Subcontracting Orders to Vendors

Use a purchase order to describe work you are outsourcing to a vendor. Use a custom line for a service such as embroidery, with the vendor's cost rather than your selling price. Starting from the customer's quote or sales order keeps the two orders linked, so you can track the subcontract alongside the customer order.

Create the subcontract purchase order

Creating a purchase order does not send it to the vendor; confirm customer approval before sending work.

Open Sales in the top navigation.
Choose Sales Orders.

For a quote, choose Quotes instead.
Double-click the order row to open its details.
Click Open full page in new tab in the order window header.
Click Quick Actions.
Choose Create Purchase Order.
Open Select a vendor.
Choose the company doing the work.

If the vendor is not listed, add the vendor and its contact first. The vendor's default Vendor Notes fill this purchase order; editing them here leaves the vendor record unchanged.

Add a Label for your team to recognize the subcontract; the shared page identifies it by purchase-order number.
Set the Due Date for when you need the work back, allowing time before the customer's deadline.
For the copied custom line shown here, replace the product name with the work, such as Polo embroidery. Enter the quantity and the vendor's Unit Price, which starts blank. The sales-order reference stays with the renamed line.
In the Files heading row, click Upload to add artwork or instructions.
Select the files from your computer, or drag them into the upload area.
When the files show Upload Success, click Upload.

Each file can be up to 100 MB. Executable files with the extensions .exe , .php , or .bat are not accepted.

Write the instructions the vendor needs in Vendor Notes.
Review the purchase order, then click Create.

The saved purchase order opens with a link back to the customer order.

Correct the purchase order

Click Edit in the top-right action bar to open the full purchase-order editor.
Change the dates, vendor, quantity, or unit price. Destination Address is disabled in this editor.
Click Save. Cancel returns to the purchase order without saving your changes.

Use the Vendor Notes pencil on the saved purchase order to edit notes, or its Files tab to manage attachments.

Email the vendor

Click Message, the speech-bubble button at the top of the purchase order.
Click Edit recipients, the pencil beside the recipient name.
Select the contacts who should receive the email.
Close the recipient window to return to your message.
Write your message in the text box.

Use a template instead

If you want to start from a saved message, open Message Template.
Choose a template. It replaces the message text, so review it before sending.

The menu lists purchase-order templates from Configuration > Settings > Message Templates.

Attach files and send

To include a file with this email, click Attach Files.
Select the files from your computer.
Once the upload succeeds, click Upload.
Check the recipients, message, and attachments, then click Send.

Reopen Message on this purchase order to review the conversation with the vendor.

Click View Link under Shareable Link. Copy the address from the page that opens and share it with the vendor through your usual channel.

Share the link only with the intended vendor; it contains purchase-order details, notes, and downloadable files.

On the shared page, Print PDF opens a PDF copy of the purchase order.
Under Downloadable Files, click download in the file's Action column.

Track the subcontract from the sales order

In Related Links, click the sales-order number, such as Sales Order #SO0001. It opens an order window over the purchase order.
In the sales order's Purchase Orders panel, click the subcontract's status.
Choose the status that matches the vendor's latest update, such as Awaiting fulfillment.

The status updates the purchase order itself; it does not receive items into inventory.