Purchase Order Records Assistant

Purchase Order Records Assistant

Office Administration | Purchasing Records | Remote | Full-time or part-time
£25.75–£28.00 hourly

After a purchase order has been approved, several documents may refer to it: the original request, an order confirmation and a delivery note. This position keeps those records connected so the purchasing team can see what has been ordered and what remains outstanding. You would check references, file approved documents and record status changes supplied by authorised colleagues. You would not approve a purchase, select a supplier or change prices.

The record, not the purchasing decision

A new confirmation may arrive with a reference that differs slightly from the internal purchase order. Compare the details available under the employer’s procedure and ask the purchasing owner before linking uncertain documents. Two orders to the same supplier might have similar item descriptions but different quantities. A quick assumption could make it appear that the wrong order has been fulfilled. Keep the source message and note the uncertainty rather than hiding it with a guessed match.

You may receive an invoice later, but the finance team determines whether it should be paid. Your office administration role is to identify the related order and pass along the document as instructed. If the invoice lists an item not shown on the order, flag the discrepancy instead of editing the purchase order to make the numbers agree. A document that says “delivered” is also different from confirmation by the receiving team that the goods were checked.

Routine work in the queue

• Find the approved order using its reference and supplier details.
• Link a confirmation or delivery document to the correct record.
• Check the status shown before entering a new update.
• Ask for a missing reference or clarification about an uncertain match.
• Record a change authorised by the purchasing owner.
• Make an incomplete document visible to the appropriate colleague.
• Keep an order open when the receiving status is still unknown.
• Leave a short note explaining any unresolved discrepancy.

The role can include answering internal questions such as whether a confirmation was received or where an approved document can be found. Use the online record as your source. If a colleague asks whether the company can cancel an order, route that decision to purchasing. Customer service habits still matter: a useful reply is accurate, courteous and clear about the next step, even when the person asking is another employee.

An office might have many small orders in progress. Keep each record separate, especially when two teams request the same item from the same supplier. After saving an attachment, check that the link opens the expected document. If a revised order supersedes an earlier one, follow the owner’s instructions for identifying the current version. The aim is a dependable trail, not a folder that looks tidy but cannot explain what changed.

This is remote work using digital documents, email and an online purchasing tracker. A home office setup helps you compare documents without losing the reference you are checking. The employer will train you on its order categories, permissions and filing rules. Previous purchasing or records experience is helpful, not required. You should be comfortable working through a list, checking amounts and asking a focused question when the evidence conflicts.

The pay range is hourly and the hiring company will confirm the schedule for its opening. The work is suitable for someone beginning an office administration career who understands that entering a status is not the same as authorising a transaction.

Some records will have a partial delivery. If ten units were ordered and the receiving team confirms six, the status should reflect six received and four still outstanding under the company’s rules. A supplier’s confirmation that ten were shipped does not establish that all ten arrived. If the purchasing owner later changes the quantity, preserve the approved change and update only the assigned fields. These small distinctions make a purchase order useful to people who are reconciling a delivery or answering a supplier question weeks later.

When a delivery is partial

• Note the quantity the receiving team actually confirmed.
• Leave the remaining quantity open under the purchasing rules.
• Keep supplier dispatch notices separate from receipt evidence.
• Flag a shortfall to the owner of the purchase order.
• Link later deliveries to the same approved reference.
• Check the final total before closing the record.

Records that need a decision

• An invoice does not match the approved purchase order.
• Two confirmations appear to use the same reference.
• A revised order lacks evidence of approval.
• A delivery document names a different recipient team.
• A supplier asks for a change to the order terms.
• The receiving team disputes the recorded quantity.

To apply

Tell us how you would handle two documents that show the same supplier but different order references. An example from another kind of recordkeeping is fine. You do not need procurement experience. If your application progresses, you may be asked to complete an application on the hiring company’s website. Training will cover the approval boundaries and tracking system.