How to Create a Purchase Order in Excel

A purchase order (PO) is a commercial document and first official offer issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating types, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services. It is used to control the purchasing of products and services from external suppliers.

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application that can be used to create a variety of documents, including purchase orders. Using Excel to create a purchase order can save you time and hassle, and it can help you to keep track of your purchases.

In this article, we will show you how to create a purchase order in Excel. We will provide step-by-step instructions, as well as some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your purchase order.

How to Make a Purchase Order in Excel

Follow these steps to create a purchase order in Excel:

• Create a new Excel workbook.
• Enter the company name and address.
• Enter the vendor name and address.
• Enter the purchase order number.
• Enter the date.
• Enter the item description.
• Enter the quantity.
• Enter the unit price.

Once you have entered all of the information, you can calculate the total cost of the order by multiplying the quantity by the unit price. You can also add any additional information, such as shipping costs or taxes, to the purchase order.

Create a new Excel workbook.

To create a new Excel workbook, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Click on the “File” tab.
3. Select “New” from the menu.
4. A new, blank workbook will be created.

You can also create a new workbook by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N.

Once you have created a new workbook, you can start entering the information for your purchase order.

Enter the company name and address.

The company name and address should be placed in the header of the purchase order. This information will help to identify the company that is issuing the purchase order, as well as the address where the goods or services should be shipped.

• Company Name

  The company name should be entered in the first line of the header.

• Company Address

  The company address should be entered in the second line of the header. It should include the street address, city, state, and zip code.

• Contact Person

  You may also want to include the name of a contact person in the header. This is the person who should be contacted if there are any questions about the purchase order.

• Phone Number

  The phone number of the company should be included in the header. This is the number that the vendor can call if they have any questions about the purchase order.

Once you have entered all of the information in the header, you can move on to the next step.

Enter the vendor name and address.

The vendor name and address should be placed in the body of the purchase order, below the company name and address. This information will help to identify the vendor that is supplying the goods or services, as well as the address where the invoice should be sent.

To enter the vendor name and address, follow these steps:

1. Click on the cell where you want to enter the vendor name.
2. Type the vendor name.
3. Press the Tab key.
4. Click on the cell where you want to enter the vendor address.
5. Type the vendor address.
6. Press the Enter key.

You can also use the following keyboard shortcuts to enter the vendor name and address:

• Ctrl+N: To create a new line.
• Tab: To move to the next cell.
• Enter: To save the changes and move to the next line.

Once you have entered the vendor name and address, you can move on to the next step.

Enter the purchase order number.

The purchase order number is a unique identifier that is assigned to each purchase order. This number is used to track the purchase order and to ensure that it is not duplicated.

To enter the purchase order number, follow these steps:

1. Click on the cell where you want to enter the purchase order number.
2. Type the purchase order number.
3. Press the Enter key.

The purchase order number can be any combination of letters and numbers. However, it is important to make sure that the purchase order number is unique.

You can also use the following keyboard shortcut to enter the purchase order number:

• Ctrl+N: To create a new line.
• Enter: To save the changes and move to the next line.

Once you have entered the purchase order number, you can move on to the next step.

Enter the date.

The date is the day on which the purchase order is created. This date is important for tracking purposes, as it can be used to determine when the purchase order was issued and when the goods or services are expected to be delivered.

• Date Format

  The date should be entered in the following format: MM/DD/YYYY.

• Keyboard Shortcut

  You can use the following keyboard shortcut to enter the date: Ctrl+; (semi-colon).

• Automatic Date Entry

  You can also use the following formula to automatically enter the current date: =TODAY().

• Date Validation

  You can use data validation to ensure that the date entered is valid. To do this, select the cell where you want to enter the date and go to the Data tab. Click on the Data Validation button and select the Date option. In the Date Validation dialog box, select the Allow option and choose the date range that you want to allow.

Once you have entered the date, you can move on to the next step.

Enter the item description.

The item description should provide a detailed description of the goods or services that are being ordered. This description should be specific enough so that the vendor can easily identify the items that are being ordered.

• Item Name

  The item name is the name of the goods or services that are being ordered.

• Item Number

  The item number is a unique identifier that is assigned to each item in the purchase order. This number can be used to track the item and to ensure that it is not duplicated.

• Item Quantity

  The item quantity is the number of units of the item that are being ordered.

