Creating purchase orders may seem straightforward – but in practice, small mistakes can have major consequences. Budget overruns, incorrect deliveries, and a lack of transparency can cause delays, unnecessary costs, and frustration. The good news: with a digital system like DPO, many of these issues can be avoided from the start.

1. Missing Approvals

One of the most common mistakes is placing an order without the required internal approval. This often leads to budget conflicts, manual corrections, or late-stage rejection by finance.

How DPO helps:DPO allows you to set up tailored approval workflows that trigger automatically. Every purchase request goes through the right authorization process — documented, auditable, and secure.

2. Incomplete or Incorrect Information

Missing item numbers, vague delivery dates, or incorrect pricing often cause unnecessary delays or rework after an order is placed.

How DPO helps:With smart forms, required fields, and drop-down menus, DPO ensures that all essential details are provided and validated before a purchase order is submitted.

3. Unclear Responsibilities

Without defined roles, it's often unclear who is allowed to request, approve, or manage orders. This results in confusion and inconsistent processes.

How DPO helps:DPO’s role-based access ensures that each user has only the permissions relevant to their responsibilities. This provides structure, clarity, and security across departments.

4. Lack of Budget Visibility

If purchase requests are made independently of budget tracking, there's a high risk of overspending — often only noticed when it’s too late.

How DPO helps:Budgets are directly integrated into DPO. Before a request is even approved, budget owners can see how much is still available, allowing for better control and decision-making.

5. No Traceability

Who ordered what – and why? Without proper documentation, it’s difficult to track down the origin of purchases, especially during audits or internal reviews.

How DPO helps:DPO automatically records every step in the purchase process — from initial request to final approval — providing a complete and searchable order history.

Conclusion: Fewer Errors, More Control – with DPO

Most issues in procurement are not caused by people, but by outdated or inefficient systems. By digitizing your purchase order process, you reduce risks and gain visibility, structure, and speed.

DPO helps you streamline purchasing, eliminate common errors, and stay in control — from start to finish.

Want to learn more?

Book a free live demo and see how DPO can optimize your procurement process.