Procure to Pay
Purchase-to-pay is a comprehensive process covering the process right from the stage of purchase decision until vendor payment. Also called P2P, procure-to-pay.
1. First and foremost is to determine the requirement for the product (MRP)
The first step in sourcing process is assessing the specifications and timelines with respect to the product. This is an internal process which involves determining the nature of products or services required, the quantity that is needed, and the timeframe for delivery.
2. Supplier identification
Identify the suppliers who are dealing with the product. Issue request for Quotation (RFQ) to the identified vendors. RFQ to contain relevant information that the supplier needs to know for them to submit a proposal, such as the organization’s sourcing requirements, timelines, and evaluation criteria
3. Proposal evaluation:
The competitive quotations received from vendors are then screened vis-Ã -vis the organization’s sourcing criteria. supplier selection criteria will vary depending on the organization’s specific needs.
4. Requisition:
Once the vendor is selected, the next step would be requisitioning for purchase. This is an internal document.
The department that requires the goods shall raise the PR and submit it for approval to concerned authority. Purchase requisition will have following details: name and dept of requestor, date of request, product description, product code, quantity, purpose and deadline within which the product is required. May contain additional information on price offered by supplier and delivery instructions
5. Approval of PR:
The approver (approver is decided as per DOA limits) validates the PR, checks if the price quoted is within the approved budget limit. Once PR form is approved, a purchase order is issued to the supplier.
6. Issuing purchase orders
Purchase orders is a document raised by the buyer on the seller, containing information about the purchase like requestor details, when items are required, the vendor, and more.
7. Receipt of goods
The supplier delivers the requested goods and a receipt is created.
(a) Match the products with the PO
(b) Perform quality checks
(c) Receive the product (receiving transactions: receive, accept and deliver)
(d) Send the invoice for processing to finance dept
8. Invoice processing:
Invoice is received from supplier is entered into the processing system. The invoice is matched against the PO and the receiving documents and if there are any exceptions, then they are flagged for further investigation. Invoices that do not have an associated PO, are routed through workflow for review and approval.
9. Approved invoices are passed to accounts payable who make the payment and update the system.