• Item Unit Price

  The item unit price is the price per unit of the item.

Once you have entered the item description, you can move on to the next step.

Enter the quantity.

The quantity is the number of units of the item that are being ordered. This quantity should be accurate, as it will be used to calculate the total cost of the order.

To enter the quantity, follow these steps:

1. Click on the cell where you want to enter the quantity.
2. Type the quantity.
3. Press the Enter key.

You can also use the following keyboard shortcut to enter the quantity:

• Ctrl+N: To create a new line.
• Enter: To save the changes and move to the next line.

Once you have entered the quantity, you can move on to the next step.

Enter the unit price.

The unit price is the price per unit of the item. This price should be accurate, as it will be used to calculate the total cost of the order.

• Currency Symbol

  The unit price should be entered with the appropriate currency symbol.

• Decimal Places

  The unit price should be entered with the correct number of decimal places.

• Keyboard Shortcut

  You can use the following keyboard shortcut to enter the unit price: Ctrl+; (semi-colon).

• Data Validation

  You can use data validation to ensure that the unit price entered is valid. To do this, select the cell where you want to enter the unit price and go to the Data tab. Click on the Data Validation button and select the Decimal option. In the Data Validation dialog box, select the Allow option and choose the range of values that you want to allow.

Once you have entered the unit price, you can move on to the next step.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about how to make a purchase order in Excel:

Question 1: How do I create a new purchase order in Excel?
Answer 1: To create a new purchase order in Excel, follow these steps:
1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Click on the “File” tab.
3. Select “New” from the menu.
4. A new, blank workbook will be created.

Question 2: How do I enter the company name and address?
Answer 2: The company name and address should be placed in the header of the purchase order. This information will help to identify the company that is issuing the purchase order, as well as the address where the goods or services should be shipped.

Question 3: How do I enter the vendor name and address?
Answer 3: The vendor name and address should be placed in the body of the purchase order, below the company name and address. This information will help to identify the vendor that is supplying the goods or services, as well as the address where the invoice should be sent.

Question 4: How do I enter the purchase order number?
Answer 4: The purchase order number is a unique identifier that is assigned to each purchase order. This number is used to track the purchase order and to ensure that it is not duplicated.

Question 5: How do I enter the date?
Answer 5: The date is the day on which the purchase order is created. This date is important for tracking purposes, as it can be used to determine when the purchase order was issued and when the goods or services are expected to be delivered.

Question 6: How do I enter the item description?
Answer 6: The item description should provide a detailed description of the goods or services that are being ordered. This description should be specific enough so that the vendor can easily identify the items that are being ordered.

Question 7: How do I enter the quantity?
Answer 7: The quantity is the number of units of the item that are being ordered. This quantity should be accurate, as it will be used to calculate the total cost of the order.

Question 8: How do I enter the unit price?
Answer 8: The unit price is the price per unit of the item. This price should be accurate, as it will be used to calculate the total cost of the order.

These are just a few of the most frequently asked questions about how to make a purchase order in Excel. For more information, please consult the Microsoft Excel Help documentation.

Tips

Here are a few tips to help you create a purchase order in Excel:

Tip 1: Use a template.
You can save time by using a purchase order template. There are many free templates available online, or you can create your own. A template will help you to ensure that your purchase order includes all of the necessary information, and it will also help to keep your purchase orders consistent.

Tip 2: Use formulas to calculate the total cost.
You can use Excel formulas to automatically calculate the total cost of your order. This will save you time and it will help to ensure that your calculations are accurate.

Tip 3: Use data validation to ensure that the data entered is valid.
You can use data validation to ensure that the data entered into your purchase order is valid. For example, you can use data validation to ensure that the date entered is a valid date, or that the quantity entered is a valid number.

Tip 4: Save your purchase order as a PDF file.
Once you have created your purchase order, you can save it as a PDF file. This will help to protect your purchase order from being edited or tampered with.

By following these tips, you can create purchase orders in Excel quickly and easily.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shown you how to create a purchase order in Excel. We have provided step-by-step instructions, as well as some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your purchase order.

By following the steps in this article, you can create a purchase order that is accurate, complete, and professional. You can also use Excel formulas to calculate the total cost of your order, and you can use data validation to ensure that the data entered is valid.

Once you have created your purchase order, you can save it as a PDF file. This will help to protect your purchase order from being edited or tampered with.