ANTE User Manual

Purchase Requests & Canvassing

A Purchase Request (PR) is the procurement step that comes before a Purchase Order. It captures what is being requested, walks through a supplier-sourcing and price-comparison process called canvassing, and ends with the suppliers being selected so purchase orders can be raised.

Overview

Each Purchase Request carries a PR Code, a list of requested items (with quantities and estimated prices), a running Total Amount, and the suppliers gathered during canvassing. The request moves through a fixed sequence of workflow stages, and the action available to you depends on which stage the request is currently in.

The six workflow stages, in order, are:

  1. Supplier Outsourcing
  2. Materials Approval
  3. Canvassing
  4. Supplier Selection
  5. Purchase Order
  6. Delivery

A request advances one stage at a time. The two middle stages — Canvassing and Supplier Selection — are handled on a dedicated Canvassing screen where you compare suppliers side by side.

Where requests come from

Purchase Requests are created as part of a Purchasing process workflow, not from a "New" button on this screen. The list below is where you track and progress requests that already exist.

Getting There

Go to Treasury → Payables → Purchase Requests.

The Purchase Requests List

The list page header reads Purchase Requests. Each row is a request, and clicking a row opens the right screen for you automatically:

  • Requests in Canvassing or Supplier Selection open the Canvassing screen.
  • Requests in any other stage open the Request Details screen.

Table Columns

ColumnDescription
PR CodeThe request reference
StatusThe current workflow stage (color-coded badge)
Total AmountCombined estimated value of all requested items
ItemsHow many item lines the request has
SuppliersHow many suppliers have been added to canvassing so far
Delivery DateThe requested delivery date
CreatedThe date the request was created

Searching and Filtering

  • Search by PR Code.
  • Filter by Status: Supplier Outsourcing, Materials Approval, Canvassing, Supplier Selection, Purchase Order, or Delivery.

The list is sorted by newest first and can be sorted by PR Code, Status, Total Amount, Delivery Date, or Created date.

Workflow Stages

StageMeaning
Supplier OutsourcingThe request is being prepared; suppliers are being sourced
Materials ApprovalThe requested materials are awaiting approval
CanvassingSuppliers are being added and compared on price and terms
Supplier SelectionCanvassing is done; suppliers are being chosen
Purchase OrderThe request has progressed to purchase orders
DeliveryThe final stage — goods are being delivered

The Request Details Screen

Opening a request that is not in canvassing shows its full detail. The screen is titled Purchase Request Details and is laid out as:

  • Overview card — the PR Code, item count, supplier count, created date, the status badge, and the Total Amount.
  • Request Information — PR Code, Status, Tax Type, Delivery Date, Memo, and Created date.
  • Request Items — each item's name (and SKU if present), description, quantity, unit price, and total, with the Total Amount at the bottom.
  • Canvass Suppliers — appears once suppliers have been added; lists each supplier's name, contact (email and number), Payment Terms, and Delivery Terms.
  • Workflow Status — a timeline showing every stage, with completed stages checked and the current stage highlighted.

Progressing the Workflow

The button at the top right changes label depending on the current stage, and clicking it moves the request forward:

Current StageButton LabelWhat it does
Supplier OutsourcingSubmit for Materials ApprovalAdvances to Materials Approval
Materials ApprovalApprove & Start CanvassingAdvances to Canvassing
CanvassingProceed to Supplier SelectionOpens the Canvassing screen
Supplier SelectionCreate Purchase OrdersOpens the Canvassing screen
Purchase OrderMark as DeliveredAdvances to Delivery

When a request is in Canvassing or Supplier Selection, a View Canvass button is also shown, which opens the Canvassing screen. Once a request reaches Delivery, it is at the final stage and the progress button no longer appears.

The Canvassing Screen

The Canvassing screen (titled Canvassing) is where you gather suppliers and compare their terms for a request. It opens automatically when you click a request that is in Canvassing or Supplier Selection, or when you use View Canvass from the details screen.

