Purchase Orders

Purchase orders help control spending, get approvals, and keep a clear record of what’s being bought. They ensure suppliers and buyers agree on price, quantity, and delivery, making orders easier to track and reducing errors.

A purchase requisition is an internal request used by employees or departments to obtain approval for buying goods or services. It outlines what is needed, the estimated cost, and the business purpose, ensuring proper budget checks and authorization before any commitment is made.

Once a requisition is reviewed and approved, it is converted into a purchase order (PO)—a formal document which the requestor then sends to the supplier. The purchase order confirms the details of the transaction, including items or services, quantities, pricing, delivery terms, and billing information.

Together, requisitions and purchase orders create a controlled procurement process that improves visibility, ensures compliance, and helps organizations manage spending effectively.

In short:

• Requisition = asking for approval
• Purchase Order = placing the order

What it is:
You “punch out” from Workday to a supplier’s online catalog (like WB Mason), shop there, and your cart comes back into Workday automatically.

How it works:

1. Type Create Requisition in the Workday Search bar
2. Complete the required information and click OK
3. Click Connect to Supplier Website
4. Click Connect
5. Shop on the supplier’s site
6. Click the Cart to checkout
7. Click Checkout
8. Cart will return to Workday
9. Click Checkout
10. Complete the Requisition Information and click Submit

What it is:
You manually type in the details of what you’re buying because there’s no online catalog connection.

How it works:

1. Type Create Requisition in the Workday Search bar
2. Complete the required information and click OK
3. Click Request Non-Catalog Items
4. Select request type and enter supplier, item description, quantity, and price
5. Click Add to Cart
6. Click Cart icon to checkout
7. Click Checkout
8. Attach quote
9. Click Submit for approval
10. Once approved, you will be emailed a copy of the purchase order
11. Provide purchase order to the supplier
12. Submit all invoices associated with a purchase order directly to [email protected] with the purchase order number clearly stated on the invoice; do not submit the invoice in Workday as a supplier invoice request

If the supplier isn’t available when creating the requisition, please reach out to [email protected] to learn how to add them to Workday.

For additional assistance, please contact [email protected].

Please ask the vendor if they will accept payment by Visa. This is Colby’s preferred method of payment. Most departments have a departmental Visa purchasing card, but if your department does not have a card and the vendor accepts Visa, please contact [email protected].