What is a Purchase Order?
A Purchase Order (PO) is a formal document you create in CloudFFL when you need to buy products from a vendor. It records exactly what you're ordering, from whom, at what price, and in what quantity — before anything is received or paid for.
Think of it like a written promise: you're telling your vendor "I want to buy these items at this price." Once the vendor ships and you receive the goods, the PO stays on file as your record of that transaction.
Why Use Purchase Orders?
- Track what you ordered vs. what arrived — The system automatically checks received quantities against your order.
- Automate inventory updates — Receiving against a PO immediately adds items to your stock.
- FFL compliance — For serialized firearms, validating a receipt automatically logs the acquisition in FastBound and your bound book. No manual entry needed.
- Vendor billing — After receiving, you can generate a vendor bill directly from the PO to match the vendor's invoice.
Two Types of Purchases
In CloudFFL, all purchases fall into one of two categories:
| Type | Examples | Compliance Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Purchase | Ammunition, cleaning kits, holsters, cases, accessories, parts | No — standard Odoo receiving only |
| Compliance Purchase | Serialized firearms (handguns, rifles, shotguns) | Yes — FastBound acquisition logged automatically on receipt |
The system knows which items require compliance based on the product settings. Firearms products are marked "Requires Compliance" in your product catalog. You do not need to manually flag anything on the PO — it detects compliance items automatically.
What Makes a Compliance Purchase Different?
When a PO contains one or more serialized firearms:
- The vendor must be linked to FastBound with a valid FFL number. The system will warn you if they are not.
- When you receive the shipment, you must enter the serial number for each firearm.
- When you click Validate on the receipt, CloudFFL automatically sends the acquisition to FastBound and records it in your bound book — no extra steps required.
You cannot receive a firearm without entering its serial number. The system will block validation until all compliance items have a serial number assigned.