In this two-part series, we’ll take a closer look at Tradogram, which is purchasing and procurement software that works with QuickBooks.

As you may know, QuickBooks Pro, Premier, Enterprise (which I’ll refer to as the desktop versions) and Online (QBO) all have basic purchase order capability.

In QuickBooks desktop and QBO, you can create and track purchase orders to your vendors.

However, many businesses need more than that…

COMPARING PROCUREMENT AND PURCHASE ORDER FUNCTIONALITY

I’ve put together this handy comparison chart that identifies key needs when it comes to purchasing and procurement.

Let’s see how Tradogram compares to QuickBooks desktop and QBO:

LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DETAILS…

Here are some additional insights into the various procurement and purchase order functionality listed in the table above.

• Purchase requisitions – defined in Wikipedia as – “Document generated by a user department or storeroom-personnel to notify the purchasing department of items it needs to order, their quantity, and the time-frame. It may also contain the authorization to proceed with the purchase. Also called purchase request or requisition.”

• Purchase approval workflow – the ability to customize your approval hierarchy and have it set up in the software so that users just submit and wait. Decide whether you want to assign approvals on purchase order, requisitions, invoices, or even expenses. To further enhance control, approvals may be set based on amount thresholds, item category, and/or department.

• Purchase order – back to Wikipedia again – “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. Used to control the purchasing of products and services from external suppliers. Purchase orders can be an essential part of ERP system orders.”

• Receive items – “Checking in” goods when they arrive at the warehouse or other location so that the inventory on-hand counts can be updated properly.

• Enter vendor invoices – where the rubber meets the road in the accounting department. The process of comparing the vendor invoice to the purchase order and receiving details. Helps make sure there is no monkey-business, overcharges or other unapproved charges from the vendor.

STARTING TO SEE WHERE QUICKBOOKS PURCHASE ORDERS ARE PRETTY BASIC?

Let’s keep going in our review of the feature comparison between the Tradogram procurement and purchase order solution and QuickBooks…

• Manage supplier contracts – as explained by Tradogram: “When you control your supplier agreements, you control your costs. Plan, negotiate, and create contracts in order to spend strategically and reduce procurement expenses. Establish contracts as a method of simplification and avoid complication. Auto-generate your contracts from awarded bids and seamlessly manage each contract. Monitor contract statuses and supplier performance with ease using Tradogram’s user-friendly graphs and charts on each contract.”

• Track stock items/set reorder points – see what’s on hand and what needs to be ordered

• Multi-line/multi-relesase date purchase orders – a need of many businesses where they have multiple line items within a given PO, with each line item requiring a different delivery date. Alternately, it could be the need to release a single item over multiple dates.

In part two of this series, we’ll continue with a review of the remaining items in the table above.

Until then, take a closer look at the Tradogram purchasing and procurement solution in this webinar we did togther…

Note: I am a referral partner for Tradogram and receive a commission from them if you purchase using the links in this post.