Sending Purchase Orders to Suppliers

Overview

When you create a purchase order for materials or services, BlueClerk lets you email it directly to your supplier. The system automatically generates a professional PDF attachment, supports multiple recipients in both To and CC fields, and sends from a trackable reply address so supplier responses thread back to your PO conversation.

Sending a Purchase Order

From the PO Detail Page

1. Open a purchase order you want to send
2. Click "Send" in the action bar
3. The send dialog opens with supplier contact info pre-filled
4. Review and edit recipients:
   • To field: Primary supplier contact email (pre-filled if supplier has a default rep email)
   • CC field: Additional recipients like project managers or accounting (pre-filled if supplier has a saved CC email)
   • BCC field: Optional blind copies
5. Edit subject line if needed (defaults to "Purchase Order [PO-1234] from [Your Company]")
6. Add a message or keep the default template
7. Click "Send"

Multiple Recipients

You can send to multiple people at once:

• Comma-separated emails - Type or paste multiple emails separated by commas
• Supports To, CC, and BCC - Full control over recipient visibility
• Pre-fills from supplier defaults - If your supplier has default contacts saved, they appear automatically

What Suppliers Receive

Email Content

Suppliers receive a professional email with:

• Your company branding - Logo and primary color if configured
• PO details summary - PO number, date, total amount
• Attached PDF - Complete purchase order document with all line items
• Your message - Any custom text you added
• Reply-To address - Special BlueClerk address that threads responses back to your PO

PDF Attachment

The PDF includes:

• Your company information - Name, address, phone, email
• Supplier information - Name and address
• PO details - Number, date, ship-to address
• Line items table - Description, quantity, unit cost, total
• Notes section - Any special instructions or terms

Reply Threading

How Supplier Responses Work

When suppliers reply to your PO email:

1. Reply goes to a BlueClerk address - Encoded with your PO's unique token
2. System routes it automatically - Reply appears in your PO's DocumentMessage thread
3. You see it in BlueClerk - View all supplier communications on the PO detail page
4. No lost emails - Everything stays organized by purchase order

Reply Address Format

The reply address looks like: po+[your-po-token]@reply.blueclerk.com

This ensures supplier responses are automatically linked to the correct purchase order.

Email Tracking

Delivery Status

Track whether your emails were delivered successfully:

• SENT - Email accepted by mail server
• DELIVERED - Email reached supplier's inbox
• BOUNCED - Email address invalid or unreachable
• COMPLAINED - Supplier marked it as spam

Viewing Email History

See all emails sent for a PO:

1. Open the purchase order detail page
2. Scroll to "Email History" section
3. View sent date, recipient, status for each send

Tips

• Save default contacts - Set up default To/CC emails on supplier records to speed up sending
• Use CC for accountability - Copy project managers or accounting to keep everyone informed
• Check bounce status - If an email bounces, verify the supplier contact info is correct
• Reply threading helps - All supplier responses appear in your PO thread automatically

Questions

Q: Can I send to multiple suppliers at once? A: No - each PO is sent to one supplier, but you can include multiple contacts from that supplier in To/CC/BCC.

Q: What if the PDF doesn't attach? A: The system continues sending without the attachment if PDF generation fails, ensuring supplier communication isn't blocked.

Q: Can I customize the email template? A: Currently the template is standard, but you can add custom messages in the message field before sending.

Q: How do I see supplier replies? A: Check the DocumentMessage thread on the PO detail page - all supplier responses appear there automatically.