10 Best Purchase Order Software – Reviews & Pricing

Small businesses can benefit greatly from using purchase order (PO) software. This type of software can streamline and automate the procurement process, making it more efficient and cost-effective. Some of the key benefits of using PO software for small businesses are improved accuracy, enhanced tracking, better supplier management, increased visibility, and streamlined processes.

When it comes to purchase order management software for small businesses, what’s the best option for a specific business with unique goals and needs? The multitude of software options can make it more challenging to select the right platform.

In this guide, we’ll share why the best purchase order software is important and how you can narrow down your options to some of the best tools in the industry.

Here’s What We’ll Cover:

What is a Purchase Order Management Software?

Benefits of Purchase Order Software

Top Purchase Order Software Picks

Key Takeaways

More Purchase Order Resources

What is a Purchase Order Management Software?

A purchase order (PO) is a formal document that is generated by a buyer and sent to a supplier, indicating a request for a specific product or service and the terms and conditions under which it will be provided. These documents most often include the date, a unique purchase order number, the vendor contact, cost, quantity, and special notes or requests.

In addition to being used in traditional procurement processes, purchase orders are also commonly used in electronic procurement processes, where they are generated and transmitted electronically between the buyer and supplier. An integrated purchase order management system with inventory management and sales order management can streamline business processes.

Who Uses Purchase Orders?

A wide range of organizations, including businesses of all sizes, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and other types of institutions uses purchase orders (POs). Some examples of organizations that use purchase orders are Small businesses: small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.

Benefits of Purchase Order Software

Purchase order (PO) software provides numerous benefits for businesses of all sizes, including that includes improved accuracy and efficiency, enhanced tracking and visibility, better supplier management, streamlined processes, increased compliance, reduced costs, and better decision-making.

Top Purchase Order Software Picks

The selection process of a purchase order software can be a difficult one to navigate since there are so many features and benefits to consider. We’ve narrowed it down to 10 purchase order software systems that promise benefits to any size business or corporation.

1. Datamoto Purchase Order

Datamoto Purchase Order is a cloud-based purchase order management software solution designed to help businesses manage procurement processes more efficiently and effectively.

Features:

1. Creates a purchase order for selected vendors.
2. For goods, it is integrated with the Datamoto inventory system.
3. Generates PDFs and emails them to the suppliers.
4. Processes return of an order.
5. Creates purchase orders from sales orders.
6. Creates purchase orders from Bill of Material (BoM).
7. Generates purchase orders from a CSV file for large PO.
8. Creates PO from inventory alerts by automatically detecting related vendors for the item.
9. Creates PO from the work order.
10. Assign a budget for a cost center and control POs.
11. Visibility of link between sales orders and purchase orders and their status.
12. Good receive on PO generates bills automatically.
13. Multiple goods received allows on a single PO.
14. Only designated approvers can approve purchase orders.
15. Both the app and email approval are supported.
16. Manages vendors centrally.
17. Manages vendors’ catalog and pricing centrally.
18. Creates PO with multi currencies.
19. Attach files on PO.
20. Logs PO updates.

Pros:

1. Integration: Compared to other purchase order providers, Datamoto purchase order provides an integrated system that includes purchase orders, inventory management, and sales order management without any extra cost. Having all these modules in one database and one application enhances the usability of Datamoto applications and can deliver comprehensive feature sets.
2. Features: It has most of the features that small or medium-sized businesses need.
3. Usability: It is intuitive and simple to use Datamoto. For most users, no special training is required.
4. Support: The support team of Datamoto provides the best services to its customers.

Cons:

1. Extensibility: Datamoto is a cloud-based application. It is configurable as per customers’ needs. But the customer’s custom coding is not supported. If custom coding is required then need to ask Datamoto to implement it.
2. 3rd party Integration: Datamoto comes with integration with QuickBooks accounting integration. Other 3rd parties integration is currently not supported.

Pricing:

Datamoto Purchase Order pricing is based on a subscription model, with pricing starting at $40 per user, per month (inventory and sales order management are included). The exact pricing will depend on the specific features and functionalities required by the business, as well as the number of users. Please check for detail on the pricing page.

2. Zoho Purchase Order

Zoho Purchase Order is a cloud-based procurement management solution designed to help businesses streamline their purchase order process and manage procurement activities more effectively.

Features:

1. Log every order detail.
2. Convert purchase orders into bills.
3. Attach files to add context.
4. Get insights into your purchases.
5. Customize purchase orders.
6. Share to get things done faster.

Pros:

1. Integration: Zoho Purchase Order is integrated with the Zoho CRM. For customers who are looking for CRM with the purchase order, it can be a good choice.
2. Usability: The user interface is intuitive and easy to use.

Cons:

1. Do not provide a proper vendor catalog management system
2. Do not provide BoM to PO support.
3. Zoho is a CRM application so Purchase Order is not a 1st class citizen.

