • Job Cost estimates/budgets exist when enforce phase cost type estimate limit will be ON.
  • Know whether receipts should post expense immediately (three-way match) or wait for AP invoice entry.
  • Accrual / receipt GL path understood when initialize-expenses-on-receipts is ON.

Vista configuration article​

See the detailed Vista guide:

Configuring PO Company Parameters

Field meanings and form steps live there. Do not restate them on this page.

Implementation guidance​

  • PO numbering: most clients auto-generate (sequence). Some require manual entry. Default recommendation: auto-generate unless the client has a hard manual-number process.
  • Enforce phase cost type estimate limit: turn ON when the client wants Vista to block PO lines that would exceed the job phase/cost-type estimate / budget. Leave OFF when they only warn or manage overruns outside PO entry.
  • Initialize expenses on receipts (receipt initialize): this is the three-way match expense path.
    • ON: expense is recorded at receipt to wherever the PO is coded (job, inventory, GL, etc.). Accelerates expense recognition before the vendor invoice.
    • OFF: expense is not recorded until the AP invoice is entered.
  • Decide / load / accept: set numbering, estimate-limit enforce, and receipt-expense initialize to the accepted purchasing policy. Accept with Controller (and AP/ops if three-way match is new).

Tips and gotchas​

  • Vast majority auto-number POs; manual is the exception.
  • Estimate-limit enforce is a hard budget control at PO — confirm the client wants that, not just reporting.
  • Receipt initialize ON = expense at receive; OFF = expense at invoice. Wrong choice changes when job/IN/GL cost appears.

Done when​

  • Numbering mode (auto vs manual) is set and accepted.
  • Enforce phase cost type estimate limit matches budget policy.
  • Initialize expenses on receipts matches three-way match / expense-timing policy.