Guide
Work order vs purchase order
A work order tells your own team to do a job. A purchase order asks a supplier to sell you goods or services at an agreed price. The first is an internal instruction about work; the second is a commercial document about buying. They often appear together, because a job may need a part that has to be bought, but they answer different questions and go to different people.
Side by side
| Work order | Purchase order | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An instruction to do a job | A request to buy something |
| Who it is for | The person or team doing the work | A supplier outside your company |
| What it lists | Equipment, tasks, materials used, due date | Items, quantities, prices, delivery details |
| What closes it | The work is done and signed off | The goods or services are received |
| Where it is kept | With the equipment's maintenance records | With purchasing and accounting records |
What a work order is for
A work order names the equipment, lists the tasks, says who does them and by when, and records that the work was finished. It stays inside your company. Its job is to make the work clear to the person doing it and to leave a record for whoever reads it later. For the full picture, see what a work order is.
What a purchase order is for
A purchase order goes to a supplier. It states what you want to buy, how many, at what price and on what terms. Purchasing and accounting use it to track what was ordered and what was received. How purchase orders work in your company, and what they commit you to, depends on your own purchasing rules and agreements; this guide does not cover that.
How the two connect
A single job can need both documents:
- A work order is created to replace a worn part.
- The part is not in stock, so a purchase order is sent to a supplier.
- The part arrives, and the work is done.
- The work order is completed, with the part listed under materials.
Write each number on the other document: the purchase order number in the work order's notes, and the work order number as a reference on the purchase order. Later, anyone can follow the job from the request to the part that was bought.
Common confusions
- Using a purchase order as the job record. A purchase order shows what was bought, not what was done or by whom.
- Using a work order to buy. A work order can list the materials a job needs, but it is not sent to a supplier and does not order anything.
- Losing the link. When the two numbers are not cross-referenced, it is hard to tell which purchase belonged to which job.
What this site covers
The tools on this site create maintenance work orders, equipment logs and maintenance schedules. They do not create purchase orders. The work order generator has a materials section for the parts a job uses, with quantities and optional costs, and a notes field where a purchase order number fits.
Common questions
Is a work order the same as a purchase order?
No. A work order is an internal instruction to do a job. A purchase order is a document sent to a supplier to buy goods or services at an agreed price.
Can one job need both a work order and a purchase order?
Yes. A repair may need a part you do not have. The work order describes the job, and a purchase order buys the part. Writing each number on the other document keeps the two linked.
Does this site create purchase orders?
No. The tools here create maintenance work orders, equipment logs and maintenance schedules. Purchase orders usually come from your accounting or purchasing system.