Pricing:

Zoho Purchase Order is offered as a part of Zoho’s suite of business applications and is available as part of Zoho One, Zoho’s all-in-one business software solution. The pricing for Zoho One starts at $30 per user, per month, with discounts available for annual billing. It’s recommended to contact Zoho directly for more pricing information and to obtain a personalized quote based on your specific needs and requirements.

3. QuickBooks Purchase Order

QuickBooks Purchase Order is a procurement management solution designed specifically for small businesses and available as part of the QuickBooks accounting software suite.

Features:

1. Create professional purchase orders
2. Convert POs to bills
3. Track open vendor orders

Pros:

1. Integration: QuickBooks Purchase Order is integrated with its accounting software. It makes an accountant’s life easier.
2. Usability: The user interface is intuitive and easy to use.

Cons:

1. QuickBooks provides very basic purchase order features which may not be enough for small businesses.

Pricing:

QuickBooks Purchase Order is offered as part of the QuickBooks accounting software suite and is available as part of QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and QuickBooks Enterprise. QuickBooks Online starts at $15 per month, with discounts available for annual billing. QuickBooks Desktop starts at $299.95 for a one-time purchase. QuickBooks Enterprise pricing is based on a quote provided by a QuickBooks sales representative. It’s recommended to contact QuickBooks directly for more pricing information and to obtain a personalized quote based on your specific needs and requirements.

4. Coupa Procurement

5. Spendwise

Spendwise is a procurement management solution designed to help businesses streamline their purchasing process and reduce costs.

Features:

1. Contract/License Management
2. Inventory Management
3. Invoice Processing
4. Purchase Order Management
5. Requisition Management
6. Sourcing Management
7. Spend Management
8. Supplier Management

Pros:

1. Integration: It provides an integrated system that includes purchase orders, inventory management, and invoice management. Having all these modules in one application increases the usability of the applications.
2. Features: It has most of the features that small or medium-sized businesses need.

Cons:

1. Sometimes the product is not easy to use for novice users.
2. When software updates are done, there is a challenge to navigate through the new features.

Pricing:

Spendwise pricing is based on a quote provided by a Spendwise sales representative. The cost of the software is based on the number of users, the level of customization required, and the number of integrations needed. It’s recommended to contact Spendwise directly for more information on pricing and to obtain a personalized quote based on your specific needs and requirements.

6. Precoro

Precoro is a procurement management solution designed to help businesses streamline their purchasing process and reduce costs.

Features:

1. Cost Allocation
2. Flexible Approval Routing
3. Amazing Three Way Matching
4. Customizable Reporting
5. e-Catalogs
6. Invoice Management
7. Integrations with accounting software and ERPs
8. Purchase Request and Purchase Order Management

Pros:

1. Procure-to-pay process covering
2. Visualizing budget control
3. Notification for faster approvals
4. Distribution of processes by departments

Cons:

1. The inventory module lacks functionality
2. Lack of deep dive into visual analytics

Pricing:

Precoro pricing is based on a quote provided by a Precoro sales representative. The cost of the software is based on the number of users, the level of customization required, and the number of integrations needed. It’s recommended to contact Precoro directly for more information on pricing and to obtain a personalized quote based on your specific needs and requirements.

7. Xero

Xero is a cloud-based accounting software that includes a purchase order (PO) feature to help businesses manage their procurement process.

Features:

1. Customize purchase orders.
2. Use templates, add items, then email orders as PDFs.
3. Turn purchase orders into bills ready to be paid.
4. Limit who can approve, email and delete purchase orders through the purchase order system.

Pros:

1. Integration: Xero Purchase Order is integrated with its accounting software. It makes an accountant’s life easier.
2. Usability: The user interface is intuitive and easy to use.

Cons:

1. Xero provides very basic purchase order features which may not be enough for small businesses.

Pricing:

Xero offers three different pricing plans: Early, Growing, and Established. The cost of the software ranges from $20 to $70 per month, depending on the chosen plan and the number of users. It’s recommended to visit Xero’s website for more information on pricing and to obtain a personalized quote based on your specific needs and requirements.

8. Procurify

Procurify is a cloud-based purchase order (PO) software designed to help businesses manage their procurement process.

Features:

1. Purchase Order Creation: Procurify allows businesses to create and send purchase orders directly from the platform, streamlining the procurement process and reducing manual effort.
2. Invoice Management: The software provides tools for automating the invoice management process, reducing the risk of errors, and speeding up the payment process.
3. Spend Management: Procurify provides real-time visibility into procurement spend, enabling businesses to monitor their spending patterns and make informed decisions about their purchasing strategies.
4. Approval Workflows: The platform includes customizable approval workflows, enabling businesses to enforce their own procurement policies and procedures.
5. Mobile App: Procurify includes a mobile app, that enables businesses to manage their procurement process from anywhere, at any time.

