A purchase order template gives you boxes to fill. It does not tell you whether the order you saved in your accounts matches the order you meant to place. For a trade office, that gap is an extra zero or the wrong delivery site.
The short answer: use one filled materials request as your template. Enter it in Xero, save it, then compare the saved draft with the request field by field before anyone approves it. Xero separates saving from submitting for approval,2 so the comparison fits between the two.
- 01 · RequestThe materials list
Request MR-2101 Sample
- Fittings8 at $15.00
- Deliver toSite A
- 02 · SaveThe Xero draft
Xero PO-4101 Draft
- Fittings80 at $15.00
- Deliver toDepot
- 03 · CompareField by field
- Quantity matches
- Site matches
- Supplier matches
- 04 · ReadyA person approves
Approve PO-4101?$450.00 before tax, Site A
At the end of the day Steps 1 to 3 are comparing. Step 4 is a spending decision.
A filled materials request
| Item | Quantity | Unit price | Line amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipe lengths | 12 | $25.00 | $300.00 |
| Fittings | 8 | $15.00 | $120.00 |
| Delivery | 1 | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| Total before tax | $450.00 |
Sample data, not a client’s. Request MR-2101 is for Job 2101, from Supplier A on quote Q-6101, delivered to Site A. Xero’s template page lists what to enter: “the supplier’s information, item details, price, purchase order number, and delivery steps”.1 Keep the delivery charge visible.
Map the request into Xero
| Request field | Check in Xero |
|---|---|
| Supplier A | Supplier |
| 12, 8 and 1 | Quantities |
| $25.00, $15.00 and $30.00 | Prices |
| 6 November 2026 | Delivery date |
| Site A | Delivery details or order notes: check which field your order shows |
| MR-2101, Job 2101, Q-6101 | Reference or notes |
| PO-4101 | Purchase order number |
Xero’s steps are to select Purchase orders, then New Purchase Order, and complete “supplier, items, quantities, prices and delivery date”. Then “Click Save, or use the arrow next to Save to submit it for approval”.2 Save first, then reopen the order to compare.
Check any saved item. Its “price, description, account, and tax rate” drop into purchase orders,3 so a familiar item can carry an old price.
Compare the saved draft
Before tax, A$ · orange: over request
80 fittings at $15.00 instead of 8 adds $1,080.00, and the site is wrong too.
Illustrative figures, not client data.
The saved draft against the reviewed order, line by line
| Check | Saved draft | Reviewed order |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier | Supplier A | Supplier A |
| Pipe lengths | 12 at $25.00 | 12 at $25.00 |
| Fittings | 80 at $15.00 | 8 at $15.00 |
| Delivery charge | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| Destination | Depot | Site A |
| Total before tax | $1,530.00 | $450.00 |
| Decision | Hold | Ready for approval |
The draft adds 72 fittings at $15.00, which is $1,080.00. Correcting the total would not fix the destination.
Compare the saved fields, then the copy the supplier will see. A signature line on a template records something different from the order’s saved state. Qoblex’s template has an “Authorized by” name, signature and date.4 Its Word and PDF versions have “None, static totals”, so check the arithmetic yourself.4
Keep approval separate from sending
Office prepares
Enters the request, saves the draft and compares the two.
Approver decides
Reviews scope, site and spend, then approves or returns it.
Office sends
Checks the approved copy and recipient, sends it and keeps a copy.
Xero says you can “set who can create, approve or delete” orders, and email approved orders as PDFs.2 Give the approver the request and the saved order side by side. Taxes stay with your bookkeeper: Xero says each item can be tax inclusive or tax exclusive, and points to the ATO for GST rules.2
A checklist before release
- Supplier and reference. Supplier A, MR-2101, Job 2101 and Q-6101 agree.
- Lines. Quantities and prices match the quote. Three lines total $450.00 before tax.
- Destination. Site A and 6 November 2026 on the order the supplier will see.
- Tax. Your bookkeeper confirms the tax settings.
- Approval. The approver releases it. The office sends it and keeps a copy.
Xero’s template page says to send “a PO copy to your supplier and save another for your records”.1 This check stops before goods arrive. When the supplier’s bill arrives, match it to this approved order.
Where a person stays in charge
Rules check
Quantities, prices and totals against the request, the same way every time.
Claude drafts
An item description or a one-line note on a mismatch. It never approves or sends.
You decide
Your approver chooses whether the order goes to the supplier.
I build workflows that compare what you meant to order with what is saved. Rules check quantities and totals. A person approves the spend. A later build that matches supplier bills to approved orders is Supplier Bill Approval, from A$3,900 (AUD, no GST charged).6
If you are unsure which step to fix first, start with a Workflow Audit for A$990 (AUD, no GST charged). It is a 60-minute call, a read-only review of your systems and a written report, with a fixed quote for each of the top 3 things worth automating.6 Start with a free fit check by email at the foot of this page.
Questions
Can I use a Word template instead?
Yes, but a Word or PDF template has static totals.4 Check the arithmetic yourself, and keep the filled request beside the saved order.
Does saving the order mean it is approved?
No. Xero lets you save an order, or submit it for approval.2 Record the approver’s decision before the supplier gets it.
Can I copy an overseas template as it is?
Treat it as a layout only. TapTax’s Word template describes “the UK details already laid out”.5 Ask your bookkeeper about tax settings and a legal adviser about purchase terms.
Sources
- 1. Xero, “Free purchase order template” (Australia), read 3 November 2026: xero.com/au/templates/purchase-order-template
- 2. Xero, “Purchase order software for small business” (Australia), read 3 November 2026: xero.com/au/accounting-software/create-purchase-orders
- 3. Xero, “Inventory management software” (Australia), read 3 November 2026: xero.com/au/accounting-software/manage-inventory
- 4. Qoblex, “Free purchase order template: Excel, Word and PDF”, read 3 November 2026: qoblex.com/resources/free-tools/purchase-order-template
- 5. TapTax, “Purchase order template for Word” (last reviewed 26 September 2026), read 3 November 2026: taptax.co.uk/templates/purchase-order/word
- 6. Works Better, “Pricing”, “Supplier bill approval” and “Workflow Audit”: worksbetter.ai/pricing (Supplier Bill Approval from A$3,900; Workflow Audit A$990; AUD, no GST charged), worksbetter.ai/supplier-bill-approval and worksbetter.ai/workflow-audit
Not sure which to fix first?
Get a free fit check by email and I will say whether it is worth automating. No call needed. The next step is a A$990 workflow audit: the top 3 things worth automating, with a fixed quote for each.
Get a free fit check by email