How do you create purchase orders by vendor from the EBMS Purchasing page?

To create purchase orders by vendor in EBMS, open Inventory > Purchasing, filter by the vendor, click Default Orders to fill quantities from your stock levels, and review them. Then click Create and choose Order. EBMS builds one purchase order for that vendor, or one per item's primary vendor if you pick that option.

This guide is for buyers using EBMS ERP by Koble (formerly Eagle Business Software). The steps follow Koble's current online help as we read it on 2026-10-01. The help pages do not name an EBMS version, so button labels may differ slightly on older releases. For the wider picture, see how to automate purchasing in EBMS.

What should you set up before creating purchase orders by vendor?

Make sure every stocked item has the right primary vendor, sensible stock levels and lead days. The Purchasing page builds orders from those fields, so gaps there become gaps on the PO.

• Primary Vendor. On the item's Purchasing tab (Inventory > Product Catalog, open the item). EBMS sets it from the first purchase and uses it when it creates purchase orders, so check it after you change suppliers.
• Vendor Part Number and Measure. Also on the Purchasing tab, in the vendor list. The part number lets you add items to a PO by the vendor's code. The measure should match the unit you buy in.
• Minimum, Maximum and Reorder Increment. On the Count tab. Our guide to how the EBMS Purchasing page decides what to order explains the math.
• Lead days. Set Lead Time days on the vendor record's Terms tab, and item lead days on the item's Purchasing tab where one item differs. EBMS uses them to set the ETA date on purchase order lines, and the item setting wins.

What are the steps to create a purchase order for one vendor?

Filter, default, review, create. The whole run happens on the Purchasing tab of the Purchasing page.

1. Open Inventory > Purchasing. Tick the Vendor option, enter the Vendor ID, optionally limit it to a Folder, then press F5 or click Find.
2. Click Clear Orders to remove any quantities left from an earlier run. Order Quantity is saved even when an item is not shown.
3. Click Default Orders. EBMS fills Order Quantity for items whose Net Ordered is below the Minimum, using the Reorder Increment and Maximum.
4. Review each line and change quantities by hand where you know better, for example a large job coming in or a vendor minimum.
5. Tick "Show items with order quantities" so only the lines you are ordering remain.
6. Click Create and choose Order. A dialog confirms the vendor.
7. Choose "Create P.O. for all items to this vendor" for a single PO, or "Use item primary vendors" to split lines by each item's primary vendor.
8. Click Next. If the vendor already has purchase orders, EBMS lists them. Check the list so you do not create a second PO for the same items.
9. If special order checking is turned on (Inventory > Options, General tab, "View when creating purchase order"), the wizard shows open special orders for the vendor so you can add them.
10. Click Next to create the PO, then Yes to open it. From there you print or fax it to the vendor, or call to confirm costs.

Find, print or process the purchase order later under Expenses > Invoices and P.O.s.

When should you use one PO per vendor versus primary vendors?

Use one PO per vendor when you already filtered by that vendor and want everything on one order. Use primary vendors when you worked a folder or the whole list and want EBMS to split the lines for you.

Splitting by primary vendor is only as accurate as the Primary Vendor fields. Spot-check a few items before you rely on it.

How do you enter a purchase order by hand?

Go to Expenses > Invoices and P.O.s, enter the Vendor ID, set Status to Purchase Order and click New. Then add lines with the quantity ordered, the product ID (or vendor part number) and the unit cost.

The PO number fills in automatically in the Invoice ID field, though you can type your own. Terms default from the vendor. Use File > Print to print it and File > Save to keep it open. A purchase order stays unprocessed until the vendor's invoice arrives and you process it into an expense invoice.

What are the best practices for ordering by vendor in EBMS?

Work vendor by vendor on a fixed day, and clean the data the orders depend on. Most bad purchase orders trace back to a stale quantity or a wrong primary vendor, not to the buyer.

• Set an order day per vendor and run that vendor's filter on that day, so freight minimums are easier to hit.
• Always Clear Orders before Default Orders. Hidden leftovers are the most common surprise on a new PO.
• Keep lead days filled in on the vendor and item records, so ETA dates mean something when you receive.
• Review the existing PO list in the wizard before creating a new one.
• Receive against the PO when goods arrive, so open quantities and Net Ordered stay true for the next run.

Our weekly reorder routine for EBMS turns these into a checklist.

How does ReorderOwl create vendor purchase orders in EBMS?

ReorderOwl, a purchasing agent for EBMS, works out what to order for a vendor. When you approve, it saves the purchase order in EBMS. You ask in Slack or ChatGPT, for example "what should we order from Ironwell Tools this week?"

It reads EBMS read-only: sales history, stock on hand, open purchase orders, the item's primary vendor and vendor lead days. You can scope a run by vendor, warehouse, folder or item, and the answer is grouped by vendor. Quantities cover forecast demand over the lead time plus safety-stock days, plus the EBMS Minimum if you turn Minimums on, rounded up to the order increment. An Excel workbook explains every line, with a Primary Vendor column and a sheet of purchase orders already incoming.

When you confirm, it saves the purchase order through the EBMS API. EBMS assigns the PO number unless you give one, and blocked vendors are refused. Nothing goes to a vendor until someone on your team sends it. With a scheduled weekly run in Slack, the suggestions can be waiting in your channel before the day starts. See ReorderOwl for EBMS.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make one purchase order per vendor in EBMS?

On Inventory > Purchasing, fill order quantities, click Create, choose Order, and select "Use item primary vendors". EBMS creates a separate purchase order for each primary vendor on the selected items.

Why did Default Orders not fill a quantity for an item?

Default Orders fills only items whose Net Ordered is below the Minimum. Check the Minimum on the Count tab, open purchase orders already counted in Net Ordered, the purchase method, and your Vendor or Folder filter.

Where do I find purchase orders after creating them in EBMS?

Under Expenses > Invoices and P.O.s. You can open, print, delete or process them there.

How does EBMS set the ETA date on a purchase order?

From the Lead Time days on the vendor record's Terms tab, unless the item has its own lead days on its Purchasing tab, which take precedence. You can also set an ETA by hand on a line.

Does ReorderOwl send purchase orders to vendors?

No. It saves purchase orders in EBMS after you approve them. Nothing goes to a vendor until someone on your team sends it.

Sources

1. Create Purchase Orders from the Purchasing Page, Koble Systems, accessed 2026-10-01
2. Inventory Purchasing Page, Koble Systems, accessed 2026-10-01
3. Purchasing Tab, Koble Systems, accessed 2026-10-01
4. Purchase Order Overview, Koble Systems, accessed 2026-10-01
5. Entering a New Purchase Order, Koble Systems, accessed 2026-10-01
6. Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) Date, Koble Systems, accessed 2026-10-01