# Purchase

_User Guide › Purchasing_

![Purchase](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/3a4d9f1ea579ccf6c2adf8daa11950aa.png#atloria-annotations=%7B%22annotations%22%3A%5B%7B%22type%22%3A%22box%22%2C%22x%22%3A84.9%2C%22y%22%3A4.86%2C%22w%22%3A3.73%2C%22h%22%3A4.46%2C%22label%22%3A%223%20%20Save%22%7D%2C%7B%22type%22%3A%22box%22%2C%22x%22%3A88.93%2C%22y%22%3A4.86%2C%22w%22%3A7.26%2C%22h%22%3A4.46%2C%22label%22%3A%224%20%20Save%20and%20Close%22%7D%2C%7B%22type%22%3A%22marker%22%2C%22n%22%3A4%2C%22x%22%3A92.56%2C%22y%22%3A7.09%7D%5D%7D)
*Purchase*

![Save](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/0eb348ff36c31c90ae028b8d3b511f86.png)

![Save and Close](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/e8d4f8ef16b89bfca71796f5ad46ea28.png)

## Overview

Use the Purchase form to maintain a purchasing record during the purchasing lifecycle. Purchasing officers use this form when progressing purchasing work from an initial request through an **Offer**, an **Order**, and finally **Delivered**. Save the record after completing the required business information so that it remains available for the next purchasing activity.

A purchasing record can progress to an **Offer** only when it has no inquiries. Within the Offer process, the Offer must clear the progression from Draft through Awaiting Approval, Approved, Valid, and Ordered before purchasing can proceed to the Order stage. Within the Order process, the Order must progress through Draft, Awaiting Approval, Approved, Awaiting Activation, Valid, Ready for Shipment, and Delivered.

## Before you start

You must have access to the **Purchasing** work area and permission to save purchasing records.

Before progressing purchasing work, ensure that the record contains the business information required for its current activity. The form enforces required information before the record can be completed.

## Steps

1. In the main navigation bar, select **Purchasing**.

2. Open the Purchase form for the purchasing record that you need to maintain.

   Use the form to review and complete the purchasing record before saving it. Maintain the record at its current point in the purchasing lifecycle; do not treat saving the form as a stage transition.

3. When the record is ready to retain, select **Save**.

4. To save the record and leave the form, select **Save and Close**.

5. Continue the purchasing process as applicable:
   - A purchasing record can move to an **Offer** when it has no inquiries.
   - An Offer must progress through its approval and validity stages before it becomes **Ordered**.
   - An Order must progress through its approval, activation, validity, shipment, and delivery stages before it becomes **Delivered**.

## Tips & cautions

> **Warning:** If you attempt to leave the Purchase form with unsaved changes, the application displays a warning. Save the record before leaving the form when you want to retain your updates.

> **Note:** An Offer awaiting approval requires manager action before it can continue through the Offer lifecycle.

> **Warning:** Items marked Ready for Shipment or Delivered cannot be deleted. An Order with binding invoices cannot be reverted, and a Delivered Order cannot be un-delivered when a due invoice already exists.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Changes are not retained after leaving the form. | The purchasing record was not saved. | Select **Save**, or select **Save and Close** when you have finished maintaining the record. |
| The purchasing record does not progress to an Offer. | The record has one or more inquiries. | Complete the applicable inquiry work before progressing the purchasing record to an Offer. |
| An Offer cannot progress. | The Offer is awaiting manager approval or does not contain an item. | Ensure that the Offer has at least one item and wait for the manager to complete approval. |
| An Order cannot be reverted or un-delivered. | The Order has binding invoices, or a due invoice already exists. | Continue processing the Order from its current status. |

## Result

The purchasing record is saved and available for the next applicable step in the purchasing lifecycle.

## Related pages

- [Purchase](doc:purchase-edit-record)
- [Purchasing — Overview](doc:purchasing-overview)
- [Purchasing — Learning Path](doc:workflows-purchasing)
- [Getting Started with Purchasing](doc:purchasing-getting-started)
- [Purchase](doc:purchase)
- [List](doc:purchase-list-view-record)
- [View the Purchasing List](doc:purchasing-list-view-record)