The screen shows:

  • A status overview — the PR Code, item count, the number of suppliers in canvass, the status badge, and the Estimated Total.
  • Request Items — each requested item with its quantity, estimated unit price, and estimated total.
  • Supplier Comparison — a card for each supplier added to the canvass, showing the supplier name, email, Payment Terms, Delivery Terms, Tax Type, and contact number. Suppliers are shown side by side so you can compare them.

The buttons available depend on the stage:

  • During Canvassing: an Add Supplier button and a Done Canvassing button (the latter is disabled until the company's minimum number of suppliers has been added — see Minimum Canvass Suppliers, default 2). Each supplier card has a remove (✕) control.
  • During Supplier Selection: each supplier card shows a Select Supplier button, and a Create Purchase Orders button appears at the top.

Common Tasks

Add a supplier to the canvass

  1. Open a request that is in the Canvassing stage (the Canvassing screen opens).
  2. Click Add Supplier. The Add Supplier to Canvass dialog opens.
  3. Select an existing supplier — choose a Supplier from the dropdown (suppliers already on the canvass are hidden), then click Add Supplier.
  4. Repeat to add more suppliers for comparison.

The supplier appears as a comparison card. A confirmation message ("Supplier added to canvass") is shown.

Create a new supplier while canvassing

If the supplier you need does not exist yet, you can create it without leaving the dialog:

  1. In the Add Supplier to Canvass dialog, click Or create a new supplier. (If every supplier has already been added, the dialog shows Create a new supplier instead.)
  2. Fill in the new supplier's details:
    • Supplier Name (required)
    • Contact Number (optional)
    • Email (optional — must be a valid email address if entered)
    • Tax Type (required) — Value Added Tax (VAT) or Non Taxable
    • Payment Terms (required) — Cash on Delivery, Payment Upon Invoice, Post Dated Check, Dated Delivery Upon Payment, or No Terms of Payment
  3. Click Create & Add. The new supplier is created and added to the canvass in one step.
  4. To go back to picking an existing supplier instead, click Or select an existing supplier.

Remove a supplier from the canvass

  1. On the Canvassing screen, find the supplier's comparison card (available while the request is in the Canvassing stage).
  2. Click the ✕ control on that card.

A confirmation message ("Supplier removed from canvass") is shown.

Finish canvassing

  1. Add at least the company's configured minimum number of suppliers to the canvass (default 2; an administrator can set this to 1–5 under Settings → Company → Purchasing).
  2. Click Done Canvassing.

The request moves from Canvassing to Supplier Selection. The Done Canvassing button stays disabled until the minimum number of suppliers has been added.

Select suppliers and create purchase orders

  1. With the request in the Supplier Selection stage, open the Canvassing screen.
  2. Use Select Supplier on the supplier cards to choose your preferred suppliers.
  3. Click Create Purchase Orders.

Field Reference

Request Information

FieldDescription
PR CodeThe request's reference code
StatusThe current workflow stage
Tax TypeThe tax treatment for the request
Delivery DateThe requested delivery date (shows "Not set" if blank)
MemoFree-text note (shows "No memo" if blank)
CreatedThe date the request was created

Request Item

FieldDescription
Item NameThe requested item (with its SKU shown underneath, if any)
DescriptionOptional item description
QuantityHow many units are requested
Unit PriceThe estimated price per unit
TotalQuantity × Unit Price

Add Supplier — New Supplier form

FieldRequiredDescription
Supplier NameYesThe supplier's name
Contact NumberNoPhone or contact number
EmailNoMust be a valid email if entered
Tax TypeYesValue Added Tax (VAT) or Non Taxable
Payment TermsYesCash on Delivery, Payment Upon Invoice, Post Dated Check, Dated Delivery Upon Payment, or No Terms of Payment

Tips

  • Compare before you commit — the canvassing screen places suppliers side by side so you can weigh price, payment terms, and delivery terms together.
  • Add at least the required number of suppliers before clicking Done Canvassing — the button stays disabled otherwise. The minimum (default 2) is a company setting under Settings → Company → Purchasing.
  • Track progress at a glance — the Suppliers column on the list shows how many suppliers each request has gathered, and the workflow timeline on the details screen shows how far a request has moved.
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