Pros:

1. Workflow, ease of getting items to the person that is needed to approve.
2. The delegation is the ease of setting up a temporary approver while a user is out on vacation.
3. Emailing POs to vendors doesn’t have to save the email. Can email directly from Procurify.

Cons:

1. Limites integration with 3rd party accounting system
2. Fixed settings such as yearly budget

Pricing:

Procurify offers a range of pricing plans, including a free plan, a basic plan, and various enterprise-level plans. The cost of the software ranges from free to several thousand dollars per year, depending on the chosen plan and the number of users. It’s recommended to visit Procurify’s website for more information on pricing and to obtain a personalized quote based on your specific needs and requirements.

9. Beanworks

Beanworks is a cloud-based purchase order (PO) software designed to help businesses streamline and automate their procurement process.

Features:

1. Purchase Order Creation: Beanworks allows businesses to create and send purchase orders directly from the platform, reducing manual effort and streamlining the procurement process.
2. Invoice Management: The software provides tools for automating the invoice management process, reducing the risk of errors, and speeding up the payment process.
3. Approval Workflows: Beanworks includes customizable approval workflows, enabling businesses to enforce their own procurement policies and procedures.
4. Reporting and Analytics: The platform provides detailed reporting and analytics capabilities, enabling businesses to monitor their spending patterns and make informed decisions about their purchasing strategies.
5. Integration: Beanworks integrates with a variety of accounting and ERP systems, enabling businesses to easily connect and share data between their procurement and financial systems.

Pros:

1. The approval system is feature rich.
2. QuickBooks integration.

Cons:

1. Updating the approving channel is complex
2. More search functions are required

Pricing:

Beanworks offers a range of pricing plans, including a free trial and various subscription-based plans. The cost of the software ranges from several hundred to several thousand dollars per year, depending on the chosen plan and the number of users. It’s recommended to visit Beanworks’ website for more information on pricing and to obtain a personalized quote based on your specific needs and requirements.

10. SAP Ariba

SAP Ariba is a cloud-based procurement platform designed to help businesses manage their procurement processes, from sourcing to payment.

Features:

1. Sourcing: SAP Ariba provides a suite of sourcing tools and services, enabling businesses to find and engage with suppliers, manage RFPs and auctions, and analyze supplier performance.
2. Contract Management: The software includes tools for contract management, including contract creation, negotiation, and approval workflows.
3. Supplier Management: SAP Ariba provides a centralized platform for supplier management, enabling businesses to manage their supplier information, communications, and performance.
4. Procurement Management: The platform provides a comprehensive suite of procurement management tools, including purchase order management, invoicing, and payments.
5. Analytics and Reporting: SAP Ariba includes advanced analytics and reporting capabilities, enabling businesses to monitor their procurement performance and make informed decisions.

Pros:

1. Direct B2B connections and vendor-based buildup are possible.
2. The procurement workflow is feature rich.

Cons:

1. Dashboards could be improved and made more easily customizable.
2. Direct linking of Project Procurement Schedule with the Procurement Cycle of SAP Ariba will be a big step forward.

Pricing:

SAP Ariba’s pricing is based on a subscription model, and the cost of the software can vary widely depending on the chosen package, the number of users, and the specific needs and requirements of the business. It’s recommended to visit SAP Ariba’s website or contact them directly for more information on pricing and to obtain a personalized quote based on your specific needs and requirements.

Key Takeaways

When selecting a purchase order system, it is important to keep in mind the following key takeaways:

1. Identify your needs: Determine what you need the purchase order system to do. What are the specific processes you need to automate, and what are your requirements in terms of scalability, security, and customizability?
2. Evaluate vendors: Research different vendors and their offerings, taking into account their reputation, cost, and compatibility with your existing technology. Consider seeking referrals from other organizations or reaching out to industry analysts for additional guidance.
3. Assess features: Evaluate the features offered by each vendor and how they align with your needs. Look for systems that offer robust purchase order management, inventory management, and vendor management capabilities.
4. Consider integrations: Consider how the purchase order system will integrate with other systems, such as your accounting software, to ensure a seamless flow of data between systems.
5. Security: Ensure that the vendor has robust security measures in place to protect sensitive information and that their systems comply with relevant regulations and standards.
6. User experience: Look for a purchase order system with a user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation that is easy for your team to adopt and use effectively.
7. Customer support: Consider the quality of customer support offered by the vendor and whether they provide training and ongoing support to help ensure success with the system.
8. Cost: Evaluate the total cost of ownership, taking into account the cost of the software, implementation, and ongoing maintenance and support.

By considering these key takeaways, you can help ensure that you choose a purchase order system that meets your needs and supports your organization’s goals and objectives.

More Purchase Order Resources

• How Purchase Orders Work. How This Important Document Helps Businesses
• What Is a P.O. Number on an Invoice? Purchase Order Numbers Explained
• What are the best practices for purchase orders?
• Creating purchase orders from a vendor catalog